Anti-Government “Sovereign Citizen” Sentenced to 63 Months for False Lien Filings and Mail Fraud Against Federal and State Officers

GRAND RAPIDS, MI—U.S. Attorney Donald A. Davis announced the sentencing, on July 19, of Larry William Wilcox, Sr., 61, of Imlay City, Michigan. Wilcox, who was convicted in a March trial of retaliating against a Federal judge by false lien filing and mail fraud, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney to serve a total of 63 months in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $25,000 fine.

The evidence at trial and at sentencing established that Wilcox is a long-time adherent of what is known as the “Sovereign Citizen Movement,” an anti-government movement that rejects the authority of state governments and of the federal government and advocates the ability of individuals to exempt themselves from the obligations of citizenship. Wilcox had a long history of confrontations with local township authorities and with State of Michigan authorities, including officers of the Department of Environmental Quality, Department and Natural Resources, and the Michigan State Police. In addition to engaging in physically obstructive conduct, Wilcox filed numerous lawsuits against officials in state and federal courts, all of which were dismissed as meritless. Beginning in November 2007, Wilcox began a mailing campaign against approximately 57 of these officers, including the state and federal judges who had ruled against him, demanding payment of large sums of money and threatening to file liens against them if they did not pay. When none of the officials paid, Wilcox filed bogus lien statements against them with the Michigan Department of State in Lansing in an effort to encumber their property and harm their credit by creating a false record of indebtedness.

At sentencing, Wilcox stated that he considered himself to be a “political prisoner” and reiterated that he does not recognize the authority of the United States. In imposing sentence, Chief Judge Maloney explained that lengthy imprisonment was necessary because of Wilcox’s history of confrontation with public officers, because his offenses constituted an attempt to intimidate public officials from performing their sworn duties, and because he had “obviously learned nothing” from his prosecution and conviction in federal court.

The case was investigated by special agents of the FBI’s Lansing office and the Michigan State Police Major Case Team. It was prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hagen W. Frank.