Raymond Lee Harvey
Encyclopedia
Raymond Lee Harvey was an Ohio
-born unemployed American drifter. He was arrested by the Secret Service
after being found carrying a starter pistol with blank
rounds, ten minutes before President
Jimmy Carter
was to give a speech at the Civic Center Mall
in Los Angeles
on May 5, 1979.
Although he had a history of mental illness
, police investigated his claims that he was part of a four-man operation to assassinate the president. He claimed that he had been approached by three Latino
men staying at the Alan Hotel
who gave him the starter pistol, and asked him to shoot it into the ground to create a diversion, so they could then shoot the president from their hotel room during the distraction. According to Harvey, he fired seven blank rounds from the starter pistol on the hotel roof on the night of May 4, to test how much noise it would make, and then spent the night with one of the men he knew as "Julio", later identified as a 21-year-old illegal Mexican alien who gave the name Osvaldo Espinoza Ortiz. At the time of his arrest, Harvey had eight spent rounds in his pocket, as well as 70 unspent blank rounds for the gun.
The names "Lee Harvey" and "Osvaldo" drew comparisons to Lee Harvey Oswald
, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy
. This led conspiracy theorists to claim that the incident was set up to scare Carter into submission. Although originally dismissed as "a tale spun by an intoxicated man," police investigating the claims found a room in the Alan Hotel rented under the name "Umberto Camacho," the name of an alleged conspirator given by Ortiz, containing a shotgun case and three unspent rounds of ammunition. The occupant had checked out of the hotel room the day of the alleged assassination attempt.
Harvey was jailed on a $50,000 bond, given his transient
status, and Ortiz was alternately reported as being held on a $100,000 bond as a material witness
or held on a $50,000 bond being charged with burglary from a car. Charges against the pair were ultimately dismissed for a lack of evidence.
His age at the time of the event has been alternately given as 34 or 35.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
-born unemployed American drifter. He was arrested by the Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
after being found carrying a starter pistol with blank
Blank (cartridge)
A blank is a type of cartridge for a firearm that contains gunpowder but no bullet or shot. When fired, the blank makes a flash and an explosive sound . Blanks are often used for simulation , training, and for signaling...
rounds, ten minutes before President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
was to give a speech at the Civic Center Mall
Civic Center, Los Angeles, California
The Civic Center neighborhood of Los Angeles, California is the administrative core of the City of Los Angeles and a complex of city, state, and federal government offices, buildings, and courthouses.-Location:...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on May 5, 1979.
Although he had a history of mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, police investigated his claims that he was part of a four-man operation to assassinate the president. He claimed that he had been approached by three Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
men staying at the Alan Hotel
Alan Hotel
The Alan Hotel was a hotel located in the Little Tokyo neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The hotel was established in 1942, and was built directly across from the noted Civic Center Mall....
who gave him the starter pistol, and asked him to shoot it into the ground to create a diversion, so they could then shoot the president from their hotel room during the distraction. According to Harvey, he fired seven blank rounds from the starter pistol on the hotel roof on the night of May 4, to test how much noise it would make, and then spent the night with one of the men he knew as "Julio", later identified as a 21-year-old illegal Mexican alien who gave the name Osvaldo Espinoza Ortiz. At the time of his arrest, Harvey had eight spent rounds in his pocket, as well as 70 unspent blank rounds for the gun.
The names "Lee Harvey" and "Osvaldo" drew comparisons to Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald
Lee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. This led conspiracy theorists to claim that the incident was set up to scare Carter into submission. Although originally dismissed as "a tale spun by an intoxicated man," police investigating the claims found a room in the Alan Hotel rented under the name "Umberto Camacho," the name of an alleged conspirator given by Ortiz, containing a shotgun case and three unspent rounds of ammunition. The occupant had checked out of the hotel room the day of the alleged assassination attempt.
Harvey was jailed on a $50,000 bond, given his transient
Transient laborer
Transient laborers are people who offer their services for outdoor, usually home improvement work, for a fee. The term is chiefly American.Jobs include painting, driveway paving, snow removal, and other outdoor tasks. They may travel door-to-door to find work, usually in warm weather, and have a...
status, and Ortiz was alternately reported as being held on a $100,000 bond as a material witness
Material witness
A material witness is a person with information alleged to be material concerning a criminal proceeding. The authority to detain material witnesses dates to the First Judiciary Act of 1789, but the Bail Reform Act of 1984 most recently amended the text of the statute, and it is now codified at...
or held on a $50,000 bond being charged with burglary from a car. Charges against the pair were ultimately dismissed for a lack of evidence.
His age at the time of the event has been alternately given as 34 or 35.