A member of the anti-government movement known as the ‘Sovereign Movement’ has been handed a lengthy prison sentence for conspiring to launder millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains.
Shawn Rice, 50, of Seligman, Ariz., was sentenced to 98 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to forfeit $1.29 million in assets and pay $95,782 in restitution for his conviction on conspiracy and money laundering crimes, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.
Rice was convicted by a jury in July 2012 of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, 13 counts of money laundering, and four counts of failure to appear.
“Persons who commit financial crimes victimize organizations, government and the public,” said U.S. Attorney Bogden. “Our office and our federal partners will work jointly with local and state law enforcement to ensure that these persons are caught and prosecuted.”
The FBI deserves credit for bringing this case to fruition,” said Paul Camacho, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation for Nevada. “There was an element of greed to Mr. Rice’s crimes. As with most cases we see, it is greed that gets people in trouble.”
According to the evidence introduced at trial, from about March 2008 to March 2009, Rice and co-defendant Samuel Davis, 57, of Council, Idaho, laundered approximately $1.3 million of monies that they thought were from the theft and forgery of stolen official bank checks.
Rice and Davis laundered the monies through a nominee trust account controlled by Davis and through an account of a purported religious organization controlled by Rice.
Rice and Davis took approximately $74,000 and $22,000, respectively, in fees for their money laundering services.
Rice and Davis were originally charged in March 2009. Rice failed to make required court appearances in the case on March 8 and March 9, 2010, and was a fugitive for almost two years before he was re-arrested in December 2011.
Davis pleaded guilty and was sentenced in October 2011 to 57 months in prison. Davis failed to self-report to federal prison, and was arrested in August 2012 in Stanley, South Dakota.
Davis and Rice are heavily involved in the “Sovereign Movement,” an extreme anti-government organization whose members attempt to disrupt and overthrow government and other forms of authority by using “paper terrorism” tactics, intimidation and harassment, and violence.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant/Respondent: Shawn Rice
Criminal Charges: Conspiracy to commit money laundering, 13 counts of money laundering, and four counts of failure to appear
City and State: Las Vegas, Nevada
Exact Date: July 2012 (sentencing), December 2011 (re-arrest), March 2008 (crime date)
Sentence or Outcome: 98 months in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture of $1.29 million in assets, and payment of $95,782 in restitution
Dollar Amounts: $1.29 million, $95,782, $1.3 million, $74,000, $22,000
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Key Facts
- State: Nevada
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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