It may be the High Holy Days for Jews around the world, but it appears that every day is a holy day for the Office of the Patriarch of the Gathering of the House of Israel. You never heard of that sect before? Strange, neither had I. But two Texans may be ruing the day they decided to invent it.
Timothy Patton and his wife Dawn didn’t like the federal income tax. (They’re Texans, so they missed out on state income tax.) They told their employer (a) they were single, and (b) they were exempt from income tax, and (c) to make their checks out to that sect. The Employer Identification of the sect was invalid, of course. Beginning in 2000, they stopped filing tax returns.
They were tried back in July and found guilty. During the trial they also insisted they be called “Brother T” and “Mimi” and weren’t the people named in the indictment. They asked for a new trial, and then “specifically stated that they had not filed a motion for [a] new trial.” It appears the rest of their motions were specious, and/or frivolous.
Well, Brother T and Mimi were sentenced last week: Timothy received 40 months at ClubFed and his wife got 36 months. They also must make restitution of $571,734.