The tax case against Kent Hovind ended

Questioninggeller

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Kent Hovind, a creationist who sells videos claiming there is no proof for evolution and runs a young earth creationist dinosaur-theme park, had been involved in various tax schemes over the years. As for not paying income taxes in 1995-97, the case ened on July 6, 2006.

From: http://www.ustaxcourt.gov docket # 11894-05L

http://www.ustaxcourt.gov/InOpHistoric/Hovind.TCM.WPD.pdf

Some interesting parts:

Page 2 said:
Petitioner apparently has a college degree from the Midwestern Baptist College located in Pontiac, Michigan with a major in religious education.
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An unaccredited "education."

Page 3 said:
The organizational structure petitioner established for the above activities . . . apparently was based on various questionable trust documents purchased from Glenn Stoll, a known promoter of tax avoidance schemes.

Petitioner has not filed individual Federal income tax returns for 1995, 1996, and 1997.

During an audit and criminal tax investigation that began in early spring of 2004, respondent concluded (1) that petitioner appeared to be using the referred-to trust documents as well as various nominees and sham entities and properties, and (2) that substantial revenue from various activities with which petitioner was involved appeared to constitute income to petitioner personally.
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Page 4-5 said:
On July 29, 2004, respondent mailed to petitioner at petitioner's address a notice of deficiency with respect to petitioner's Federal income taxes for 1995, 1996, and 1997, in amounts identical to the above jeopardy assessments.
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Page 6 said:
On August 13, 2004, petitioner mailed back to respondent an envelope containing respondent's June 4, 2004, notice to petitioner of tax lien filing with the words stamped on the first page "REFUSED FOR FRAUD". Also included in petitioner's envelope mailed to respondent was a letter making various bizarre arguments, some of which constitute tax protestor arguments involving excise taxes and the alleged "100% voluntary" nature of the income tax.
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Page 12 said:
Petitioner actually had two opportunities (upon receipt of the Lien Notice -- which receipt petitioner does not dispute-- and upon receipt of the notice of deficiency) to challenge the existence of his 1995, 1996, and 1997 Federal income tax liabilities. Under section 6330(c)(2)(B) petitioner may not now.
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Page 14 said:
Petitioner makes various other arguments which we have considered and which we conclude are without merit and are rejected.

For reasons stated, petitioner's motion for summary judgment will be denied, and respondent's motion for summary will be granted.
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According to another document search, the tax liens are for $540,957.24. Leaving one to wonder if anything will happen to his property which includes his dinosaur adventure land (which sits on the same property as his home).
 
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If there is a God, (1) he will ensure that Hovind will go broke and have to sell every last pathetic item, and (2) he likes a joke us much as we do and is laughing his head off!
 
On August 13, 2004, petitioner mailed back to respondent an envelope containing respondent's June 4, 2004, notice to petitioner of tax lien filing with the words stamped on the first page "REFUSED FOR FRAUD". Also included in petitioner's envelope mailed to respondent was a letter making various bizarre arguments, some of which constitute tax protestor arguments involving excise taxes and the alleged "100% voluntary" nature of the income tax.
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ahh, typical tax denier crap. More on the so called voluntary tax here:
http://evans-legal.com/dan/tpfaq.html#voluntary
 
In a separate matter:

PensacolaNewsJournal.com said:
A Pensacola evangelist who owns the defunct Dinosaur Adventure Land in Pensacola was arrested Thursday on 58 federal charges, including failing to pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes and making threats against investigators.

Of the 58 charges, 44 were filed against Kent Hovind and his wife, Jo, for evading bank reporting requirements as they withdrew $430,500 from AmSouth Bank between July 20, 2001, and Aug. 9, 2002.
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PensacolaNewsJournal.com said:
In the indictment unsealed Thursday, a grand jury alleges that Kent Hovind failed to pay $473,818 in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes on employees at his Creation Science Evangelism/Ministry between March 31, 2001, and Jan. 31, 2004.

As part of the ministry, Hovind operated the Dinosaur Adventure Land at 5800 N. Palafox St., which included rides, a museum and a science center. He also sold literature, videos, CDs and other materials and provided lecture services and live debates for a fee.

The indictment alleges Kent Hovind paid his employees in cash and labeled them "missionaries" to avoid payroll tax and FICA requirements.
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PensacolaNewsJournal.com said:
The indictment also says the Hovinds' made cash withdrawals from AmSouth Bank in a manner that evaded federal requirements for reporting cash transactions.

The withdrawals were for $9,500 or $9,600, just below the $10,000 starting point for reporting cash transactions.

Most of the withdrawals were days apart. For example, the indictment shows three withdrawals of $9,500 each on July 20, July 23 and July 26 in 2001.
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PensacolaNewsJournal.com said:
While the building permit case was tied up in a four-year court battle, ownership of the theme park was turned over to Glen Stoll, who works with Hovind on legal issues and is based in Washington.

Last year, the U.S. attorney in Seattle filed a lawsuit against Stoll, charging him with encouraging people to avoid tax payments by claiming to be religious entities, according to news reports.
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http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060714/NEWS01/607140333/1006
 
Actually his problems are just beginning:
http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060719/NEWS01/607190343

Here is a thought... He says he is "employed by God", and lives in the "Kingdom of Heaven". So what they should do to the guy who will not pay taxes to entities that ensures that the airplanes he wants to fly to Africa are safe through the FAA, that there are roads to get to the airport exist and make sure his drinking water is safe is to make sure he does not need any of those services.

Make him go back to "Dinoland", but put a fence around it. Cut off the power, phone and water to it, plus cut off access through any road paid for with public funds (that includes trucks with deliveries). If he complains, tell him to ask "God" for supplies.
 
Protest of the travel restrictions. Also funny how they call him "Dr" ...

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060721/NEWS01/607210336/1006

PensacolaNewsJournal.com said:
A Pensacola evangelist facing federal charges that include tax evasion is asking the government to lift pretrial travel restrictions, saying they violate his freedom of religion.

As the Christian ministry responsible for hosting Dr. Hovind in South Africa during August, we would like to make an appeal to both (U.S.) Magistrate Judge Miles Davis, as well as the U.S. Attorney's Office concerned with the case against Dr. Hovind, to permit Dr. Hovind to fulfill the obligations that he has here in South Africa in a few weeks time," Andre L. Immelman wrote in an e-mail to the Pensacola News Journal.

In a motion filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Hovind's lawyer, Kafahni Nkrumah, states "Mr. Hovind contends that the conditions imposed upon him by Magistrate Davis impose a burden on the free exercise of defendant's religion, in violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution."

Hovind also contends in the motion that travel restrictions violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
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PensacolaNewsJournal.com said:
At the hearing last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heldmyer argued "like-minded people" might secret Kent Hovind away if he was allowed to leave the country. Davis agreed, took Kent Hovind's passport and confined his travel to the Northern District of Florida.

Hovind planned to travel next month to South Africa, where he is scheduled to "square off against several luminaries who hail from different scientific disciplines," according to the Web site for Power Ministries.

At his hearing last week, Hovind said "thousands and thousands" of South Africans were expecting him to speak. Immelman agreed.

"Whilst we really have little interest in the events playing out in the USA between Dr. Hovind and your IRS, the stakes here in South Africa are simply too high for us to not make every effort that will ensure Dr. Hovind does in fact meet the expectations of a great many South Africans who are expecting to hear him speak here in South Africa during August," Immelman wrote.
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kevin said:
ahh, typical tax denier crap. More on the so called voluntary tax here:
http://evans-legal.com/dan/tpfaq.html#voluntary
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Tax season this year, I found out I owed basically everything I had in my bank account, but I still payed every penny. Life was extremely hard for a few moths.

It makes me see red when I think about people who flagrantly refuse to pay their share of our government, especially when it's a guy like Hovid who dives head first into politics. Why not show your lack of appreciation for our our soldiers and civil servants more explictly by spitting on them?
 
Frogberto said:
I agree. How is the case against Kent Hovind "ended"? This should be a major source of embarassment for his followers, but it remains to see how this will be justified by them.
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The case I referred to in the post I made on 10 July 2006 (docket # 11894-05L) ended July 7th. A new and separate series of indictments were brought about on 14 July 2006.
 
PensacolaNewsJournal.com said:
No travel for evangelist, judge says
Tax evasion suspect is flight risk, ruling states

July, 28, 2006

Pensacola evangelist and tax protester Kent Hovind won't be lecturing on creationism in South Africa next month, prompting an irate letter from a sponsor of the trip to the prosecutor.

U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers this week denied Hovind's motion to lift travel restrictions pending his Sept. 5 trial on 58 federal charges that include evading nearly $470,000 in employee taxes.
...

Hovind's public defender countered with a motion contending travel restrictions violated his client's constitutional rights to religious freedom.

Rodgers disagreed, pointing to U.S. Supreme Court decisions saying neutral restrictions that incidentally burden religious practices are not unconstitutional.
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On the lecture

PensacolaNewsJournal.com said:
In an e-mail to a reporter, Andre L. Immelman, CEO of PowerMinistries, the South African group sponsoring Hovind's trip, said South Africans "do not react very nicely to disappointment" and ministry members "will be seeking asylum in the U.S." if his trip is canceled.

...

"In what has been a very controversial decision here, our new democratic government is poised to introduce evolution into the public school system in the stead of creation after some 47 years of creationism practice," Immelman wrote. "To say that this debate has sharply served to divide the country is really no understatement at all."
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http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060728/NEWS01/607280331
 
Speaking as a South African - I'll live with the bitter disappointment of not seeing "doctor" Hovind.

Somehow ... It'll be tough as hell; but I'll pull through.

:relieved: :rolleyes:
 
Questioninggeller said:
Petitioner apparently has a college degree from the Midwestern Baptist College located in Pontiac, Michigan with a major in religious education.
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I know that place. I used to ride by it on the bus to school back in the '70s.

Three buildings. One was the dorm. Another I think was the chapel. The third was where the classrooms were. Not much to the place. I doubt it has changed much.

I don't think I ever met anyone who went there. Never saw anybody walking around the campus.
 
Pensacola News Journal said:
The indictment also says the Hovinds' made cash withdrawals from AmSouth Bank in a manner that evaded federal requirements for reporting cash transactions.

The withdrawals were for $9,500 or $9,600, just below the $10,000 starting point for reporting cash transactions.

Most of the withdrawals were days apart. For example, the indictment shows three withdrawals of $9,500 each on July 20, July 23 and July 26 in 2001.
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What is the problem with this? If the government makes a law saying you have to report any withdrawal of $10,000.00 or more, you should be able to withdraw up to $9,999.99 without triggering any official response.
 
Jon. said:
What is the problem with this? If the government makes a law saying you have to report any withdrawal of $10,000.00 or more, you should be able to withdraw up to $9,999.99 without triggering any official response.
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Yes. But there's a separate law against withdrawing $9,999.99 multiple times to avoid the reporting requirements. (Title 31 of the USC, section 5324).:

No person shall, for the purpose of evading the reporting requirements of section 5313 (a) or 5325 or any regulation prescribed under any such section, the reporting or recordkeeping requirements imposed by any order issued under section 5326, or the recordkeeping requirements imposed by any regulation prescribed under section 21 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act or section 123 of Public Law 91–508—

[...]

(3) structure or assist in structuring, or attempt to structure or assist in structuring, any transaction with one or more domestic financial institutions.
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Note the highlighted section. If Hovind had a legitimate reason to withdraw $9,500 on three consecutive days instead of $30,000 in one go, then all he has to do is point it out to the judge and he gets a free pass. But the cops -- and the grand jury -- were convinced that he had no such reason and that the only reason he did it was to avoid the reporting requirements.
 
drkitten said:
Yes. But there's a separate law against withdrawing $9,999.99 multiple times to avoid the reporting requirements. (Title 31 of the USC, section 5324).:



Note the highlighted section. If Hovind had a legitimate reason to withdraw $9,500 on three consecutive days instead of $30,000 in one go, then all he has to do is point it out to the judge and he gets a free pass. But the cops -- and the grand jury -- were convinced that he had no such reason and that the only reason he did it was to avoid the reporting requirements.
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Fair enough. I didn't know of the existence of that section.
 
If anyone knows how and can get access to Hovind's 58 count indictment then please load it on www.wikisource.org I'm interested in reading all 58 counts, and what the government is charging him with. The news articles are rather vague considering it is nearly 60 charges.
 
delphi_ote said:
It makes me see red when I think about people who flagrantly refuse to pay their share of our government, especially when it's a guy like Hovid who dives head first into politics. Why not show your lack of appreciation for our our soldiers and civil servants more explictly by spitting on them?
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Yeah. As much as I think income tax is immoral, my wife and I still file our returns every year.

Marc
 
Marc L said:
Yeah. As much as I think income tax is immoral, my wife and I still file our returns every year.

Marc
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To me, it doesn't matter how the money is taken. I fail to see why taking it one way is ethical and taking it another is not. It's going to be the same amount however they decide to take it. In the end, you have to pay for the upkeep of the society around you somehow.

But if you prefer to pay your taxes in a different way, then you work to change the government policy. You're going about this the right way, Marc. If you want people who disagree with you to take your position seriously, you can't refuse to pay your bills.
 
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