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SALT LAKE CITY — An Ogden man who claimed diplomatic immunity during a traffic stop, now faces federal fraud charges for trying to bill government agencies for trillions of dollars in damages.
Harvey Douglas Goff, 53, made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court this week where he was indicted on 14 counts of obstructing justice, impeding internal revenue laws, passing fictitious documents, attempted mail fraud and false mailings.
In a hearing before Magistrate Judge Samuel Alba, Goff refused to stand when ordered, prompting the U.S. marshals to intervene. He also would not state his name or acknowledge his identity. He claimed he was abducted from his home to attend the hearing. He also refused the appointment of an attorney.
Federal prosecutors requested Goff undergo a mental health evaluation.
The indictment alleges that Goff mailed documents to the state, Weber County, Ogden and the Ogden Police Department claiming they had contracted to pay him $53 trillion in damages. The documents purported to be part of a “self-help administrative process” and asserted that the recipients had 10 days to respond before a “default” resulted.
Goff then allegedly filed 77 liens on parcels of land in Weber County, including municipal property and private residences associated with the agencies and some of their employees.
The indictment also alleges Goff passed fictitious documents to the U.S. Department of Treasury, including a "discharging and indemnity bond" for $300 billion.
The mailings apparently started after Ogden police stopped Goff on several traffic violations and continued through subsequent court proceedings in Weber County. Goff claimed diplomatic immunity during one of the stops and challenged the jurisdiction of the state court judge, according to the indictment.
Goff, who represented himself in court, filed several motions, all of which were denied before he was bound over for trial. He failed to appear for a pretrial conference and a judge issued a warrant for his arrest last December.
Email:dromboy@ksl.com
