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Florida Man Faces 13 Years for Filing False Liens
Mark D. Leitner, 48.489 billion dollars in fake liens
Mark D. Leitner, a resident of Florida, has pleaded guilty to filing false liens against federal law enforcement officials. Leitner, who is currently serving a five-year sentence for his 2010 tax fraud conviction, now faces up to an additional 13 years of incarceration and fines of more than $500,000.
According to the documents filed in court, Leitner was a defendant in a criminal trial, U.S. v. Hirmer, et. al., in the Northern District of Florida in March 2010. A jury found him guilty of conspiracy to defraud the IRS after a month-long jury trial. During that jury trial and after the jury returned the guilty verdict, Leitner publicly filed false maritime liens against the property of the prosecutors, investigators, and court personnel involved in the criminal trial.
The liens falsely claimed that Leitner was owed $48.489 billion from each individual. On five of the seven false liens, Leitner publicly disclosed individuals’ correct Social Security numbers and other personal identifying information. Leitner also filed and mailed numerous harassing and frivolous documents to the courts and personnel involved in this case.
The case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Judge Lacey A. Collier, presiding over the hearing at the U.S. District Court in Pensacola, scheduled sentencing for September 27, 2011.
Leitner’s actions are a clear abuse of the legal system and a threat to the safety and well-being of federal law enforcement officials. His guilty plea is a significant step towards holding him accountable for his crimes.
Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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