Evangelist arrested on federal charges


Michael Stewart
@PensacolaNewsJournal.com
A Pensacola evangelist who owns the defunct Dinosaur Adventure Land in Pensacola was arrested Thursday on 58 federal charges, including failing to pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes and making threats against investigators.

Of the 58 charges, 44 were filed against Kent Hovind and his wife, Jo, for evading bank reporting requirements as they withdrew $430,500 from AmSouth Bank between July 20, 2001, and Aug. 9, 2002.

At the couple's first court appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Miles Davis, Kent Hovind professed not to understand why he is being prosecuted. Some 20 supporters were in the courtroom.

"I still don't understand what I'm being charged for and who is charging me," he said.

Kent Hovind, who often calls himself "Dr. Dino," has been sparring with the IRS for at least 17 years on his claims that he is employed by God, receives no income, has no expenses and owns no property.

"The debtor apparently maintains that as a minister of God, everything he owns belongs to God and he is not subject to paying taxes to the United States on money he receives for doing God's work," U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Lewis Killian Jr. wrote when he dismissed a claim from Hovind in 1996.

Hovind, an avowed creationist, has widely publicized his "standing offer" to pay $250,000 to anyone who can provide scientific evidence of evolution.

"No one has ever observed a dog produce a non-dog," Hovind once wrote in reply to a New York Times article.

In the indictment unsealed Thursday, a grand jury alleges that Kent Hovind failed to pay $473,818 in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes on employees at his Creation Science Evangelism/Ministry between March 31, 2001, and Jan. 31, 2004.

As part of the ministry, Hovind operated the Dinosaur Adventure Land at 5800 N. Palafox St., which included rides, a museum and a science center. He also sold literature, videos, CDs and other materials and provided lecture services and live debates for a fee.

The indictment alleges Kent Hovind paid his employees in cash and labeled them "missionaries" to avoid payroll tax and FICA requirements.

On Thursday, a message on the Dinosaur Adventure Land telephone welcomed visitors to the place "where dinosaurs and the Bible meet" and stated that the museum and science center were closed temporarily.

The indictment also says the Hovinds' made cash withdrawals from AmSouth Bank in a manner that evaded federal requirements for reporting cash transactions.

The withdrawals were for $9,500 or $9,600, just below the $10,000 starting point for reporting cash transactions.

Most of the withdrawals were days apart. For example, the indictment shows three withdrawals of $9,500 each on July 20, July 23 and July 26 in 2001.

The indictment also charges Kent Hovind with impeding an IRS investigation.

Among the ways he is accused of doing:

· Filing a frivolous lawsuit against the agency demanding damages for criminal trespass.

· Filing an injunction against an IRS special agent.

· Filing false complaints against the IRS for false arrest, excessive use of force and theft.

· Making threats against investigators and those cooperating with the investigation.

Judge Davis released the Hovinds from custody pending their trial, which will be scheduled during their arraignment at 2 p.m. Monday.

Over Kent Hovind's protests, the judge took away his passport and guns Hovind claimed belonged to his church.

Hovind argued that he needs his passport to continue his evangelism work. He said "thousands and thousands" are waiting to hear him preach in South Africa next month.

But Davis agreed with Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heldmyer, who argued that "like-minded people" might secret Hovind away if he left the country.

As for the guns, Davis said "ownership was not the issue."

Kent Hovind also has had run-ins with state authorities.

In April, Circuit Judge Michael Allen ordered the buildings at Dinosaur Adventure Land closed because Hovind failed to obtain a building permit during the 2002 construction. The outdoor theme park was allowed to stay open.

Members of Creation Science Evangelism said at the time that building permits violated their "deeply held" religious beliefs.

While the building permit case was tied up in a four-year court battle, ownership of the theme park was turned over to Glen Stoll, who works with Hovind on legal issues and is based in Washington.

Last year, the U.S. attorney in Seattle filed a lawsuit against Stoll, charging him with encouraging people to avoid tax payments by claiming to be religious entities, according to news reports.

ALL MATERIAL (UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED) IS COPYRIGHT © 2005 CSE MINISTRY

Trial by media

As most of the world now seems to know, due to the planned media blitz by the IRS, my wife and I were arrested 12 days ago in a highly publicized raid on the church ministry. The three “charges” against my wife and I are ludicrous as will be shown in the next few weeks but I have been advised by counsel not to discuss the case openly yet. There are, however, several things the world needs to know before rushing to judgment, condemning me as an evildoer or lawbreaker.

People who love truth need to know that the IRS has gone through other grand juries that saw the facts and refused to indict me so the IRS called a “secret” (I think the IRS calls it a ‘special’) grand jury just to get me. No witnesses were called for our side. Even when they got the “indictment” notice the IRS did not simply call me to come in or send a $.37 letter. No, they brought in a swat team to drag my sick wife out of bed and handcuffed her in her nightgown. They refused to let her get dressed, put on a robe or even go to the bathroom even though she begged for these simple courtesies. The agents rushed her and I into a squad car then into a freezing cell for 3 hrs! The fact that judges and local sheriffs and even juries blindly assist the IRS in breaking the law is no marvel since they fear the IRS’s Gestapo style tactics as well.

Since this is an active case, I cannot discuss it openly (even though I would love to share the truth and clear my name- that will come in the next few weeks) there are a few simple observations that should be made. It is great to know that God knows all and will protect and provide for His own! If He allows His children to suffer wrongfully or go to jail, like Joseph in Gen. 37, or even be killed, like millions of Christians over the centuries, it is great to know the final chapter of the Bible. I read it and we win!

If the charges are dropped or we win in court, will the media publish that? I have said for years that people who love God should cancel their subscription to the liberal paper and support missionaries with the money. Will the pastors and other Christians who have spread malicious rumors about me repent, apologize and undo the damages? Read James 3:5-8! Will God be angry with them as He was with Job’s “friends?” “My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.” Job 42:7. Will they send gifts (v. 8) to the ministry to help repair the damage their unfounded gossip has done?

A few facts to consider about the IRS raid on our church on 7-13-06

   1. We are still going strong. The daily radio program continues to attract more listeners and Dinosaur Adventure Land is still flooded with visitors.
   2. There is a long standing joke that any attorney could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich!
   3. People get accused of things all the time, that doesn’t mean anything.
   4. The church ministry and my wife and I obey all laws about taxes as far as I can tell and that is what many lawyers and tax professional who have examined our ministry have told me.
   5. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty; except by the IRS and some Christians.
   6. The IRS has taken all the church ministry donations for the year and called it Kent Hovind’s personal income. This is silly. Any church with 30+ staff will need a large operating budget. That does not mean it all belongs to the pastor as personal income!
   7. To charge a bookkeeper with wrongdoing for simply withdrawing money to pay normal ministry bills is silly.
   8. People who already know my wife and I well, will know we love God and his work and will not believe the liberal media.
   9. People who hate me because of my message exposing their stupid evolution religion will gloat over the IRS raid and assume I am guilty no matter what the truth is.
  10. It is interesting to me to see the atheists that could never stand up to me in a debate on the evolution topic are yelling the loudest over these unproven charges. I think they are cowards!
  11. I have said many times, “If you are taking lots of flack that proves you are over the target!” This recent flack just proves we are right on target in the message on creation and just strengthens my resolve to keep preaching.
  12. My philosophy of not wasting much time on critics, anti-Hovind web sites (or false charges) stems from the parable of the sower in Mt. 13 and Lk 8. The sower did not waste time shoeing the birds away. He just kept planting. While the birds eat 10 he can plant 1,000. Don’t waste time on the critics. God will be the final Judge!”
  13. 99.9999% of the world does not know or care about what happened so keep winning souls, don’t spread gossip or bear false witness against a brother and forget the birds.
  14. Read the book of Acts and see if it is normal for Christians to be treated this way.

2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

More as I am allowed to share it later,

KH