Guy looking at 220 years in Supermax is going to represent himself at trial

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-bishop-bomb-threats-20100721,0,7305605.story

Iowa man charged with sending bomb threats plans to represent self at trial

By Andy Grimm, Tribune reporter

7:40 p.m. CDT, July 21, 2010

An Iowa machinist charged in a series of bomb threats in 2007 backed out at the last minute Wednesday of a guilty plea in federal court in Chicago and said he would represent himself at trial.

John Tomkins had told the court he planned to plead guilty to 12 of the 13 counts against him for allegedly mailing two pipe bombs as well as threats that he signed "The Bishop" in a bizarre scheme to boost the value of stocks he owned in two businesses.

Tomkins had no deal with prosecutors but hoped they would drop the final count of possession of a destructive device to avoid a trial. snip

Tomkins said that if he pleaded guilty to the 12 counts, he could have faced as many as 220 years in prison under sentencing laws, but he wouldn't plead guilty to the 13th count because it carried a minimum of 30 years in prison. Tomkins has had four different defense attorneys assigned to him since his arrest, and he said the case has been handled by at least three different prosecutors.

And never be tried, but if you send a few pipe bombs to make a profit you go to the Supermax? Capitalism works best, clearly, for those already waaaaaay at the top.