als ▁of ▁numerous ▁public ▁officials , ▁and ▁issued ▁their ▁own ▁writ ▁of ▁execution ▁against ▁a ▁federal ▁judge . ▁The ▁F BI ▁investig ated ▁the ▁group ▁and ▁initi ated ▁a ▁st ing ▁operation ▁aim ed ▁at ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁Fre emen ' s ▁financial ▁programs , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁arrest ▁of ▁two ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁The ▁F BI ▁also ▁had ▁war r ants ▁for ▁eight ▁other ▁persons ▁sus pected ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁the ▁farm , ▁but ▁before ▁they ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁arrest ▁them ▁an ▁armed ▁confront ation ▁developed ▁and ▁the ▁F BI ▁with d rew ▁to ▁a ▁safe ▁distance ▁to ▁avoid ▁violence . ▁The ▁similar ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁st ando ff ▁in ▁W aco , ▁Texas ▁involving ▁the ▁Branch ▁David ians , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁incident ▁between ▁the ▁We aver ▁family ▁and ▁the ▁F BI ▁at ▁Ruby ▁R idge , ▁Id aho , ▁were ▁still ▁fresh ▁in ▁the ▁public ▁mind , ▁and ▁the ▁F BI ▁was ▁extremely ▁c aut ious ▁and ▁wanted ▁to ▁prevent ▁a ▁rec urrence ▁of ▁those ▁violent ▁events . ▁After ▁ 8 1 ▁days ▁of ▁negoti ations , ▁the ▁Fre emen ▁surrender ed ▁to ▁authorities ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁ ▁After math ▁ ▁Le Ro y ▁Schwe itzer ▁was ▁conv icted ▁of ▁consp i racy , ▁bank ▁fra ud , ▁mail ▁fra ud , ▁wire ▁fra ud , ▁false ▁claims ▁to ▁the ▁I RS ,