5 Things: Who are anarchists Lily Forester and John Galton?

Amanda Garrett, Akron Beacon Journal
·1 min read

  1. Lily Forester is the alias of Miranda Webb, who grew up in Lake and Lorain counties and spent much of her childhood with her mother, a drug dealer and addict who was on the run from both police and a motorcycle gang.

  2. John Galton is the alias of Shane Cress, who was born in Medina County. John Galton is a spin on John Galt, the hero of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged" and a role model for Cress.

  3. The two met as students at Kent State University, where Webb was working to reform Ohio's marijuana laws.

  4. They were indicted on felony marijuana-related drug charges in Portage County in 2015 and skipped bond, fleeing to Mexico, where they became part of a local anarchist community, the subject of an HBO documentary series "The Anarchists" released this summer.

  5. Webb remains in hiding somewhere in Mexico and is searching for an Ohio lawyer who can can take on her legal case in Portage County. She denies the charges against her, but could face more than 20 years in prison if convicted.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Who are anarchists Lily Forester and John Galton?