Twelve self-claimed sovereign citizens were indicted Tuesday on charges that they stole millions of dollars worth of properties throughout North Georgia, including mansions in DeKalb County, a strip mall in Buckhead and homes in Gwinnett County.
A copy of the indictment obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution alleges the suspects committed a racketeering scheme last year to take over properties in DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, Fayette, Spalding and Richmond counties.
The sect operated out of a $1 million home on South Goddard Road near Lithonia, DeKalb Deputy Chief Assistant Attorney John Melvin said.
“Others have done individual indictments, but DeKalb is the first in the state to take this on in this manner,” Melvin said Tuesday. “This is the first time we’ve taken an entire cell utilizing RICO indictments.”
The suspects all call themselves sovereign citizens. The FBI calls them anti-government extremists and has posted them on their domestic terrorism watch list.
The sovereign citizens believe they are immune to state and federal laws and that people – not banks – are the only titleholders who can own land. It is that doctrine they use in taking over properties.
But prosecutors say this is a crime. The indictment alleges the 12 engaged in a pattern of racketeering, using theft by taking, burglary, mortgage fraud and false writings.
Prosecutors say the alleged squatters broke into vacant homes and either signed or notarized quitclaim deeds for themselves. They then filed the phony deeds with the courts. They also filed liens and lawsuits against police, prosecutors, judges or anyone who threatened to have them removed, Melvin said.
“They are an economic threat to DeKalb because they are breaking into people’s houses, houses that have been foreclosed on,” Melvin said. “Once they file quitclaim deeds, it puts a cloud on the property and the bank has to spend energy to remove that cloud.”
In one instance, the suspects stole ownership of a $13 million strip mall on Peachtree Road in Buckhead and attempted to collect rent from the tenants, prosecutors said.
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/12-sovereign-citizens-indicted-873458.html?cxtype=rss_news_81960
A copy of the indictment obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution alleges the suspects committed a racketeering scheme last year to take over properties in DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, Fayette, Spalding and Richmond counties.
The sect operated out of a $1 million home on South Goddard Road near Lithonia, DeKalb Deputy Chief Assistant Attorney John Melvin said.
“Others have done individual indictments, but DeKalb is the first in the state to take this on in this manner,” Melvin said Tuesday. “This is the first time we’ve taken an entire cell utilizing RICO indictments.”
The suspects all call themselves sovereign citizens. The FBI calls them anti-government extremists and has posted them on their domestic terrorism watch list.
The sovereign citizens believe they are immune to state and federal laws and that people – not banks – are the only titleholders who can own land. It is that doctrine they use in taking over properties.
But prosecutors say this is a crime. The indictment alleges the 12 engaged in a pattern of racketeering, using theft by taking, burglary, mortgage fraud and false writings.
Prosecutors say the alleged squatters broke into vacant homes and either signed or notarized quitclaim deeds for themselves. They then filed the phony deeds with the courts. They also filed liens and lawsuits against police, prosecutors, judges or anyone who threatened to have them removed, Melvin said.
“They are an economic threat to DeKalb because they are breaking into people’s houses, houses that have been foreclosed on,” Melvin said. “Once they file quitclaim deeds, it puts a cloud on the property and the bank has to spend energy to remove that cloud.”
In one instance, the suspects stole ownership of a $13 million strip mall on Peachtree Road in Buckhead and attempted to collect rent from the tenants, prosecutors said.
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/12-sovereign-citizens-indicted-873458.html?cxtype=rss_news_81960