Oh the Irony... anti-gov't group arrested...

[Dredly]

This is interesting... an anti-gov't group was arrested by feds... and as far as I can tell there is nothing in the constitution that would actually make what they did illegal..

I love the "Tax Evasion" and "Weapon Possession" charges

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,506746,00.html



LAS VEGAS — Four members of an anti-government group have been arrested on charges that include money laundering, tax evasion and weapons possession, federal prosecutors said Friday.

Authorities said the four men are members of the Sovereign Movement, a group that attempts to overthrow the government and defy authority with "paper terrorism." The arrests in Las Vegas on Thursday capped a three-year investigation into the group's activities led by the Nevada Joint Terrorism Task Force, U.S. Attorney for Nevada Greg Brower said.

A grand jury indictment in federal court in Las Vegas names Samuel Davis, 54, of Council, Idaho; Shawn Rice, 46, of Seligman, Arizona; Harold Call, 67, of Las Vegas; and Jan Lindsey, of Henderson, Nevada.

Davis and Rice are accused of laundering roughly $1.3 million for undercover FBI agents, who described the money as loot from a bank fraud scheme. Davis and Rice are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 30 counts of money laundering. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine on each count.

Davis was described by prosecutors as a national leader in the Sovereign Movement, whose members believe government licenses, taxes and currency are invalid. Rice described himself as a lawyer and rabbi devoted to anti-government teaching, authorities said.

Davis and Rice pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas late Friday. Call and Lindsey also were due to appear in court. Authorities did not know if the four had lawyers.

Brower's office said Call and Lindsey, a retired FBI agent, are leaders of the Nevada Lawmen Group for Public Awareness, a group affiliated with the Sovereign Movement.

Call is accused of possessing an unregistered machine gun, as well as parts designed to convert manual firearms into automatic weapons.

He faces two counts of possession and transfer of a machine gun and three counts of possession of an unregistered machine gun. If convicted, he could get up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

Lindsey is charged with one count of evasion of payment of tax and four counts of evasion of assessment of tax. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

Can someone tell me what a "Paper Terrorist" is? Is that like someone exercising their freedom of speech to talk about the gov't via a newspaper or flyers?

[Bug44]

Soon we are next...

[camper]

Pretty sure money laundering and bank fraud counts as theft...raping isn't spelled out in the constitution but I've *kinda* got the feeling that the constitution won't protect your right to do that either.

Not much here to defend, unless they were ONLY arrested for wanting to oppose the government. But the paper terrorism bit....that's a scary thing. Technically, a republican dissagreeing with a democrat could be considered 'paper terrorism' if you really wanted to cloud reality with a lot of stretching the term.

camper

[Seventy4Blazer]

funny how they think gov money is invalid, yet they are in the business of "cleaning" it... lol

[Minor Threat]

Paper terrorism...isnt tht when you fling rolls of toilet paper at the govt bldgs?

[LM4300]

Can someone tell me what a "Paper Terrorist" is? Is that like someone exercising their freedom of speech to talk about the gov't via a newspaper or flyers?

Thats what Google is for.

Essentially these folks will write bogus liens against people's property or assets as punishment or to get back what they believe was taken from them. Many of the people that have liens put against them are very minimally involved in the "paper terrorist's" predicament.