SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — An eastern Washington man is facing prison time after being found guilty of filling more than $20 billion in false liens against four federal government officials to retaliate for an unpaid taxes lawsuit.
The Justice Department says Ronald James Davenport of Chewelah, Wash., was convicted Tuesday of filing the false legal claims on properties of a former Eastern Washington U.S. attorney, assistant attorney and court clerk, as well as an Internal Revenue Service officer.
Each lien was for more than $5 billion.
The Justice Department says Davenport may be sentenced to up to 40 years in prison and be fined a maximum of $1 million. A sentence date was not set.
A federal jury found Davenport guilty of filing the claims in December 2009. Davenport filed the liens after he was sued for $270,000 in unpaid taxes.
