FAIRBANKS — Coleman Barney, one of five defendants in the “241” murder conspiracy case, took the witness stand in his own defense at a bail hearing Thursday at the Fairbanks Federal Building. The 37-year-old North Pole business owner asked the court to release him into custody of his younger brother while he awaits trial.

Federal District Court Judge Robert J. Bryan heard four hours of testimony from Barney, his brother and an FBI agent. Afterward, he said he would postpone his ruling until Monday, something he said he seldom does. Barney’s bail was already reduced from $2 million to $100,000 in a separate case in state court.

In U.S. court, he is being held without bail.

Bryan ruled against a proposed gag order that sought to restrict attorneys’ contact with the media. He reminded the attorneys to follow rules of professional conduct when speaking with the media. The issue came up after Barney’s attorney, Tim Dooley, was quoted in the Daily News-Miner saying he has not heard his client support the “241” plan in a sample of the more than 100 hours of secret recordings made in this case.

Barney said Thursday under oath that he does not believe there are incriminating recordings because he always spoke against “241,” a plan to kill Alaska State Troopers and court officials. He said FBI informant Gerald “JR” Olson had pushed the plan.

Dooley challenged Olson’s credibility, bringing up Olson’s criminal convictions related to a fraudulent septic system business and calling him the “Sewage King.” Olson recently received a reduced sentence for the septic system fraud in recognition of his help with the “241” investigation.

Barney has no criminal record beyond traffic tickets. He owns the business Mammoth Electric and is a leader in his Church of Latter Day Saints ward, Dooley said.

In federal court, all charges against Barney relate to illegal weapons. Barney responded to a series of photographs of weapons seized from him after his March 10 arrest.

Some weapons, such as a silencer for a pistol, are legal because he ordered it from a weapons dealer, he said. The dealer was FBI informant Bill Fulton, an Anchorage bounty hunter and gun dealer who handcuffed a reporter while working as a security guard for former U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller.

Other weapons, such as a launcher for tear gas and rubber bullets, belonged to codefendant Schaeffer Cox, he said.

Bryan twice asked prosecutors to clarify exactly which weapons were illegal.

“Possession of lots of guns is not illegal,” he said at one point. “The biggest firearm collection I know of is owned by a federal judge.”

Barney is accused of owning a 9-millimeter fully automatic Sten machine gun, a pistol with a silencer and grenade bodies with materials that could potentially make them usable, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Skrocki.

He also said Barney had non-lethal weapons including tear gas and rubber bullets, which can be ruled illegal offensive weapons if there are enough of them or in the context of other weapons.

In cross-examining Barney, Skrocki asked him about his association with Cox and his Peacemaker’s Militia, in which Barney is an officer.

Cox has said publicly many times that he does not think the court system has authority over him because, in part, he believes it is a private corporation. This winter, Cox did not appear at a trial to face a misdemeanor weapons charge. He held a trial for himself at Denny’s instead.

Barney said he served as a juror on the Denny’s trial, along with his parents. Skrocki asked how someone who does not believe in the authority of the court can be expected to be released on bail with court orders.

Barney also said he harbored Cox after a warrant was issued for Cox’s arrest. But he said he does not necessarily understand or agree with all of Cox’s political ideas.

Contact Sam Friedman at 459-7545.