Self-proclaimed sovereign citizen pleads guilty to writing fake checks to pay Michigan taxes

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - A self-proclaimed sovereign citizen pleaded guilty to sending the Michigan Department of Treasury fake checks to pay his taxes.

Attorney General Dana Nessel said Wednesday that Damon Montgomery, 54, of Macomb County, sent three checks in January 2021 that had TCF Bank routing numbers and were made payable to the State of Michigan for $1,000,000. 

He did not have accounts at the bank, and all three checks bounced. 

Montgomery pleaded guilty to three counts of no-account check.

Despite his guilty plea, Montgomery tried arguing that he is exempt from paying taxes since he is a sovereign citizen, Nessel said.

"Taxes pay for our schools, our roads, and our government services," Nessel said.  "Cheating on taxes hurts everyone and is fundamentally unfair to everyone else who abides by the law.  We will continue to work with our partners at Treasury to ensure fairness and to enforce the law."