N.H. Tax Evaders Arrested, Ending Standoff

For Months, Couple Hid In Their Rural Home; Refused To Pay $1.9M In Income Tax

(CBS/AP)  U.S. marshals posing as supporters arrested convicted tax-evaders Ed and Elaine Brown, ending a months-long standoff at their rural, fortress-like home.

"They invited us in, and we escorted them out," U.S. Marshal Stephen Monier said Friday, releasing the first details of the arrests the night before in Plainfield, a small town in west-central New Hampshire.

A handful of marshals pulled off the ruse, arresting the Browns without incident on their front porch, Monier said at a news conference.

The standoff began in January, when Brown, 65, a retired exterminator, and his dentist wife, 67, walked out of their federal trial in Concord. She returned to the trial but soon joined her husband at home, where they vowed to resist violently if authorities tried to arrest them.

"We either walk out of here free or we die," Ed Brown said at the time.

Monier said officials found booby traps in the woods on the 100-plus-acre property and weapons, ammunition and homemade bombs inside and outside the house. He said more charges are likely.

"Show me the law and I'll pay the tax," Ed Brown, who was involved in a "patriot" militia in the 1990s, said in an interview several days before his arrest. "Don't show me the law and I'm not going to give you a dime. What part of that don't you understand?" Wearily, he wife added: "The only way to leave here is free, or dead," reports the Washington Post.

The Browns repeatedly compared their situation to the confrontations at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992, and Waco, Tex., a year later.

"By their continuing actions, allegedly, to obstruct justice, to encourage others to assist them to obstruct justice, by making threats toward law enforcement and other governmental officials, they have turned this into more than a tax case," he said.

The Browns were turned over to federal corrections officials to serve prison terms of 63 months. They were convicted in January of scheming to avoid federal income taxes by hiding $1.9 million of income between 1996 and 2003.

The couple claims the federal income tax is not legitimate. Their argument - repeatedly rejected by courts - is that no law authorizes the federal income tax and that the 1913 constitutional amendment permitting it was never properly ratified.

Experts had praised authorities' hands-off approach before the surprise arrests, but patience had worn thin among some of Plainfield's 2,400 residents. During the summer, town selectmen asked Monier to stop the influx of militiamen and other anti-government groups to the Browns' home and to bring the couple to justice.

Monier said he was sympathetic to the complaints, but said cutting off access to the Browns would have undercut his plan.

"Throughout this ordeal, the bad news was that the Browns continued to invite supporters to their property. The good news was that the Browns continued to invite supporters to their property," he said.

[michellem99-2009]

I HAVE FAMILY THERE. I would like the churches pay their taxes if their going to make an issue of 2 seniors. They may be poor. The churches are rich and that is why I won''t atten them or support them.

[tamatoe286]

Gramma, it''s not the fact that they make so much money here thats important, or that they shouldn''t contribute like everyone else. It''s the fact that everyone''s tax money, regardless of income, is going directly to pay the debt of the government borrowing money from the federal reserve, and directly into the pockets of the wealthy banking elite. Also the fact that the right to tax income is unconstitutional, and was written by the same banking elite who created the federal reserve, purely for profit. Interesting that the federal income tax was created the same year as the federal reserve. A new central banking system that is controlled by the public is needed, so that the American working class is not continually raped of it''s hard earned money. Get educated and support America, just as the example has been set by this courageous couple. Check out zietgeistmovie.com, and another film called America:Freedom to Facism.

[grammawhamma]

Think people. They owed 1.9 million in taxes...so what was their income? If it was some rich politician who refused to pay taxes you people would be screaming for a death sentence. So why are you sticking up for these idiots? I think they took NH''s state motto too seriously..."live free or die". Notice now they are neither free or dead?

[michellem99-2009]

TAXES
By Barbara Ann
Taxes taxes taxes,
What are they used for.
They are unfair.
Yes we learnt about
The Boston Tea Party.
It was over taxes,
Yet today we are taxed.
The chruch is not taxed.
Taxed on what is bought.
Sales tax,tax on the phone.
Taxed and it is not fair.
Nanny govt want their taxes.
Yer best pay or else.
There was a day where
This was a tax free nation.
Greed took over.
Founding Fathers
Dears how ye cry
At the state of
The nation yer
Help build.
What would yer
Say be if yer
Could see today.
Would yer clean house.
Yet yer would.

If yer use this verse please give Barbara Ann credit. Thank you.

[silentw1]

I say BUCK the system.
Everybody needs to pick the month and day post it in all news papers as a ad. all over the u.s. and the internet.
AND JUST STAY HOME TWO DAYS. Nothing moves, nothing is bought. Just do nothing for two solid days. and see how backed up things can get. Now that might get someone thinking in the big house.
Why we the people are to scared not to pay taxes.No one would get together on that. But staying home could do the trick.
NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT.
I THINK A VERY GOOD TIME WOULD BE NEXT YEAR ON THE BLACK FRIDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS. the busiest time of year. OR THE NEW YEARS DAY.
NOTHING MOVES, NO ONE WORKS, OR SPENDS OUR TAINTED MONEY.

[keithle1]

Stick to the story at hand. I beg you. Stop going off on tangents. If you want to help the Republicans win elections, go & volunteer.

[zootallures2]

Why was I born in this evil sh*t hole surrounded by you scum bag cowards??????????

Tell the truth!!! You blew the towers up yourself!!!! And stop dropping bombs on innocent people!

If I would have known what scumbag civilian bombing cowards you turned out to be when I was a kid, instead of building model US airforce planes, I''d have set them on fire on the Pentagon lawn!

What did I have to say the Pledge every morning for????? To what Republic? Under what??????


F*ck you and George Washington!!!!

[zootallures2]

If Black Water can have military jets, the Browns can have all the bombs they want and so can anyone else!

Including Iran! I hope they are making nuclear weapons and God willing better than yours! You need to be stopped!

I f*cking hate you. You sadistic black souled hidious creatures! Mothers in Iraq and Afghanstan crying for their children so you can put shiney wheels on your cars and show off. Killed off 80% of the Persian male population with horrible chemical weapons.... and still they beat you! You little discusting trolls!

[zootallures2]

Not even Russia or China will satnd by and allow the US to nuke Iran. That''s what evil scum you are.

Seriously, when I have to go out, you naturally make ME sick to look at you. For real!

Korea, Veitnam, Iran, Gutamala, New York City, Afghanastan, Iraq...

The Nazis??? You have brutally murdered way more than 6 million. And sneakingly posing as a friend...

as usual

[asninja]

God bless Ed and Elaine Brown for having the courage to stand up to our corrupt government, headed by the scum bag George Bush and his globalist masters in the Federal Reserve. By the way, that''s where your money goes. Not one red cent goes to anything other than paying interest on the national debt. The Income Tax
is a sham. I wish every American had the courage of
the Browns. May God be with them and see them through
this mockery of justice.