Couple Now Facing Additional Charges in Connection with Extortion Scheme

ExtortionA 72 year old man and a 67 year old woman, both charged in Etowah County last year with a sovereign citizen’s campaign, are now facing additional charges in what police say was an extortion scheme.

Sovereign citizen’s are individuals who do not believe in federal laws, taxation, or state and local entities – but use court filings in an attempt to tie up the legal system.

Both Everett Leon Stout of Scottsboro and Miriam Claire Shultz of Rainsville face charges of Attempted Theft of Property 1st Degree, Extortion 1st Degree – and 13 counts of Attempted Extortion 1st Degree.

They were charged after investigators said they recorded false documents against a circuit clerk, municipal prosecutor, federal judge and a federal probation officer.

Charges were filed after the pair attempted to purchase a $300,000 RV from Dandy RV, and pay for it with a fabricated account. When the two were refused, they filed a million dollar lien against the business then offered to withdraw it in exchange for money, which resulted in an extortion charge. The two reportedly attempted similar schemes against a number of other businesses.

Stout is currently being held in the Oxford City Jail on a $510,000 bond – meanwhile Shultz remains at large.

(al.com/www.al.com)

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