Atlanta and Other Cities Targeted by Sovereign Citizens – more nuts to mix

Atlanta and many other metro areas are struggling with vacant foreclosed and bank owned homes. Vandalism is not uncommon, break-ins and squatters are seen on a fairly regular basis. Now Atlanta is becoming a playground for “sovereign citizens” – and they are being charged with stealing millions of dollars of property.

Properties included a mansion that was used as a headquarters in DeKalb County, a strip mall in Buckhead and homes in Gwinnett County. The suspects all call themselves sovereign citizens. The FBI calls them anti-government extremists and has posted them on their domestic terrorism watch list. The sovereign citizens believe they are immune to state and federal laws and that people – not banks – are the only titleholders who can own land. It is that doctrine they use in taking over properties. But prosecutors say this is a crime. The indictment alleges the 12 engaged in a pattern of racketeering, using theft by taking, burglary, mortgage fraud and false writings.

Prosecutors say the alleged squatters broke into vacant homes and either signed or notarized quitclaim deeds for themselves. They then filed the phony deeds with the courts. They also filed liens and lawsuits against police, prosecutors, judges or anyone who threatened to have them removed.

In one instance, the suspects stole ownership of a $13 million strip mall on Peachtree Road in Buckhead and attempted to collect rent from the tenants, prosecutors said. In North Atlanta, they allegedly had a locksmith change the locks on a mansion on Windsor Parkway and threatened to file a lien against the real estate agent’s personal property if she didn’t take down her for sale signs and turn off the security system. In Gwinnett, several of the suspects e-mailed extortion threats to obtain a Norcross home, the indictment alleges. “In one situation they tried to evict the actual resident and told them they had 24 hours to leave or they would start the eviction process,” Melvin said. The resident called police.

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