KRMS

Three men could face at least 30 years in federal prison for trying to declare their sovereignty. 

    A jury in the Western District Court of Missouri has convicted 66 year old David Robinson of Lawrence, Kansas, 50 year old Daniel Denham of Kingsville, Missouri and 52 year old Larry Goodyke of Henderson, Nevada, of participating in a conspiracy to use fraudulent diplomatic credentials. 

    According to a release from Matt Whitworth, the acting U.S. Attorney in the Western District, all three men are involved with various sovereign citizen groups that reject governmental authority and claim that specific branches of the federal government are illegitimate. Between July of 2006 and October of 2007, the men bought and sold three by four inch laminated cards that identified the bearer of the card as ambassador, using the U.S. State Department seal.  Customers paid between $450 and $2,000 for the cards which the men said would grant them sovereign status. As a result of that soverEign status, the men claimed holders of the cards would have diplomatic immunity, freedom from taxes, and freedom from being stopped or detained by law enforcement. 

    Under federal law, robinson could get 65 years in federal prison and a 3.25 million dollar fine for his role as leader of the group. Denham could get 40 years and a 2 million dollar fine. And goodyke could get 30 years and a fine of 1.5 million.