Atlanta sovereign citizen sentenced to six years in federal prison

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/July 29, 2014

By Taylor West

An Atlanta man self-identified as a sovereign citizen was sentenced Tuesday to six years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Jermaine Eric Gibson, 40, was found guilty in May of being a felon in possession of a gun. He also “stole” a foreclosed home under contract to be sold in a Lithonia gated community in March 2013, U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said in a news release. He was previously convicted on felony forgery charges, according to Fulton County court records.

“Gibson … refused to recognize the laws of the United States and lived lawlessly by taking over an upscale home that was in in foreclosure, and possessing a firearm,” Yates said.

Gibson filed a fraudulent quit claim deed in DeKalb County declaring ownership of the home, Yates said. He maintained he was not subject to the law and anyone who entered the premises was trespassing.

Witnesses said they saw long-barreled guns at the home.

Gibson’s actions are within the parameters of the beliefs maintained by the sovereign citizens. The movement is classified as a domestic terrorist organization by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is known for acts of “paper terrorism,” or flooding the system with an overwhelming number of fraudulent documents, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Members don’t acknowledge the authority of state or national government and express their dissent through actions ranging from refusal to pay taxes or obtain a valid driver’s license to, much less frequently, acts of violence, generally targeted at law enforcement, the law center said.

The movement also fails to acknowledge the right of banks to own property, prompting members to move into foreclosed houses, which they consider there for the taking. This is where they frequently experience run-ins with the law and accusations of “stealing” property.

In May 2013, authorities obtained arrest warrants for Gibson and a search warrant executed by police found a .38 Smith and Wesson revolver, Yates said. He told authorities he had guns to protect the home.

Gibson has had similar encounters with the law before, filing numerous fraudulent documents, including a petition to change his name in order to “reclaim my freedom,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.

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