Tax Protester Ed Brown Says Agents Came To Kill Him

Pay your taxes or the government will axe murder you. See Gordon Kahl

Brown Says Agents Came To Kill Him

June 8, 2007

PLAINFIELD, N.H. -- A Plainfield man who has been holed up in his house after being convicted of tax evasion said Friday that federal, state and local agents had come to kill him when they showed up near his property the day before.

Ed Brown and his wife, Elaine, were convicted in January of hiding nearly $2 million in income and not paying taxes on it because they insisted that federal income taxes are invalid. In April, they skipped their sentencing hearings and have been holed up in their house since.

Thursday, one of his supporters was taken into custody when heavily armed police arrived near the 110-acre property. Danny Riley posted a video online hours after he was released from custody that said he was shot at, police used a Taser on him, and he was questioned for hours.

"I was screaming at the top of my lungs, 'Don't shoot me! I'm unarmed!'" Riley said in the video.

Riley was sent home to New York after his release. He was staying with the Browns and was walking the family dog when he came across police, who said they were doing surveillance around the property.

"All of a sudden, a guy stood up said, 'Freeze!'" Riley said. "At that point, I turned and ran."

Riley said that a Taser gun left a mark on his chest. He said that he was shot at, but police said only non-lethal force was used.

Officers said they were setting up surveillance while the Browns' commercial property in West Lebanon was seized.

"The U.S. Marshals Office said they would not assault us on this land," Ed Brown said. "They lied."

Ed Brown said he thought the U.S. marshals were coming to kill him. The Browns said that they have not broken any laws, saying they don't believe there is any law requiring them to pay taxes.

"We've told them all along, show us the law where you pay taxes," he said. "So if the tax is a problem, there's no problem. We'll pay it. Show us the law."

Federal officials said they won't take the home by force, but they maintain regular contact.

Ed Brown said that he knows he's being watched, and he has even fired warning shots.

"If the dog indicates she sees something in the woods, I'll pop off a few rounds in the woods," he said.

Ed Brown wouldn't say how many supporters are helping him. A handful of supporters seen on the compound Friday were armed.

Federal officials said they could arrest those who help the couple avoid capture.