Sovereign 鈥楿ndertaker鈥� Sent to Prison for Firearms, House-Squatting
An antigovernment "sovereign citizen" who calls himself 鈥淯ndertaker鈥� is going to prison for three years after being convicted of illegally possessing firearms and squatting in a vacant house in Mansfield, Ohio.
Jeffrey Alan Miller, who told the Mansfield News Journal that he鈥檚 been a sovereign citizen since 1993, claims he fixed the plumbing and leaky roof, and even installed security cameras in the house he didn鈥檛 legally own after moving in last December.聽
But when neighbors noticed, police showed up and arrested Miller, Richard Sterling, 39, of Mansfield,聽and Michael Plaster, 48, of Galion, Ohio. The newspaper reported that聽Sterling and Plaster are also affiliated with the sovereign citizen movement.
Miller, who has a felony record, was arrested on various charges.聽He ultimately struck a plea bargain, pleading to reduced burglary and firearms charges.聽Sterling and Plaster are free on bond, awaiting trial.
Sovereign citizens, sometimes called 鈥淔reemen on the Land,"聽espouse the belief that government has no control over them, that they are not subject to taxes and licensing.聽Often they file assorted legal documents and聽attempt to act as their own attorneys.聽
The antigovernment extremists also have frequent runs-in 鈥� sometimes deadly 鈥� with law enforcement.聽In part, that鈥檚 why the FBI has labeled the movement one of the most聽significant domestic terrorism threats in the United States.
Miller, 51, said he just wanted a place to live.聽He moved into the vacant house because he had been homeless, unable to get a job or rent a residence because of his criminal record, Miller told the court.
鈥淏y accepting responsibility for his actions, he鈥檚 made it possible to accept a life for himself when he gets out of prison,鈥� Assistant Morrow County Prosecutor Dave Homer told the Mansfield after Miller was sentenced earlier this week.
