(WWJ) A self-proclaimed "sovereign citizen" in Metro Detroit who tried to pay his taxes with fraudulent checks has pleaded guilty to felony charges.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday that 54-year-old Damon Montgomery pleaded guilty to three counts of no-account check, which are each punishable by two years in prison or a $500 fine.
Montgomery was charged back in February, following an investigation by the AG's Financial Crimes Division.
In January 2021, it is alleged that Montgomery sent three checks to the Michigan Department of Treasury in an attempt to pay his taxes. Each check contained TCF Bank routing numbers and was made payable to the State of Michigan for $1 million.
The checks bounced because Montgomery did not have an account at TCF.
In his defense, Montgomery asserted that he is a sovereign citizen, and is therefore exempt from certain Michigan laws, including having to pay taxes.
"Taxes pay for our schools, our roads, and our government services," said Nessel, in a statement. "Cheating on taxes hurts everyone and is fundamentally unfair to everyone else who abides by the law. We will continue to work with our partners at Treasury to ensure fairness and to enforce the law."
According to the FBI, so-called sovereign citizens are anti-government extremists who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or "sovereign" from the U.S. As a result, they believe they don't have to answer to any government authority, including courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments or law enforcement.
Sentencing via video for Montgomery is set for Jan. 25, 2023, in Ingham County.
