Lansing, MI - A Macomb County man who attempted to pay the Michigan Department of Treasury (Treasury) with fraudulent checks pled guilty to felony charges, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Wednesday, November 16, 2022.
This matter was referred to the Department of Attorney General’s Financial Crimes Division from Treasury, leading to further investigation and charges.
Damon Montgomery, 54, pled guilty to three counts of no-account check, felonies punishable by two years in prison or $500. In January 2021, Montgomery, sent three checks to Treasury in an attempt to pay his taxes. Each check contained TCF Bank routing numbers and was made payable to the State of Michigan for $1,000,000. The checks bounced because Montgomery did not have an account at TCF Bank.
Montgomery asserts that he is a Sovereign Citizen and exempt from certain Michigan law, including paying taxes.
“Taxes pay for our schools, our roads, and our government services,” said Nessel. “Cheating on taxes hurts everyone and is fundamentally unfair to everyone else who abides by the law. We will continue to work with our partners at Treasury to ensure fairness and to enforce the law.”
The sentencing will be held on January 25, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. via video conference before Judge Jamo in Ingham County.