Posted on 02/24/2006 3:28:42 PM PST by Lurking Libertarian
Anti-Tax Author Gets 13 Years in Prison By KEN RITTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS (AP) - Anti-tax crusader and author Irwin Schiff was sentenced Friday to more than 13 years in federal prison for advising people that no U.S. law requires them to pay income tax.
Schiff, 78, accused the government of trying to suppress the truth, while his lawyer argued he was mentally ill.
Schiff's earlier boast from the witness stand that he had helped thousands of followers avoid paying $2 billion in taxes was used against him at sentencing.
"Thousands of tax returns, millions and maybe billions of dollars lost," U.S. District Judge Kent Dawson said as he branded Schiff and his Las Vegas company, Freedom Books, "a flimflam operation" that encouraged others to evade taxes.
"He took their money and left them holding the bag," the judge said.
The judge also ordered Schiff to pay more than $4.2 million in restitution.
Schiff was convicted Oct. 24 of conspiracy, tax evasion and tax fraud. His defiance and ramblings while serving as his own lawyer at trial got him an extra year in prison for contempt of court.
(Excerpt) Read more at lasvegassun.com ...
death and taxes...
When you are 78 a 13 year prison term is a life sentence. I think I will try this when I get 78 beats having to pay for a nursing home.
The government does not have an unlimited right to break the law regarding taxes -- our, at least it shouldn't.
I am not an expert but somewhere I thought I remember someone saying that the constitutional amendment that was suppose to allow federal income taxes was never ratified.
anybody know the skinny on this????
Great Idea
"When you are 78 a 13 year prison term is a life sentence. I think I will try this when I get 78 beats having to pay for a nursing home."
BRILLIANT!!!
now I just have to get my parents to break a law and get into a federal country club prison......
anybody know the skinny on this????
Irwin Schiff will be happy to sell you a book that explains it all.
See a book by someone named Benson called The Law that Never was
There have been many people who have argued his point but most of them paid their taxes while doing it. Most of those that didn't lived on free room and board for a time.
Maybe because that defense was irrelevant or otherwise contrary to the rules of evidence.
He should have raped a baby, and got off with a couple of years, and probation.
And maybe because we have a strong criminal component in our government and they don't like people who expose their scams to illegally extort money from them via the income tax. We're not supposed to have star chambers but Judge Dawson had one with Irwin Schiff.
Somebody in CNY tried this many years ago (about 15 years ago I think, so my memory is a little fuzzy) but what I remember from the case was that he was right but they couldn't do anything to him because of that. So, they watched him like a hawk until he made a mistake, which I believe was using the USPS in relation to the issue, and then they NAILED him - big time, with everything they could get him on. He ended up in jail with an awfully long sentence. However, my recollection from that incident was that income tax was, or maybe *is*, unconstitutional. I'm not sure myself.
This was his third conviction for tax fraud. Judges can get somewhat peeved with people who don't get the message the first time or two they go to jail.
Stupid is as stupid does...
Maybe. I don't see the facts in this article to support either theory, though.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.