Prepper charged with tax evasion owned stockpile, bunker, authorities say

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A raid that uncovered a bunker full of firearms on a property in Cleveland County is another sign that anti-government rhetoric is on the rise, law enforcement experts said.

Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker said there has been a resurgence of anti-government groups across the nation.

"You start to see a steady drumbeat of that across the country," Swecker said. "So I expect to see more of this as we go forward.

"All these standoffs that we had, sort of like what we had recently with the standoff in Oregon, it was a commonplace occurrence back in the 1990s. That all went away after (the 9/11 attacks), but we have seen a resurgence of these domestic groups."

Prosecutors have called Reuben DeHaan a "sovereign citizen" and said he didn't believe that he was required to pay taxes. Attorneys filed charges against him for tax evasion. A search of his property April 21 turned up about 80 guns and a fortified underground bunker.

Federal prosecutors filed additional charges on April 22 and said some of the guns were illegal. DeHaan's attorney said his client is what is commonly known as a “prepper" who built the bunker to prepare for economic or social government collapse. She admitted that some of DeHaan's behavior was unusual but said it doesn't make all his actions illegal.

Investigators said DeHaan runs two businesses out of his home called Get Well Stay Well and Health Care Ministries International.

DeHaan claims that because he is a minister, he does not have to pay income tax, according to documents.

DeHaan has not been accused of anything violent. However, prosecutors said during a detention hearing Tuesday that he is a danger to the community and a flight risk. A judge agreed and ordered him to remain in jail pending trial.

Detective Kory Flowers, an expert on sovereign citizens, said most people with that ideology are not violent. However, he said violent incidents can occur.
 
"When you have a drastic life change that can trigger someone who has these thoughts, these ideas which are not criminal (can) cross over into criminality," Flowers said.

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