"Sovereign Citizenship" on the Uptick in Several States, Including Indiana, Out of Frustration with Government

Sovereign citizenship on the uptick in several states, including Indiana, where residents are taking extreme measures out of frustration with the U.S. government.

It seems that increasing numbers of Indiana residents are going to extreme measures by claiming they are "sovereign citizens." They are reportedly taking this extreme position out of frustration with the government, according to 6News. By claiming "sovereign citizenship' they claim they no long have to pay taxes and that their homes as embassies and using identification cards that show them as diplomats, 6News' Rafael Sanchez reported.

Er, earth to Indiana nutjobs, the authorities just rained on your parade. They call such proclamations both illegitimate and illegal. You can go to prison for it. Just ask Jonathan Dilley, who is reportedly serving a nearly four-year sentence in federal prison for using his sovereign citizen paperwork. About 10 people every month ask the state to put a seal on a document so that they can claim freedom from taxes, 6News says.

Many claim that the statements within the papers they provide are enforceable because of a state seal placed on the material, but in reality, that seal is placed on any number of documents and doesn't make what's on the documents true.

Secretary of State Todd Rokita said he's troubled that people use self-made ID cards that show his name and the state emblem in an attempt to open bank accounts, buy items tax free and board airplanes. Embassies are where officials from other countries work. They must be recognized by the U.S. Department of State to be legitimate.

Some so-called sovereign citizens refuse to use state-issued licenses or plates. When they're pulled over, police said they often show an ID that says no one can delay, detain or arrest them without facing damages of $2 million. Source: 6News

What's troubling is that this situation is not unique to Indiana. It's on the rise in other states as well. According to 6News, four men were convicted in Missouri for buying and selling fraudulent credentials related to the movement. Last March, four men were arrested in Las Vegas for similar crimes as well.

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Photo credit: Sovereign citizen, 6News