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The U.S. government wants ownership of $7 million worth of coins manufactured and sold by , a 67-year-old antigovernment icon who became a 鈥渉igh priest鈥� in his own .

A federal jury in Statesville, N.C., decided on March 18 that the 鈥淟iberty Dollars鈥� and other silver, gold and copper coins manufactured in North Idaho and sold throughout the United States by von NotHaus and his sales team violated federal laws. Von NotHaus, the founder of the (NORFED), was convicted on charges of conspiracy and two counterfeiting-related charges.

No sentencing date has been set for von NotHaus, who could get up to 15 years in prison. Three other co-defendants are still awaiting a separate trial.

The Liberty Dollars are still a hit with some coin collectors without a political or philosophical agenda. But most buyers, it appears, came from the ranks of anti-tax or radical . The common denominator: challenging the authority of the federal government to tax and regulate, along with the notion that the Federal Reserve is controlled by private Jewish bankers.

Never bashful, von NotHaus testified in his own defense, telling the jury he had done nothing illegal and had every right as a U.S. citizen to mint and sell his own coins.聽 He once said he wanted his private coin-producing operation to be to the Federal Reserve what FedEx became to the U.S. Postal Service.

Although given little attention by the media, the case appears to be the first time the U.S. government has brought a successful criminal prosecution against someone viewed by federal authorities as a direct threat and competitor to the U.S. Mint and the Federal Reserve Bank.

The NORFED operation also printed its own paper currency 鈥� supposedly backed by silver deposits in a vault 鈥� but that aspect of the operation was not included in a superseding indictment brought last November by a grand jury in North Carolina.

The charges came after a 5-year FBI investigation that included raids at a private mint in Coeur d鈥橝lene, Idaho, and NORFED鈥檚 headquarters in Evansville, Ind., as well as undercover purchases of Liberty Dollars in North Carolina.

Promoted on the Internet, the NORFED sites 鈥� even cached versions 鈥� have disappeared because of a court order.

As various government agencies began investigating the legality of his Liberty Dollar operation, von NotHaus opened the Free Marijuana Church of Honolulu, giving away pot and calling himself a 鈥渉igh priest鈥� who had proudly used it for 40 years.

At the time of raids, the private mint in Idaho was making 鈥淭ea Party鈥� and 鈥淩on Paul鈥� dollars, which were part of the eight tons of booty seized by FBI agents, court documents show.

Now, in a second phase of the criminal proceeding, federal prosecutors will go back to court in Statesville on April 4 to seek forfeiture of the coins and precious metals seized in Coeur d鈥橝lene and Evansville in 2007.

Von NotHaus, who remains free on bond, and his attorney, Aaron E. Michel of Charlotte, N.C., are prepared to fight the government鈥檚 attempt to take ownership of the assets at a forfeiture hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Richard Voorhees.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 think that there鈥檚 a crime that鈥檚 been committed,鈥� Michel said when asked for comment.聽 鈥淲e will appeal and challenge the jury verdict.鈥�

The federal judge already has denied an oral motion for a new trial. He has given no indication he will postpone the forfeiture hearing.

Court documents show federal prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of 聽鈥渁ll property鈥� used in the minting operation, including minting dies, molds and casts seized from the Sunshine Minting, a private business in Coeur d鈥橝lene, Idaho.

Also included on the forfeiture list are eight tons of precious metals, including 168,599 silver Liberty Dollars which sold for $50 or more apiece, an additional 1,000 pounds of silver bullion, and 3,039 pounds of copper coins.

The seized coins include Liberty Dollars owned by an estimated 250,000 purchasers who were storing them in NORFED鈥檚 leased 鈥渧ault鈥� at Sunshine Minting, Michel said. The owner of the mint, Tom Power, did not return telephone calls seeking comment.

Spokane attorney Ronald Van Wert, who represents Sunshine Minting, said Power and the Coeur d鈥橝lene mint 聽鈥渁re not involved in the forfeiture action at all.鈥�

Power, who was subpoenaed but not called as a witness for the criminal trial, became owner of Sunshine Minting in 2007 -- eight years after the mint began manufacturing the Liberty Dollars under a contract with von NotHaus.

鈥淚t鈥檚 like making widgets,鈥� Van Wert said. 鈥淵ou get paid and make the widget. We had no involvement with what he [von NotHaus] did with the coins after they were minted.鈥�

Since the , the price of an ounce of silver has increased from $20 to about $35, and the numismatic value of the Liberty Dollars is skyrocketing because the government now considers them contraband and they鈥檙e a hot item with some coin collectors, Michel said.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e sort of treating these Liberty Dollars like they were cocaine 鈥� you know, illegal,鈥� Michel said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 certain to drive the price up.鈥�

The defense attorney also was sharply critical of Anne M. Tompkins, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Prosecutors 鈥減ainted Mr. von NotHaus in an inflammatory, false light to get a conviction,鈥欌�� Michel said. 鈥淣ow, in a Department of Justice press release they鈥檙e characterizing him as a 鈥榙omestic terrorist.鈥欌��

The jury spent only 90 minutes deliberating before convicting von NotHaus of making coins 鈥渞esembling and similar to U.S. coins,鈥� and issuing, passing, selling and possessing Liberty Dollars intended for use as common currency.

鈥淎ttempts to undermine the legitimate currency of this country are simply a unique form of domestic terrorism,鈥� Tompkins said in a Department of Justice news release after the conviction.

鈥淲hile these forms of anti-government activities do not involve violence, they are every bit as insidious and represent a clear and present danger to the economic stability of this country,鈥� Tompkins said in the statement.

The investigation, begun in 2005, involved undercover purchases of Liberty Dollars by an FBI agent in North Carolina, court documents show. The FBI was assisted by the U.S. Secret Service, the United States Mint and the Buncombe, N.C., sheriff鈥檚 department.

Von NotHaus, a self-described 鈥渕onetary architect,鈥� began producing his Liberty Dollars in 1998 when he lived in Hawaii where he worked at the Honolulu Mint.聽 His organization, initially formed as a tax-exempt nonprofit, later changed its name to Liberty Services.

Its headquarters eventually was based in Evansville, Ind., where its first marketing director was James W. Thomas, publisher of , a now-defunct magazine directed at antigovernment 鈥淧atriot鈥� groups and individuals.