Judge Rules Feds Can Seize Kent Hovind’s Dinosaur Adventure Land. Schadenfreude, Sweet Schadenfreude.
No, I don’t feel guilty for enjoying this news. Though he’s been painted as some sort of martyr for his religious beliefs, Kent Hovind brought this mess on himself. He’s yet another person who thinks his religious beliefs and his theism put him above the laws that all others have to follow.
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A ruling this week says the nine properties that make up Dinosaur Adventure Land, and two bank accounts associated with the park will be used to satisfy $430,400 in restitution owed to the federal government.Kent Hovind, who founded the park and his ministry, Creation Science Evangelism, is serving 10 years in federal prison as a result of a tax-fraud conviction for failing to pay more than $470,000 in employee taxes in a long-running dispute with the Internal Revenue Service.
Kent Hovind was found guilty in November 2006 on 58 counts, including failure to pay employee taxes and making threats against investigators.
The East Peoria, Ill. native sparred with the IRS for 17 years before his conviction. He claimed no income or property since he was employed by God and said that his ministers were not subject to payroll taxes.
Hovind is incarcerated at the Edgefield Federal Correction Institution in South Carolina.
…..U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers’ 16-page order released late Thursday gives the government the green light to divide up the nine properties in and around the 5800 block of North Palafox Street and begin to sell them until the $430,400 forfeiture amount is satisfied.
The properties have a combined value of more than what the Hovinds owe, according to Rodgers’ order, and any excess property available after the sales will be returned to the Hovinds.
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Stoll said he owned nine of the 10 properties in question, according to a motion filed with the court. Eric Hovind claimed ownership of a single property, where he lives with his family. He will be allowed to keep the Cummings Road home.
Kent Hovind made a series of quick transfers to conceal his ownership of the properties at risk for seizure, according to court documents filed by the U.S. attorney’s office.
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Given that Hovind is three years into a ten year prison sentence he has up to seven years to develop another sheep fleecing money making scheme. It would behoove him, however, to pay his taxes next time. I do recall Jesus saying something about that in the Bible.
