By Christine Sarteschi
In May 2024, an Oklahoma man was arrested and charged with kidnapping and murdering two women, becoming the fifth member of an anti-government group called “God’s Misfits” to face such charges.
With the investigation still underway, details about God’s Misfits remain scarce. The group’s members may be part of the so-called “sovereign citizen” movement – people who believe they owe no allegiance to any government and are not required to obey laws.
My research into sovereign citizens has found they have long been active in the U.S. and other countries. At the core of their beliefs is the denial of the government’s legitimacy. They commonly do not register their vehicles, acquire driver’s licenses or car insurance, or pay taxes. And they pose a significant threat to the public.
Harassment and abuse
One threat they pose is “paper terrorism,” which involves harassing public officials with legal threats to intimidate them. Sometimes officials are targeted because they arrested or prosecuted someone from the movement.
This method involves filing fake deeds and liens against public officials the sovereign citizens think wronged them. County recorders are sounding the alarm.
This type of act – a form of fraud that can be illegal – is rare nationwide but common in some places, local and federal officials have said.
For instance, in 2023, a New Mexico man allegedly filed a US$20 million lien against property owned by federal employees he believed were connected with the termination of his Social Security benefits. All told, he has allegedly filed $1 billion in false liens against federal employees.
Federal prosecutors have charged him with retaliating against a federal employee by making a false claim. Court documents identify the man as a sovereign citizen who describes himself as a “private attorney general.” He is awaiting trial.
More violent threats
The FBI considers sovereign citizens a domestic terrorism threat.
In April 2024, a Utah man was charged in federal court with stalking after allegedly telling staff at the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office that they had committed treason and the penalty was death.
Court documents show that the man has identified himself as a “sovereign citizen” and made quasi-legal claims that prosecutors characterize as arguments commonly used by sovereign citizens – claims that were dismissed by a judge as “frivolous and without merit.” Trial is set to begin July 1, 2024.
Angela Peterson/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP, Pool
Killings
Sovereign citizens have killed police officers and civilians. Darrell Brooks, who represented himself in court as a sovereign citizen, was found guilty in October 2022 of killing six people when he drove an SUV through a Christmas parade.
Dejaune Anderson, a self-declared sovereign citizen, is accused of neglecting her 5-year-old son so badly that he died of dehydration. Her trial is pending.
Traffic stops can be especially dangerous for police because sovereign citizens often will not comply with officers’ basic commands. At times, this tendency can lead to violence.
In April 2024, two police officers in Florida investigated a report of a man in a vehicle in a public park after the park’s closing time. The person identified himself as a “Moorish sovereign citizen,” a type of sovereign citizen who claims that people of African American descent are not subject to U.S. law because of a 1787 treaty between the U.S. and Morocco, which says nothing of the sort.
During the confrontation that ensued, the man allegedly shot and wounded the officers before being killed by police.
A new subgroup
Over the past several years, a new variation of sovereign citizens has emerged, known as American State Nationals. In my research, I learned that they have been congregating on social media and gathering at seminars. Their leaders teach traditional sovereign citizen ideology along with new methods that supposedly let them live outside the law.
For instance, leaders teach their followers that driver’s licenses, marriage licenses, Social Security cards, car registrations and voter registrations are “contracts with the government,” which to them form the basis for requirements that they obey laws.
American State Nationals are urged to cancel or rescind these documents by filling out a set of forms, which are sold by the seminar leaders for about $250, in addition to the $150 seminar fee. Then they are told to submit the documents to county recorders and even the U.S. State Department. They are told that doing so will remove them from the reach of the U.S. government.
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation via Kansas Reflector
Paul Grice, the fifth member of God’s Misfits to be arrested in that Oklahoma kidnapping and murder case, reportedly sent his packet of paperwork by certified mail to Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state.
Perhaps paradoxically, American State Nationals are also told to acquire a federal document that group members call a “noncitizen national passport.” They believe this document gives them many special privileges, including no longer being a U.S. citizen and having immunity from U.S. laws. They believe this even though U.S. law applies to everyone within the borders of the U.S.
In reality, this document does none of what they think it does. The document, officially called a “Certificate of Non Citizen Nationality,” is really for use by people born in one of several U.S. possessions, such as American Samoa. Directly contrary to what sovereign citizens think, the document certifies that its bearer does “owe permanent allegiance to the United States.”
Sovereign citizens’ beliefs have yet to hold up in any court of law in the U.S. or overseas. As an Australian law school lecturer said of a case involving a sovereign citizen in Australia, “No court in Australia, no court in the U.S., Canada, anywhere that I’ve seen, has ever accepted the legal arguments raised by sovereign citizens.”
Christine Sarteschi is Professor of Social Work and Criminology at Chatham University.
The Conversation arose out of deep-seated concerns for the fading quality of our public discourse and recognition of the vital role that academic experts could play in the public arena. Information has always been essential to democracy. It’s a societal good, like clean water. But many now find it difficult to put their trust in the media and experts who have spent years researching a topic. Instead, they listen to those who have the loudest voices. Those uninformed views are amplified by social media networks that reward those who spark outrage instead of insight or thoughtful discussion. The Conversation seeks to be part of the solution to this problem, to raise up the voices of true experts and to make their knowledge available to everyone. The Conversation publishes nightly at 9 p.m. on FlaglerLive.
Wow says
So they are illegal “aliens” let’s deport them. Seriously did they all drop out of school in the 4th grade?
Secured party creditor says
In a world that we are only born in and everything has set for us. Example, spoon,fork,
automobile,apartment, house,schools, a liquor store , we never ask why was it made , when or for what. We just know that they exist. History facts. 1935 no highways . No houses, everything was nature at its best. Roosevelt under the social security act sold every American and the future offspring of americans as surety to the federal bank reserve for a DEBT. We have nothing do with, yet as soon as ur 18 when u have ur first job ur force to pay it . In taxes… taxes on everything. It’s just keeps going. Knowing the great depression hit everyone, that’s when roosevelt made everyone slaves of the federal bank reserve corporation, all of sudden there’s highways homes, public school, which anything u learn from itis based on the federal bank allows. Including the commerce english and the reading of score of 10 in senior class, when a judge or irs level is at 60. .. BEFORE it was the United States of America. Now n days everyone refers it as U.S citizen every word with the word Federal the federal bank reserve owns it. Think about .
JOE D says
Crazy is, as Crazy does….
Like we don’t have enough insanity already in the US!?! I feel sorry for law enforcement personnel….they never know what they are walking into!
JimboXYZ says
The Constitution 7th Amendment Rights for the Bill of Rights. In some of the examples cited in the article, there exists a dispute and the remedy is a Civil trial by jury. Like it or not, it’s the law at a Federal level. Actually preserves the rule of law, as absurd as the claim(s) may be ?
Atwp says
If Trump has immunity why not the Sovereign Citizens. If the Sovereign Citizens give the Trump a lot of money and become yes people to him, I believe he will make sure they are immune from persecution. That will open the door for them to do anything they want to do and get away with their wrong doing.
Beth says
There is a difference between prosecution and persecution…. Presidential Immunity is for ALL President’s, not just Donald J. Trump. It only gives a President immunity from actions taken in their Presidential capacity.
JOE D says
Reply to Beth Says:
Yes, that’s correct…the PROBLEM is the Supreme Court was kind of “fuzzy” on what the NON-PRESIDENTIAL duties actually included.
Given the way the Supreme Court worded the new ruling, you can BET Donald Trump will consider ALL his actions are going to be “PRESIDENTIAL”..and therefore “Immune” from prosecution.
The Supreme Court said that it will be the “lower” courts responsibility to sort out what was an Official Presidential act, and what was a non-Presidential (personal) action…they also said that conversations with OFFICIAL individuals ( like his ATTORNEY GENERAL, etc.) couldn’t be included in challenging the “personal actions”….how INSANE!
…sounds clear as “MUD” to me.
Read Justice Barrett’s conservative comments after the ruling and the official “desenting” opinions of the liberal judges…to see the PITFALLS of the Supreme Court Ruling
What a MESS!
Atwp says
Thank you Beth.
Laurel says
Beth: Trump may be very paranoid, and convince you he is a victim of half the country, the FBI, the CIA, all judges who don’t agree with him, all juries who don’t agree with him, all votes he didn’t get, the NFL and Taylor Swift, but he isn’t. There is no “persecution” there, just a constant avalanche of lies.
Poor little, rich, white man.
Deborah Coffey says
Donald Trump IS the sovereign citizen in-chief! He despises the United States government and, is there any law he has ever obeyed? He should have been arrested and locked up decades ago.
Bob says
” If the Sovereign Citizens give the Trump a lot of money… ‘ I would not worry about that. These people are either profoundly stupid, or delusional, or both. Not likely many of them have much money.
PeachesMcGee says
IF they don’t want to be citizens, ship them off to another country. Like Syria or Afghanistan.
Problem solved.
YankeeExPat says
Or,………Let them run for Mayor of Palm Coast,,,,,,,,,,,,remember our own Soverign Citizen Mr.Lowe ?
Lee says
There’s so many people in the state of Florida now that drive without a License, registrations, no insurance and surely don’t pay taxes as well!
I don’t see any arrest, jailed & fined given to stop these crimes against the lawless people in Florida.
America only going to get worse with all the immunity to a certain population of people.
Is this a form of sovereignty going on here and nothing is done?
KK says
I’d like to know why the guy in New Mexico was collecting Social Security benefits in the first place. I wonder if he drives around on our public roads as well. Does he have kids in public schools???
Laurel says
KK: You bet he enjoys the stuff the rest of us pay for.
These guys should just pool their finances (?) and buy a little island to live on. Then it would be interesting how that all turns out. Lord of the Flies.