Sovereign Citizen Leader Indicted for Tax Crimes

James Timothy Turner is "president" of the Republic for the united States of America (RuSA), probably the largest and most organized sovereign citizens group active in the United States today, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

A federal jury in Alabama has indicted the leader of a sovereign citizen group on numerous tax fraud charges.

James Timothy Turner is "president" of the Republic for the united States of America (RuSA), probably the largest and most organized sovereign citizens group active in the United States today, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

The Montgomery, Ala., jury charged Turner on Tuesday with conspiracy to defraud the U.S., attempting to pay taxes with fictitious financial instruments, attempting to obstruct and impede the Internal Revenue Service, failing to file a 2009 federal income tax return, and falsely testifying under oath in a bankruptcy proceeding.

Turner, whose organization is based in Ozark, Ala., conducted seminars where he taught attendees how to file retaliatory liens against government officials and to defraud the IRS by preparing and submitting fictitious bonds to the federal government in payment of federal taxes. Turner is alleged to have attempted to pay his own taxes with a fictitious $300 million bond and to have assisted others in attempting to pay their taxes with fictitious bonds purporting to be worth amounts ranging from $10 million to $100 billion.

If convicted, Turner faces a maximum of 164 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $2,350,000 and mandatory restitution.

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