July 19, 11

NEWS / Tax Defendant Pleads Guilty in Florida to Filing False Liens for $48.489 Billion Against Federal Law

Defendant Filed Harassing Documents Against Federal Employees Who Successfully Prosecuted Him in 2010 for Tax Crimes

WASHINGTON - Mark D. Leitner entered a plea of guilty in the Northern District of Florida to filing false liens against federal law enforcement and corruptly endeavoring to impede and impair the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Justice Department announced today. Senior District Court Judge Lacey A. Collier presided over the hearing at the U.S. District Court in Pensacola, where Leitner admitted to filing the false liens against the former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, the former clerk of court, and numerous Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Department of Justice trial attorneys and an IRS criminal investigation special agent involved in a 2010 tax fraud prosecution against Leitner.



According to the documents filed in the court proceeding, Leitner was previously a defendant in a criminal trial, U.S. v. Hirmer, et. al., in the Northern District of Florida in March 2010. A jury in the Northern District of Florida 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.



Leitner, who is presently serving a five year sentence for his 2010 tax fraud conviction, now faces up to an additional thirteen years of incarceration and fines of more than $500,000. Judge Collier scheduled sentencing for Sept. 27, 2011.



The case was investigated by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Department of Treasury.



Additional information about the Justice Department’s Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/tax.

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/July/11-tax-934.html

Tags: criminal investigation, document,