Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011 | 7:46 p.m.
CARSON CITY – U.S. District Judge James Mahan has sentenced Samuel Davis, 56, to 57 months in prison on his guilty plea in a money-laundering scheme in Las Vegas in which he was caught by undercover FBI agents.
The judge also ordered Davis to pay $95,782 in restitution and serve three years of supervised released for his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 30 counts of money laundering.
U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said Davis’ partner Shawn Rice, 48, is still at large.
Court records say Davis, of Council, Idaho, and Rice, of Seligman, Ariz., laundered about $1.3 million for FBI undercover agents who said they got the money from theft and forgery of stolen official bank checks.
The government maintains Davis laundered the money through a nominee trust account and Rice put it through a reported religious organization. Davis got $74,000 and Rice took $22,000 for their work.
Davis and Rice are reportedly members of an anti-government group called “Sovereign Movement,” which tries to disrupt and overthrow governments and other forms of authority by using “paper terrorism” tactics, intimidation, harassment and violence.
Sovereign Movement maintains members do not have to pay taxes and it believes Americans are deceived by the federal government into obtaining Social Security cards, drivers' licenses, car registrations and wedding licenses.
Davis is a national leader and Rice is a lawyer and rabbi, according to the government.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy