Judge denies Ryan Payne’s motion to undo guilty plea

PORTLAND – A federal judge has denied Oregon refuge occupier Ryan Payne’s request to withdraw his guilty plea.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown ruled Wednesday that Payne’s plea in the Oregon case wasn’t, as his attorney argued, contingent on reaching a plea agreement in a case against him in Nevada.

Payne, of Anaconda, Montana, admitted in July that he conspired with others to prevent Interior Department employees from doing their jobs during the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildfire Refuge.

Payne was one of 11 defendants to plead guilty before others in the case went to trial and were found not guilty.

Payne will be sentenced at a later date.

In Nevada, he’s accused of organizing “armed protection” in an April 2014 standoff over impounding Cliven Bundy’s cattle.