2 FREEMEN CONVICTED OF FRAUD.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Two followers followers see dairy herd. of the Montana Freemen The Montana Freemen were a Christian Patriot group based in Montana, United States, near the town of Jordan. The Montana Freemen believed in the doctrine of individual sovereignty as expounded by the Sovereign Citizen Movement, and rejected the authority of the U.S. were convicted of fraud Thursday for writing more than $12 million in fake checks, federal authorities said. Robert M. Young, 45, and Frank R. Pepper, 58, both former East Bay residents, sent the checks to banks, mortgage and credit card companies and the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Attorney Michael Yamaguchi said. The men routinely wrote the checks for more than they owed, then demanded refunds for overpayment o·ver·pay v. o·ver·paid , o·ver·pay·ing, o·ver·pays v.tr. 1. To pay (a party) too much. 2. To pay an amount in excess of (a sum due). v.intr. To pay too much. , he said. Young and Pepper learned to create and distribute ``Certified Bankers Checks'' and ``Comptroller Warrants'' in 1995 after attending seminars given by Freemen leader LeRoy Schweitzer in central Montana Central Montana is the region of Montana near Great Falls, describing more or less the area east of the main belt of the Rockies west of the Musselshell River, and north from White Sulphur Springs to the Hi-Line. , federal prosecutors said. More than 150 others in two dozen states with links to the Freemen also have been investigated for allegedly writing bogus checks and money orders. Schweitzer, who surrendered to the FBI in June after an 81-day standoff, faces pending criminal charges in Montana. |
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