The pair allegedly traveled as far as the East Coast — stopping along the way at fur farms in Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana and Pennsylvania — freeing mink from cages and in one case a bobcat while also committing various acts of vandalism against businesses, business owners and employees in the fur industry, according to court records. Oakland pair indicted on terrorism charges for mink-freeing spree 
 
 A pair of Oakland animal-rights activists were arrested on federal terrorism charges Friday for allegedly driving more than 40,000 miles across the country to save the hides of 5,000 mink destined to become furs, authorities said. Joseph Buddenberg, 31, and Nicole Kissane, 28, were both charged with conspiracy to violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act during a nationwide vandalism spree that crisscrossed the country in the summer of 2013, said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. Among their other exploits, the pair broke windows out at a Bay Area market, slashed the tires of a San Francisco meat distributor truck, glued shut the locks at a fur business in Minneapolis and attempted to flood the Sun Prairie, Wis., home of an employee who worked at a fur auction house, prosecutors said. They also stopped using cell phones and used encrypted e-mail while on the road to avoid detection by law enforcement, according to the indictment. The pair were unemployed – although public records show Kissane has a cosmetology license – and raised money for their road trips by selling items on eBay and Amazon, authorities said. “Whatever your feelings about the fur industry, there are legal ways to make your opinions known,” U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said in a statement. “The conduct alleged here, sneaking around at night, stealing property and vandalizing homes and businesses with acid, glue and chemicals, is a form of domestic terrorism and can’t be permitted to continue.” 
 
 In one instance detailed in the indictment, Buddenberg and Kissane allegedly drove from Oregon to Southern California armed with used paint, paint stripper, Super Glue and two different types of acid to vandalize Furs by Graf, a furrier in San Diego, and the homes of both its current and former owner in Spring Valley and La Mesa, suburbs east of the city. Buddenberg was the target of federal agents at least once before when, in 2009, he was charged with threatening researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz.
– Two animal rights activists who authorities say went on an epic vigilante road trip across the US have been arrested and face jail time. Joseph Buddenberg, 31, and Nicole Kissane, 28, both of Oakland, are accused of freeing about 5,000 mink from various farms along with a slew of vandalism incidents, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. Prosecutors say the pair set out in June 2013 in a Honda Fit and began their spree by vandalizing a San Diego fur store with paint and Super Glue. After that, they allegedly freed mink from cages at farms in Idaho, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pennsylvania, along with one lucky bobcat in Montana, reports the San Diego Tribune. They also vandalized other stores and vehicles (including a police chief's car) along the way, say authorities. “Whatever your feelings about the fur industry, there are legal ways to make your opinions known,” say US Attorney Lura Duffy. “The conduct alleged here, sneaking around at night, stealing property and vandalizing homes and businesses with acid, glue and chemicals, is a form of domestic terrorism and can’t be permitted to continue.” The pair allegedly wrote of their spree in encrypted "communiques" on activist websites as it progressed. They're accused of violating the federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, and each faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Both are out on bond with electronic monitoring.