September 30, 11

NEWS / Florida Man Sentenced for Filing False Liens Against Federal Law Enforcement Employees

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

WASHINGTON – Mark D. Leitner was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty in July to filing false liens against federal law enforcement employees and corruptly endeavoring to impede and impair the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Justice Department announced today. Northern District of Florida Senior District Court Judge Lacey A. Collier presided over the hearing at the U.S. District Court in Pensacola, Fla.



According to court documents, Leitner apologized for filing 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 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, United States v. Hirmer, et. al., in the Northern District of Florida in March 2010. 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 will serve this prison sentence consecutive to the five-year prison sentence he received for his 2010 tax fraud conviction.



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 can be found at www.usdoj.gov/tax .

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/September/11-tax-1288.html

Tags: document, criminal investigation,