Not-guilty plea by man who said he wasn’t subject to tax laws

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Updated: February 23, 2012 8:13AM

BREVARD, Fla. — A 40-year-old man who told IRS agents he was not subject to man’s laws but instead was an American national who “resided in the Kingdom of Heaven,” has pleaded not guilty to charges he filed false tax returns.

Russell P. Gentile, of Melbourne, Fla., claimed in 2008 that he had no reportable income for the years 2001 and 2002. Gentile sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service disputing the government’s claims and stated that he didn’t have to provide information about his income.

Investigators reported that Gentile told IRS agents that he would sue them in court if they continued to call him and ordered them to remove his name and Social Security number from the agency’s databases.

“I have been as polite and patient as I can be,” Gentile wrote agents in one letter.

Gentile could face up to six years in federal prison and a fine of up to $200,000.

Gannett News Service