Vegas arrests cast light on anti-government ‘sovereign citizens’ movement

A Las Vegas couple who plotted to kidnap and kill police officers are part of a growing movement whose adherents believe they aren’t subject to laws and follow a complex theory about the secret enslavement of American citizens, authorities say.

The couple spent hundreds of hours developing a plot to attract attention to the movement, a cause known as “sovereign citizens,” which holds that police do not have legitimate power, authorities said.

The two shopped for guns, found a vacant house and rigged it to bind captives to cross beams during interrogation, and they planned to subject officers to their form of a trial for civil rights violations, authorities said.

I still am on the fence regarding the freeman movement, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say these people have taken it a wee bit too far.I don't like the system any more than they do but I don't think they will have an adequate defense unless they are insane, which may actually be true.

Well, I shared it with you all, have fun discussing it.

usnews.nbcnews.com...

any chance that the story was made up to discredit people and as a result to once again create fringe group people should fear?

The problem with these people isn't their "patriot" spirit -- it's the illegal acts they do. One of the more common crimes that these people commit is tax fraud. They think that once they are "sovereign" they no longer have to pay taxes or any debt to anyone.

They basically put a lien on themselves for everything they own and millions of dollars. Then, they wind up in court with stacks and stacks of paper and piss off everyone. Eventually the judges throw it out. It never works, and in some states it is now considered a felony to draft up fraudulent filings.

They also file liens on public officials and LEO's that they feel have "wronged them". Then, when these officials/LEO's try to get financing for say a home -- this fake lien shows up on their credit report and they have to spend time and money to have it removed. This is why more and more states are enacting legislation to prevent this.

The authorities consider these people "paper terrorists".

ETA: Every time we have a Democrat in the WH these people come out of the woodwork. Under a Republican WH foreign terror is king. Under a Democrat, domestic terror is king. It swings back and forth.

reply to post by turboneon


These people have been around for YEARS. Usually some guy comes to down with a message of:

"I know a secret! I know how to get you out of debt! I know a special loop hole! Just pay me $500 and attend my seminar at the Ramada!"

Just because you can rent a small conference room at some budget hotel, it doesn't give you any legitimacy. I can rent one and have a "cats in party hats" seminar.

reply to post by TheSpanishArcher

This thread provides some decent information for anyone whos new:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I'm not sure what these two were up to but whatever it was, you can be sure that it will be used to attack anyone even loosely associated as they did with OWS and the Tea Party.

But the idea of being a sovereign citizen is very real.

There are different aspects but its rooted in the idea of individual liberties.

That you cant be forced or coerced to do anything, not by another individual and not by a State or government.

Its a concept which TERRIFIES the establishment.

Right here on ATS, there was a very lengthy, professionally composed thread trying to debunk the concept, should any of your freedom minded types get any ideas.

Here it is:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Clearly, the above thread was the work of some random poster.

So, an establishment court said that you have no right as a sovereign citizen to challenge the establishment.

Imagine my shock.

reply to post by gladtobehere


Just because the enforcement arm of the Feds gets involved doesn't mean they are "terrified". It means they are doing their job.

To these people though, getting any attention from the Feds just confirms to them that "we must be onto something!"....

Yeah, your onto how to land yourself in prison for tax evasion, bank fraud, wire fraud, counterfeit bonds, and a slew of other federal crimes.

The guy is a convicted sex offender on a three year old. So now he is wanting to kid nap cops?

mugshots.com...

Description Date Convicted Details
288(a) - LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS 10/07/1993 Victim is a 3 year old male
b314.1 - INDECENT EXPOSURE WITH PRIOR CONVICTION FOR THIS OFFENSE 05/03/2001 Subject exposed himself to the adult female victim

I think the cops are spreading propaganda to support spying and stop and frisk even the Fusion Centers that collect data on citizens.

Devon Campbell Newman the other one is just a crazy Scientologist who thinks drugs are bad and what people do is not evil just the people who say it is wrong are evil. Keep Scientology out of mental health care. Please!

reply to post by gladtobehere


Thanks for that link. I've read a few threads on here about the movement but not that one. I'll read it later after a nap.

The user "forthmeal" was a proponent of this stuff, and claimed to be from Las Vegas. You can read his posts in the thread linked to above.

I wonder if he was the guy in the story that was arrested? I checked and he hasn't posted on here in a few months...