Pun Plamondon

Lawrence "Pun" Plamondon (born April 27, 1945)[1] is a former 1960s left-wing activist who helped found the White Panther Party. He was the first hippie to be listed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

Pun Plamondon
Plamondon speaking at Kent State University in May 2009
Born
Lawrence Robert Plamondon

(1945-04-27) April 27, 1945
Traverse City, Michigan, U.S.
Known forFounder of the White Panther Party

Biography

Plamondon's father was half-Odawa and his mother was part-Ojibwe, which he was unaware of early in life. A Traverse City, Michigan couple adopted him and gave him his name, Lawrence Robert Plamondon. Plamondon had a troubled childhood and left home as a teenager.[2]

At the age of 21, Plamondon was in Detroit, Michigan in 1967, when the protests against the Vietnam War and riot occurred. Making sandals during the day and smoking marijuana in the evening, he was soon meeting with John Sinclair.

In 1968, Plamondon and a few friends moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan where they established a commune at 1510 Hill Street. With John Sinclair, they founded the White Panther Party, which supported the goals of the Black Panther Party. He was indicted for bombing a CIA office in Ann Arbor on September 29, 1968.[3][4] Changing his appearance, he went underground and fled to San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Germany, Italy, and finally to Algeria. In May 1970, he was listed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.[5] After a few months he covertly returned to the United States. In July 1970, Plamondon was discovered and arrested after being stopped for littering.[6] He was the 307th fugitive to be placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives list and spent nearly three months on the list before being captured.[7]

While waiting trial and after being convicted, he spent 32 months in federal prison. During the trial, the government admitted to wiretapping without a warrant. The case went to the United States Supreme Court and was decided in United States v. U.S. District Court, which held that even the invocation of "national security" by the president of the United States couldn't insulate illegal activity from Constitutional rights to privacy (407 U.S. 297 (1972)). The charges were dismissed.

Later, Plamondon found work driving equipment trucks for rock bands including Kiss and Foreigner.

Plamondon lives in Barry County, Michigan with his wife Patricia Lynn. He is a self-employed carpenter. He tells American Indian stories to young children at schools, libraries, museums, and summer camps. His home is a gathering place for American Indian celebrations.

See also

Writings

Plamondon's autobiography:

  • Plamondon, Pun (2004). Lost from the Ottawa: The Story of the Journey Back. Victoria, B.C: Trafford. ISBN 1-4120-2265-7. Catalogue #04-0093.

References
  1. "1969 Lawrence Robert Plamondon (FBI Wanted Poster) Government Property". Worth Point. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021.
  2. Aistars, Zinta (1 November 2018). "Art Beat: From "Most Wanted" To Native American Storyteller". wmuk.org. Western Michigan University. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  3. Zbrozek, C (2006-10-24). "The bombing of the A2 CIA office". Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  4. Salpukas, Agis (1971-01-17). "DETROIT RADICALS FACE BOMB TRIAL; Defense Challenges Jury System and Wiretapping". New York Times. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  5. FBI (2013-03-29). ""Ten Most Wanted Fugitives" Program Frequently Asked Questions". FBI.gov. Federal Bureau of Investigations. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  6. "307. Lawrence Robert Plamondon". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  7. "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives 301 to 400". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  • Marsha Low, "'60s radical takes long trip back to his roots," Detroit Free Press, Oct. 27, 2004, Sec. B.

Adapted from the Wikinfo article Lawrence (Pun) Plamondon (Oct 28, 2004 or earlier version) and is used under the GNU Free Documentation License

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