The Ruby Ridge affair was an example of what the government can do if they decide to target someone. An ATF informant solicited Randy Weaver to make illegal sawed-off shotguns for him, and then the ATF arrested him for it. The Marshals put out a warrant for his arrest for not showing up to court six days before he was told to show up for court. The Marshals then killed his son. The FBI killed his wife and shot him. They shot his friend. Then they put him on trial, and a jury sentenced him to 18 months in jail for not showing up to court. Yes, the Weaver family later won a 3 million dollar settlement from the government, but the government never admitted any wrongdoing. Only one of the hundreds of government individuals involved was charged with a crime, and the charges were dismissed on grounds of sovereign immunity. The Ruby Ridge affair nearly destroyed the Weaver family, but the government agents who escalated it at every opportunity walked away without consequences.