A group of at least five self-proclaimed “sovereign citizens” moved into an empty Maryland mansion and tried to claim it as their own, The Baltimore Sun reported Thursday.
The group, which included a dentist and a convicted sex offender, moved in, changed the locks, and put a chain across the driveway with a “private property” sign.
The homeowner, who did not want to be named due to safety concerns, had moved out of the $1.5 million home in Baltimore County and listed it for sale after the death of her husband last year. When a neighbor noticed unusual activity, including people unloading furniture, she notified the homeowner.
The homeowner then realized she was being sued for property ownership. Police reports reviewed by The Sun said one of the people called the takeover a “sovereign acquisition.”
Sovereign citizens believe they should choose which laws they follow, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The movement is based on a conspiracy theory that the US government, as established by the founding fathers, was secretly replaced.
They do not believe in the authority of judges, juries, law enforcement, or elected officials, and most do not believe they should have to pay taxes. Sovereign citizens “clog up the courts with indecipherable filings” and sometimes engage in “paper terrorism” that involves tons of court filings with “pseudo-legal nonsense,” according to the SPLC.
A Midnight eviction..never to be heard from or seen since..
I would think law enforcement could and should remove them and implement the applicable laws already on the books. People like these swatters need harsh sentences to get the picture.