Although I have sporadically been following Kent Hovind's website and also Rudy Davis's Lonestar1776 and 1776Lonestar, I have stuck with my decision to consider the sentencing of Paul John Hansen in August the end of L'affaire Kent Hovind.. Bob Baty, however has kept up his coverage. Kent's continuing protestations of innocence seem to really aggravate my number one commenter and bane of the basketball ministers. So I asked him for an update and here is what he sent me.
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Kent Hovind, world-famous young-earth creation-science promoter, Baptist preacher, and sovereign citizen, was released from federal prison in July 2015, completed a few weeks of home confinement, and has since been serving out a 3 year period of supervised release.
Kent had been incarcerated since 2006 for employment tax crimes, structuring crimes, and obstruction. In addition to those crimes and the liabilities stemming from them, Kent was later determined to be liable for personal income taxes and penalties (including the monetary FRAUD penalty) in excess of $3,000,000.00; not including statutory interest which multiplies that liability.
Kent's probation officer appears to be a really nice fellow because Kent has been allowed to travel freely within the United States and revive his business that was the source of his legal problems.
In FaceBook and YouTube promotions, Kent has indicated that he hopes to be able to perform far and wide on a weekly basis; anything to get out of the house he claims to still share with his wife whom he sent to prison for a year (about 9 months after "good time") as part of his effort to avoid having to admit guilt. Kent seems to have taken on a young man ("Theodore") from Arizona, who is a technical geek of sorts, to travel with him and otherwise handle the technical aspects of his developing Internet business.
In almost all of Kent's public performances and YouTube videos he claims to "maintain his integrity" by continuing to deny his guilt and claim that he did not commit any crimes such as was charged.
Kent has further pledged to spend the rest of his life fighting to overturn his 2006 convictions and has, allegedly, begun that process through clandestine sovereign citizen common law court of record efforts in Pensacola and possibly more legitimate habeas corpus filings in federal district court.
In recent days, Kent claims to have been contacted by a "Texas legal researcher" by the name of Brady Byrum who has told Kent that his prosecution was greatly flawed and that he will provide Kent with the details of just how bad it was and how easy it should be to get his 2006 conviction overturned and collect millions in damages for false imprisonment (which may be enough to cover his outstanding personal liabilities to the feds).
In addition to denying his guilt, Kent in a recent performance claimed that "it is not a crime to structure".
I have for quite some time tried to get Kent Hovind to come out to me and work to produce a debate regarding his legal problems so that we might resolve some of the simpler, factual matters which I claim Kent is, I claim, falsely representing.
Kent refuses to work with me on producing such an event and his people have run interference for him as a cover.
My personal challenge to Kent Hovind remains outstanding for such a time as he might repent and be willing to publicly address his legal problems, with the "specificity" he desires and on issues of mutual interest (i.e., subjects he has raised and on which I have challenged his position).
In recent performances, Kent has indicated, in my opinion, that he wants to be left alone to return to his business of preaching about dinosaurs. To his theological detractors, he tells them to go and find something to do and do and leave him alone (i.e., his new geocentric and flat earth opposition who want him to convert appear to really bug him). To his legal distractor (i.e., Robert Baty), he refuses to discuss his problems in preference for his controlled use of the Internet to promote his "false legal narrative", raise money for his "legal defense", and spend the rest of his life raising money thereby and filing stuff as if he thought he could actually be allowed to buy guns again (i.e., have his felony convictions overturned and collect millions in damages).
There is so much history to the story, and so much that may yet be worthy of the telling.
For now, though, it appears that Kent is resigned to being an itinerant, young-earth, sovereign citizen, Baptist preacher and convicted felon that is exploiting his followers to finance his grand schemes and lesser schemes. Kent reportedly already has gotten his new Suzuki Bergman 650 and has been hinting that he wants his people to buy him a new vehicle to use for his travels (i.e., a van or motorhome). He also claims to be looking for 1,000 acres or so of real estate to build a new and improved Dinosaur Adventure Land Park/Camp when the big bucks start rolling in (maybe they already have).
Not bad for an old retired guy like Kent; he does now claim to be retired.
For some, it is a story to watch.
For some, not so much.
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A Kent Hovind Bob Baty debate would be interesting. I'm afraid that Bob would not be able to stand up to Kent giving him the old Gish Gallop, but I may be underrating him I didn't debate Hovind. It was more of the one interview he did that was not entirely softballs. So you can check out how I did,
Peter J Reilly hopes to become the first tax blogger to give up his day job. Guest posts are a big help so consider sending one in.
