Man Claimed Millions in Refunds

The judge criticized his “nonsensical sovereign citizen” arguments.

 An Illinois man was sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison for filing false tax returns.

Larry Dean Gibbs, 63, of Pembroke Township in Kankakee County, Illinois, was convicted in March of filing three fraudulent federal tax returns for the years 2012, 2013, and 2014, falsely claiming $10 million in annual income and over $6.8 million in refunds.

Prosecutors said he fabricated income from the “Larry Dean Gibbs Estate” and alleged the IRS withheld over $3 million per year from his earnings.

During the trial, Gibbs claimed to be an ambassador for the unrecognized “Al Moroccan Empire National Republic.” At the time of these filings, Gibbs had recently completed a prison sentence for a 2005 conviction for filing a false tax return.

U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce said Gibbs obstructed justice by making “nonsensical sovereign citizen” arguments.