http://www.foxnews.com/national/1117/d_ap_1117_84.sml # # Group accused of operating bank to defraud IRS # # 10.54 a.m. ET (1609 GMT) November 17, 2000 # # PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon-based tax resistance group # operated a "warehouse bank'' that allowed hundreds of people # to illegally conceal income and assets from the IRS, a federal # indictment alleges. # # Six people listed in the indictment were arrested and another # was being sought, authorities said. # # The nine-count indictment filed Wednesday in federal court charges # the seven members of the Christian Patriot Association of # conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and violate # federal income tax laws. # # Members of the group have declared themselves sovereign citizens # exempt from paying taxes, officials said. # # The illegal bank, operated out a warehouse just east of Portland, # offered customers anonymous banking transactions to conceal income # and assets, according to IRS Special Agent Kathleen Sulmonetti. # Nine hundred customers deposited $186 million in the warehouse # bank with the money then being shuffled into legitimate commercial # bank accounts, she said.