William "Billy" Cottrell | |
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Born | 1980 (age 43–44) Concord, North Carolina, United States |
Occupation | Graduate research assistant |
Criminal status | Released |
Parent(s) | William Cottrell and Heidi Schwiebert |
Criminal charge | Conspiracy to arson |
Penalty | 8 years |
William Jensen Cottrell (born 1980) is a former Ph.D. candidate at the California Institute of Technology who was convicted in April 2005 of conspiracy associated with the destruction of eight sport utility vehicles and a Hummer dealership in the name of the Earth Liberation Front (ELF). He was sentenced to eight years in federal prison on conspiracy charges and ordered to pay $3.5 million in restitution. He was released August 16, 2011.