A man already accused of shooting the person who came to repossess his vehicle is facing more charges.
Records show that Opelousas Police booked Robert Clifton Tanner, 55, with improper telephone communications.
Yesterday, we told you about Tanner's arrest by SWAT officers Monday night; they booked him on attempted second-degree murder and criminal damage to property charges. In that case, he's accused of shooting a wrecker driver who came to repossess his vehicle for non-payment.
Tanner allegedly followed the wrecker as it drove away with his vehicle, firing a gun. The driver was shot, and bullets also hit a local church and a house - both of which were occupied at the time. The vehicle ended up crashed into a ditch in Avoyelles Parish, deputies say.
Tanner is currently being held in the parish jail, but has no bond because he's "refusing" to be processed.
The new charge comes from St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard, who filed a complaint after Tanner allegedly threatened him. That case is being handled by Opelosas Police; we've reached out to them and will update this story with any new information we get.
St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz told us that Tanner believes he is a "sovereign citizen" who is anti-government and anti-law enforcement.
KATC Investigates took a look and found that Tanner has an active social media presence focused on his claims, as well as a federal criminal record related to it. On his pages, he's a federal agent with the "Department of the Army, Civilian Military Police" with what appears to be a homemade ID card which protects him from "fake" agents and law enforcement.
Here's an example. This was posted on his social media account a couple weeks ago; we haven't corrected any spelling or grammatical errors here:
"WHAT'S-REALLY-HAPPENING these are heathen votile offerings. These are not courts or prosicutors. Those are not criminal charges. They are pagan temples and priest of baal and molock. Those are curse tablets or defixio. Operating as nothing but private utilities, government units like the garbage man but acting as badged vessel savage officers for a private foreign salvor brokerage bank registered with SAM.GOV placing in bid bonds into the GSA in fraud while impersonating peace officers and public government tax exempt political subdivisions," Tanner posted.
Federal court records show Tanner pleaded guilty about 10 years ago to federal wire fraud and served time in prison after he admitted to trying to "assert false claims of indebtedness totaling billions of dollars against judges and other court officials."
The indictment against him and his co-defendant alleged they filed or attempted to file liens and claims against judges, attorneys, and others in Utah by mailing documents and filing fictitious judgments and liens that were intended to create an appearance of indebtedness for the judges, attorneys, and others.
"As a part of his plea agreement, Tanner admitted that on April 23, 2012, he used the U.S. Postal Service to send a fraudulent document to Utah County as a part of his fraud scheme. The indictment identified the title of the document as a “Petition for Agreement and Harmony in the Nature of a Notice of International Commercial Claim Administrative Remedy.” He admitted that the mailed documents were designed to support false and fraudulent claims which were filed with the Utah County Clerk’s Office. Federal prosecutors said other state and federal jurisdictions in Louisiana and Utah had agreed to forego additional charges against Tanner as a part of the plea agreement and 30-month sentence,"a release from the DOJ states.
Court records in Utah show that he initially was sentenced to 30 months in prison, but that was changed later to six months including credit for time served. In 2015 he tried to withdraw that guilty plea, a motion that was denied in 2016.
Tanner's current social media presence indicates he is admin of several Facebook pages, one called "Army for these united States of America, Civil Affairs, Peace Service" and another called "The Knights Soveran, Diplomatic Mission"
On these pages, and affiliated YouTube channels, he talks about being a federal agent and leader of an army he's raised against the anti-Christ. He makes statements about being exempt from federal and state laws, and gives advice on how to circumvent legal processes and procedures.
He bases his statements on the Bible, dictionaries, and various books and documents. He says that World War I never ended, and thus a commission created then involving Baptist Churches is still in control and has authority over others. He asks for volunteers and displays emblems, membership cards and patches for these groups.
"The Baptist Denominational War-Time Commission has reactivated The General War-Time Commission of the Churches and has taken over the American Red Cross," Tanner wrote in the caption of a video of himself that he posted six days ago.
On Monday, he posted a Bible verse:
"Nothing happens outside the pleasure of His will," he states in a post which the app says was posted about 5 p.m. on Monday. "Ephesians 1:4-5 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."
By that time, he already was wanted by law enforcement in connection with two shootings that happened over the weekend. Today, it appears that someone has commented on almost every one of his posts, including a link to KATC's story about him and a statement: "You shot an innocent man, turn yourself in."
On July 4, Tanner posted a statement referring to the holiday as "Catholic/Crown pedophile shadow government day. Where the entire British colony leadership decided to split from the Government that won the Lexington Concord battle "these united States of America to form their own United States. It's not a British showdow government you are celebrating. Right?"
"happy 4th of July celebrating the British colony, United States shadow government day, so you won't join the Kingdom of Christ's real nation "these united States of America" so that Rome Pagan Jesuits keep you and your children all Roman indentured trustees or Catholic/Protestant Slaves. Special thanks to all you Roman Catholic pedophile trash out there that make this scheme possible," another July 4 post states.
Other posts provide links to all St. Landry Parish Government departments, show vintage diagrams about karate, claim that the U.S. is about to reinstate the draft to prepare for a war planned in 2024, provide instructions on how to use hydrogen peroxide and epsom salts to treat radiation exposure, provide instructions on how to trap mosquitoes, and links to stories about white slavery.
