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dc_dux · 01-26-2007, 06:43 AM

From what I have read, this guy, Ed Brown, was convicted of tax evasion. It is he and his supporters who want the attention and are provoking a confrontation with the federal agents.

Quote:

A former militia man convicted of tax evasion prepared for a government siege Friday as his supporters called for more people to show up at his fortress-like home and fight his arrest.

Ed Brown said he was ready for a swarm of federal agents to descend on his property to execute an arrest warrant. His wife and his supporters said they believe a confrontation could turn violent.

U.S. marshals said they have no plans to attack Ed Brown's home in Plainfield or act quickly on a warrant for his arrest.

But Brown said he is prepared for a swarm of federal agents to descend on his property, while some supporters said government aggression could lead to another Waco, Ruby Ridge, or Oklahoma City bombing.

"If Mexico came up on my land and tried to take my land, would I not fight?" Brown said. "The United States is the same exact thing as Mexico in this state. It's a fact of law."

Brown and his wife, Elaine, were convicted Thursday of plotting to conceal their income and avoid paying federal income tax. They argue the tax is illegitimate and no one is required to pay it.
...

The Browns' anti-tax argument has found its niche online, where supporters ranged from militia members to libertarians and anti-tax groups to fringe presidential candidates. Ed Brown is a former militia member.

"It's spreading like wildfire," he said. "Critical mass is probably beginning to pop now worldwide."

Rick Stanley, a Denver-based Web radio host and a militia leader, urged listeners to join Brown at his home.

"We are continuing to ask patriots to surround Ed Brown's property and life with a ring of armed Americans with firearms and video cameras to protect a fellow American. ... This is the line in the sand. This is the flashpoint. This is the time of raised pitchforks."

In a phone interview, Stanley predicted that when government officials show up to arrest Brown, they will encounter massive resistance.

"More and more people are going to be there. I think the American people are really getting tired of the lies of the judiciary and the fraud of the judiciary," Stanley said.

Blogger Mark Yannone asked, "Will Plainfield be another Waco?" The reference to the FBI raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, drew a flurry of responses.

"This could likely turn into another government assassination like Ruby Ridge or Waco if vigilant citizens in the area do not act. ... So if your conscience does not tell you to bring arms and defend this fellow patriot, bring the media, bring yourself, bring a video camera ... so that they may be less inclined to murder this man in cold blood," said a posting at Progressiveblogs.

...

Gene Chapman, a Texas theologian running for the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination in 2008, has offered to negotiate a settlement between Brown and the White House. Neither Brown nor the White House has accepted, he said.

"I don't think Ed is intending to hurt anybody," said Chapman, who believes taxes are a form of slavery and the Bible requires rebellion against slave masters. "I think Ed's a good guy who wants the law to work."

He predicted any raid on Brown would lead to retaliation.

"When you attack these groups that are perceived as innocents, you get Oklahoma City bombings and that kind of response."

U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier said talks continue between Brown and his staff. He said he has no immediate plans to enforce the arrest warrant, issued after Brown violated his bail conditions by failing to appear in court for the end of his trial.

"He wants attention. We're determined to keep this very low-profile," Monier said. "We have the discretion -- how, when and where."

Ed Brown said he has a stock of food and supplies. He also said his home can run on wind and solar generators if authorities cut his electric line.

"I love my home. It's my castle. There's plenty to do here," Brown said by phone Friday. "It's all set up for me to stay here forever."

During a 1994 interview with the Union Leader, Brown told the newspaper he had 18 months of food stored in his basement and a stockpile of weapons and ammunition.

More than 30 guns were removed from his house in May after he was ordered to surrender his weapons, but earlier this week, Brown showed reporters a handgun tucked into his pants.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/0...x.evasion.html

If he wanted to make a political statement (ie. not pay income tax), that was his choice to make, fully understanding the potential consequences. And now he should also be prepared to pay the price when his underlying actions were found to be illegal by a court of law- prison, unless as he said in another interview that he is "prepared to die first" - again, his choice to make.