Defendant ordered gagged during arraignment on extortion charges

Everett Leon Stout

One of two people who police say are members of a “sovereign citizens” movement pleaded not guilty Wednesday to multiple charges of extortion. The plea was made during a hearing in which the judge suggested one of the defendants be gagged into silence with tape.

Although it was less clear what the other of the two pleaded, Calhoun County Circuit Judge Bud Turner moved the combined 30 cases against them both forward to trial.

73 year old Everett Leon Stout, and his common-law wife, 69 year old Miriam Claire Shultz, were arrested last year after an investigation by  the FBI, the Calhoun County District Attorney’s Office and Oxford police. Stout and Shultz were indicted by a grand jury in December, both charged with attempting to buy a $300,000 recreational vehicle from Dandy RV in Oxford by paying with a fraudulent check.

Law enforcement officials have described the sovereign citizens movement as anti-government, in which members file fraudulent court documents and believe many U.S. laws do not apply to them.

The couple also filed fictitious liens against 13 other local businesses and demanded money in exchange for dropping those liens. In total, the couple tried to extort $1.6 million from those businesses. Both are charged with 14 counts of second-degree extortion and one count each of attempted theft of property.

Shultz waived her right to have the charges against her read aloud in court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty. Shutlz was out on bond Wednesday awaiting trial.

Stout, shackled and wearing orange-and-white-striped jail uniform and clutching a large manila envelope, told the judge that he was representing himself and said “I do not waive it” when asked if he would like to waive his right to hear each of his 15 charges read aloud.

Stout told the judge he would like to address the court on behalf of Miriam Shultz,” Judge Turner then asked him to speak only when asked a question and only to answer that question. 

Asked if he pleaded not guilty or guilty, Stout said “I plead abatement. Also known as habeas corpus,” then he continued to talk. 

The judge then instructed the bailiff that If he says anything else, get some masking tape and put it on his mouth.

Turner then asked bailiffs to remove Stout from the courtroom, which they did.

Turner asked a bailiff to give copies of Stout’s indictments to him, and said he would move the cases against Stout forward to trial. His bond was set at $15,000.