鈥淏ears Law鈥� Sovereign Leader Get Plea Deal
The leader of a Florida-based sovereign citizen sect, who had been charged with armed kidnapping and false imprisonment, has been given a plea deal by state prosecutors.
Ronnie Lee 鈥淏ear鈥� Davis, who heads an antigovernment sovereign citizen group called 鈥淏ears Law and Forensic Science Team,鈥� pleaded guilty last week in Polk County, Florida, to a lesser charges of battery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, records show.聽
Arrested last November, Davis will serve a year and a day in prison instead of a likely life-sentence if he had been convicted of the more serious felony charges.
Assistant State Attorney Jacob Orr said Davis was arrested after authorities received a report that a woman from Texas was being held against her will at the 鈥淏ears Law鈥� compound on Appalachian Trail in Polk City, Florida.
The woman claimed Davis intended to make her 鈥渙ne of his wives鈥� and that the only way she would leave the armed compound was in a body bag or on crutches, deputies said at the time of his arrest.
However, the prosecutor said, 鈥渃oncerns began to surface鈥� about the strength of the case as investigators took statements from witnesses, resulting in the decision to offer the plea deal, newspaper reported.
Although he received a short sentence in Polk County, jail records indicate Davis apparently won鈥檛 be immediately released when that term is complete.聽 The state Department of Corrections and Pasco County, Florida, have placed 鈥渉olds鈥� on Davis, indicating they will take him into custody for other apparent violations.
The 鈥淏ears Law and Forensic Science Team鈥� literature contains assorted sovereign citizen assertions and propaganda, including the claim that the United States is 鈥渘ot a country [but] a federal corporation.鈥�
The group鈥檚 literature suggests Davis assembled a 鈥渢eam鈥� of at least six followers who primarily attempt to engage state child welfare officials in legal battles.
An Idaho woman was arrested last year in that state on witness intimidation charges after claiming her children were illegally taken from her by Child Protective Services workers.聽
Davis and his sovereign 鈥淏ears Law鈥� team attempted to intervene, claiming in an online video their 鈥渕arshals鈥� would arrest the judge and state Child Protective Service workers involved in her case.
Davis, who has a felony criminal record, is not licensed to practice law in Florida, public records show.
His web site photo includes a caption threatening members of the judiciary with 鈥減aper terrorism鈥� commonly used by sovereigns:聽 鈥淕o ahead judge.聽 You are buying a commercial lien!鈥�
Another team member鈥檚 photo includes the caption:聽 鈥淒on鈥檛 make me shoot you in the foot.鈥�
