A so-called sovereign citizen in New York was sentenced to five years for mail fraud after a “paper terrorism” scheme that involved sending bankers and public officials fake bills and liens worth trillions of dollars.
Richard Ulloa of Ulster County, New York received the sentence on Monday for several mail fraud charges, related to a scheme that involved filing around $4 trillion in liens and bills against public officials, including police officers, judges, and other county employees.
“I lost a job, I lost a business and I lost property,” Ulloa told federal Judge Thomas McAvoy on Monday. “I have lost more than anybody else.”
“Somewhere along the way, you decided to follow the voice of the sovereign citizens,” McAvoy said. “You did that with reckless disregard and evil intention.”
Sovereign citizens often engage in what’s called “paper terrorism” when confronted with law enforcement officials, which usually involves filing fake liens or bills against officials, and effectively ruins their credit.
In Ulloa’s case, the Middletown Times-Herald Record reports:
It started in late 2008, when he fell behind on mortgage payments and Mid Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union began foreclosure proceedings on his home on Ridge Mountain Road.
Ulloa countered by sending a “criminal complaint” to the bank, and demanding that bank executives pay him $46 million. He then followed up by filing a $2.8 billion lien against bank CEO Bill Spearman and other MHVFCU executives.
Ulloa also filed fake liens and bills against police officers and other county officials involved in processing several traffic tickets he had received.
In addition to the five years, Ulloa was ordered to repay the county $63,401.
