The Rev. Kent Hovind Reporting Blog

Monday, November 06, 2006

Pensacola Evangelist Who Founded Dinosaur Theme Park Convicted of Tax Fraud

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/florida/news-article.aspx?storyid=68460

PENSACOLA, FL (AP) — An evangelist who founded Pensacola's defunct Dinosaur Adventure Land theme park is behind bars.

Jurors convicted Kent Hovind on 58 counts of tax fraud last night. The founder of Creation Science Evangelism is accused of failing to pay $845,000 in employee taxes at the dinosaur theme park, an amusement park that exposed visitors to Hovind and his followers' view that human and dinosaurs coexisted and that evolution did not occur.

Hovind, who faces a maximum of 288 years in prison, was taken into custody after the jury read its verdict.

Hovind's wife, Jo Hovind, was convicted on 44 of the counts involving evading bank-reporting requirements. She faces up to 225 years in prison but was allowed to remain free pending the couple's sentencing. That is January ninth.

Created: 11/6/2006 10:31:41 AM
Updated: 11/6/2006 10:33:20 AM

Sunday, November 05, 2006

My letter to 'Center for Christian Distance Education'

Greetings Dr. J.D. Baker,

Please pardon the unsolicited e-mail. I have a brief question that I suspect you / the Center for Christian Distance Education can answer.

I often receive e-mail from supporters of "Dr." Kent Hovind who insist that my criticism of his "science" is unjustified because he has a "Ph.D." (How that has any bearing on the validity of the criticism is a mystery to me.) It is my understanding that "Dr." Hovind purchased his "degree" for US$100 from a diploma-mill called "Patriot University." I was wondering if you could confirm or refute that understanding of mine. If in fact he has a valid "degree," have you any idea where one may get a copy of the "250- page dissertation" he claims to have written?

I have attended "Dr." Hovind's lectures; I have watched video tapes of his debates with scientists and lay people; I find his knowledge on the subjects he pretends to discourse upon "authoritatively" to appear to be, in my opinion, non-existant. When he asserted that a mass flung off a spinning body (such as a "merry-go-'round") would continue to arc, I nearly jumped out of my seat and yelled "bullfrog!" Issac Newton got it right 300 years ago: why did "Dr." Hovind get it wrong?

In Job 13:4-12 one reads that lying for the Lord for His sake is hardly a good thing. While I am not a Christian, Kent Hovind is: is he presenting himself as an educated Ph.D. when he is not? Would he do such a thing? Would any Christian?

"[4] But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. [5] O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom. [6] Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips. [7] Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? [8] Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God? [9] Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him? [10] He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons. [11] Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you? [12] Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay. "

As I said, I am not a Christian so the Bible does not apply to me. "Dr." Hovind is a Christian, so the Bible should apply to him. Is he merely incompetent, but sincear? If so then I CANNOT FAULT HIM except in his poor knowledge of the subjects he speaks on. If he is deliberately deceiving people (which I have no idea if such is the case or not), then of course I can and will "fault" him on that deception.

It seems to me that Christians should CRITICIZE EACH OTHER to clean up their own House (i.e., the Body of Christ) instead of having a "lost," "unsaved" Pagan such as myself asking these questions. It seems to me that a Christian who calls himself a Doctor but is not is a liability to other Christians who have worked hard and earned their Doctorates. That Hovind also speaks as a Christian, to audiences of Christians, with gross incompetency also seems to me to be less than desirable. Where is the loud vioce among Christianity denouncing such behavior?

Thank you for your time.

David Rice,
Dolphin Home

Hovind trial delayed again

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061024/NEWS01/61024002

Published - October, 24, 2006

Hovind trial delayed again

For the second time this week, illness has delayed the trial of Pensacola evangelist Kent Hovind and his wife, Jo Hovind.

The trial, which began last week, was scheduled to resume Monday but was delayed because Jo Hovind’s attorney, Jerry Barringer, was ill. Court officials said Tuesday morning the trial was delayed again.

The trial could resume Wednesday.

Kent Hovind, who travels the world preaching against evolution, is facing 58 federal charges of failing to pay more than $473,000 in employee-related taxes at his creationist-theme park on North Palafox Street, Dinosaur Adventure Land. Hovind and his wife are also charged with 44 counts of evading bank-reporting requirements.

Founder of creationist [sic] dinosaur theme park imprisoned

http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2006/11/1732927.php

Founder of creationist [sic] dinosaur theme park imprisoned
by repost Saturday, Nov. 04, 2006 at 12:03 AM

". . . How hard it is for those who have riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to enter in through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God." -- Luke 18: 24-25

Pensacola evangelist and tax protester Kent Hovind winked at his wife and gave her a reassuring smile as he was led away to jail.

Jo Hovind clutched the necktie he had been wearing. She kept her eyes on her husband until he was out of sight.

A 12-person jury deliberated for 21/2 hours on Thursday before finding the couple guilty of all counts in their tax-fraud case.

Kent Hovind, founder of Creation Science Evangelism and Dinosaur Adventure Land in Pensacola, was found guilty of 58 counts, including failure to pay $845,000 in employee-related taxes. He faces a maximum of 288 years in prison.

Jo Hovind was charged and convicted in 44 of the counts involving evading bank-reporting requirements. She faces up to 225 years in prison but was allowed to remain free pending the couple’s sentencing on Jan. 9.

Kent Hovind briefly held onto her arm as the verdict was read. Neither reacted at first. But minutes later, she held her face in her hands.

“Nobody likes to pay taxes,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heldmyer said in her closing argument. “But we do because it’s the law, and he is not above the law.”

The jury also granted the prosecution’s request for the Hovinds to forfeit $430,400. That amount equals the value of the checks signed and cashed by Jo Hovind in the 44 counts.

U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers released Jo Hovind until sentencing but denied Kent Hovind’s request to be released. He most likely will be detained at either Escambia County Jail or Santa Rosa County Jail until sentencing.

Heldmyer said Kent Hovind was a flight risk and a “danger to the community.”

His attorney, Alan Richey, argued that the Internal Revenue Service pursued his client because of his religious beliefs.

Kent Hovind, whose life’s mission is to debunk evolution, says he and his employees are workers of God and therefore exempt from paying taxes. He pays his employees in cash and does not withhold their taxes or pay his share as an employer.

“There’s a difference between wrong and committing a crime,” Richey said in his closing argument. “You can do all the wrong things you want and still not commit a crime.”

Jo Hovind’s attorney, Jerold Barringer, argued that his client was a simple piano teacher and grandmother who was not aware of bank-reporting regulations concerning large amounts of cash. Any cash transaction at a bank more than $10,000 triggers a currency-transaction report forwarded to the IRS. She was found guilty of using several methods to take out just enough money to avoid triggering the report.

The Hovinds and their attorneys declined comment. Their supporters, who took up most of the six rows in Rodgers’ courtroom, dwindled in number as the day went on.

Jo Hovind’s son, Kent Andrew Hovind, and two women escorted her out of the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Pensacola.

Richard Hogan, an acquaintance of Kent Hovind who observed the last day of the two-week trial, said he felt especially bad for Jo Hovind.

“He was the leader, and she probably went along with him,” said Hogan, 53. He first met the Hovinds when their children were homeschooled.

“It’s pretty tough to fight Goliath,” Hogan said. “The first time the IRS calls, you should go ahead and deal with it. It didn’t have to come down to this.”

* * * * *

The Hovind case, at a glance

The Hovinds were charged with a total of 58 counts of tax evasion.

Counts one through 12 include Kent Hovind’s alleged failure to collect nearly $470,000 in employee taxes.

Counts 13 through 57 include both Kent and Jo Hovind. They are charged with structuring cash transactions of $430,500 to avoid reporting requirements.

Count 58 includes the following charges against Kent Hovind:

Filing a frivolous lawsuit against the IRS, demanding damages for criminal trespass.

Filing an injunction against an IRS agent.

Making threats against investigators and those cooperating with the investigation.

Filing false complaints against the IRS for false arrest, excessive use of force and theft.

Kent Hovind News Tracker

www.religionnewsblog.com/16451/kent-hovind-dr-dino-guilty-on-all-counts

Evangelist guilty in tax case

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-stbriefs04_506nov04,0,7751896.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-state

FLORIDA THE STATE IN BRIEF
Evangelist guilty in tax case
Posted November 4, 2006

PENSACOLA -- Jurors convicted a Pensacola evangelist who founded Pensacola's defunct Dinosaur Adventure Land theme park on 58 counts of tax fraud.

Kent Hovind, founder of Creation Science Evangelism, was accused of failing to pay $845,000 in employee taxes at the dinosaur theme park, an amusement park that exposed visitors to the view of Hovind and his followers that humans and dinosaurs coexisted and that evolution did not occur.

Hovind, who faces a maximum of 288 years in prison, was taken into custody Thursday evening after the jury read its verdict.

Hovind's wife, Jo Hovind, was convicted on 44 of the counts involving evading bank-reporting requirements. She faces up to 225 years in prison but was allowed to remain free pending the couple's sentencing Jan. 9, the Pensacola News Journal reported.

"Nobody likes to pay taxes," Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heldmyer said in closing arguments. "We do because it's the law, and he is not above the law."

Kent Hovind's attorney, Alan Richey, had argued that the Internal Revenue Service pursued his client because of his religious beliefs.

Kent Hovind said he and his employees were workers of god and therefore exempt from paying taxes. He paid his employees in cash and did not withhold their taxes or pay his share as an employer.

Evangelist convicted of tax fraud

http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061103/APN/611031823

Evangelist convicted of tax fraud

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - Jurors convicted a Pensacola evangelist who founded Pensacola's defunct Dinosaur Adventure Land theme park on 58 counts of tax fraud.

Kent Hovind, founder of Creation Science Evangelism, was accussed of failing to pay $845,000 in employee taxes at the dinosaur theme park, an amusement park that exposed visitors to Hovind and his followers' view that human and dinosaurs coexisted and that evolution did not occur.

Hovind, who faces a maximum of 288 years in prison, was taken into custody Thursday evening after the jury read its verdict.

Hovind's wife, Jo Hovind, was convicted on 44 of the counts involving evading bank-reporting requirements. She faces up to 225 years in prison but was allowed to remain free pending the couple's sentencing on Jan. 9, the Pensacola News Journal reported.

"Nobody likes to pay taxes," Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heldmyer said in closing arguments. "We do because it's the law, and he is not above the law."

Kent Hovind's attorney, Alan Richey, had argued that the Internal Revenue Service pursued his client because of his religious beliefs.

Kent Hovind claimed he and his employees were workers of God and therefore exempt from paying taxes. He paid his employees in cash and did not withhold their taxes or pay his share as an employer.

Pensacola evangelist convicted of tax fraud

http://www.weartv.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.fl/39bd3d04-www.weartv.com.shtml

Pensacola evangelist convicted of tax fraud
November 03, 2006 12:44 EST

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) -- An evangelist who founded Pensacola's defunct Dinosaur Adventure Land theme park is behind bars.

Jurors convicted Kent Hovind on 58 counts of tax fraud last night. The founder of Creation Science Evangelism is accused of failing to pay 845-thousand dollars in employee taxes at the dinosaur theme park, an amusement park that exposed visitors to Hovind and his followers' view that human and dinosaurs coexisted and that evolution did not occur.

Hovind, who faces a maximum of 288 years in prison, was taken into custody after the jury read its verdict.

Hovind's wife, Jo Hovind, was convicted on 44 of the counts involving evading bank-reporting requirements. She faces up to 225 years in prison but was allowed to remain free pending the couple's sentencing. That is January ninth.

Hard to believe a man with a [fake] Ph.D didn't know of a basic tax law

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061103/NEWS01/611030336/1036

Published - November, 3, 2006
Hard to believe a man with a Ph.D didn't know of a basic tax law


Mark OBrien
mobrien@pnj.com
The courtroom was especially chilly at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, thanks to a mechanical problem.

"It should keep you all awake," an apologetic Judge Casey Rodgers told the 12 jurors as they embarked on the last day of the trial of Kent and Jo Hovind.

It would be a day of lengthy arguments by the lawyers fighting over the case against the Hovinds, who operate Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street.

The defense kept arguing that Kent Hovind, the founder of Creation Science Evangelism, couldn't be found guilty until the government showed he knew he was breaking a law requiring businesses to withhold taxes from employees' wages.

That's a very hard argument to swallow -- especially because the man is smart enough to have "Dr." in front of his name, even if it's a doctorate from an unaccredited university.

And we're not talking about someone slipping a few bucks under the table to a teenager for mowing the lawn.

The government figured the Hovinds failed to pay $845,000 in employee-related taxes and withholdings over the years.

The prosecutor talked about how Dinosaur Adventure Land, a theme park, "grew and grew and grew," grossing as much as $2 million a year.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heldmyer also wondered about the cash Kent Hovind took in while visiting 49 states and 35 countries to speak about creationism.

Heldmyer said he often was paid in cash for his speeches, and then got cash for books he sold at his lectures.

His wife, Jo, was liable because she wrote the checks for the family business, Heldmyer said.

"She was handling the money," the prosecutor said.

Heldmyer debunked Kent Hovind's claims that he didn't know about the law.

Government agents, a lawyer for a Christian organization, former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham and Rebekah Horton, the respected co-founder of Pensacola Christian School, all told Hovind about the law.

Hovind had insisted that experts assured him he was right, but "he sought out only the people who agreed with him, not the people who knew better," Heldmyer said.

It probably didn't help Kent Hovind's case that he had been accused of perjury after he filed for bankruptcy. And he often sued government agents for seizing his cars and carrying out other duties against him.

"He lost every single battle," Heldmyer said.

And he and his wife were about to lose a very big battle.

In Kent Hovind's defense, attorney Alan Richey said agents didn't follow procedure.

He also argued that Kent Hovind merely was following his religious beliefs.

But this case clearly was about taxes, not religion.

The jurors took about three hours to consider the case. When they returned to the courtroom with their verdict, they all looked down or away from the defendants.

Some attorneys say that's a sign the jury has found the defendant guilty. Others say it's just an old lawyer's myth.

But in this case, the jury looked down, and the clerk read the verdict: Both were guilty of all the charges.

The saddest thing: Had they cooperated with the agents, they probably wouldn't be worrying about prison sentences now.

'Dr. [sic] Dino' guilty on all counts

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061103/NEWS01/611030338/1006

Published - November, 3, 2006
'Dr. [sic] Dino' guilty on all counts
Couple could get more than 200 years


Nicole Lozare
nlozare@pnj.com
Pensacola evangelist and tax protester Kent Hovind winked at his wife and gave her a reassuring smile as he was led away to jail.

Jo Hovind clutched the necktie he had been wearing. She kept her eyes on her husband until he was out of sight.

A 12-person jury deliberated for 2½ hours on Thursday before finding the couple guilty of all counts in their tax-fraud case.

Kent Hovind, founder of Creation Science Evangelism and Dinosaur Adventure Land in Pensacola, was found guilty of 58 counts, including failure to pay $845,000 in employee-related taxes. He faces a maximum of 288 years in prison.

Jo Hovind was charged and convicted in 44 of the counts involving evading bank-reporting requirements. She faces up to 225 years in prison but was allowed to remain free pending the couple's sentencing on Jan. 9.

Kent Hovind briefly held onto her arm as the verdict was read. Neither reacted at first. But minutes later, she held her face in her hands.

"Nobody likes to pay taxes," Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heldmyer said in her closing argument. "But we do because it's the law, and he is not above the law."

The jury also granted the prosecution's request for the Hovinds to forfeit $430,400. That amount equals the value of the checks signed and cashed by Jo Hovind in the 44 counts.

U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers released Jo Hovind until sentencing but denied Kent Hovind's request to be released. He most likely will be detained at either Escambia County Jail or Santa Rosa County Jail until sentencing.

Heldmyer said Kent Hovind was a flight risk and a "danger to the community."

His attorney, Alan Richey, argued that the Internal Revenue Service pursued his client because of his religious beliefs.

Kent Hovind, whose life's mission is to debunk evolution, says he and his employees are workers of God and therefore exempt from paying taxes. He pays his employees in cash and does not withhold their taxes or pay his share as an employer.

"There's a difference between wrong and committing a crime," Richey said in his closing argument. "You can do all the wrong things you want and still not commit a crime."

Jo Hovind's attorney, Jerold Barringer, argued that his client was a simple piano teacher and grandmother who was not aware of bank-reporting regulations concerning large amounts of cash. Any cash transaction at a bank more than $10,000 triggers a currency-transaction report forwarded to the IRS. She was found guilty of using several methods to take out just enough money to avoid triggering the report.

The Hovinds and their attorneys declined comment. Their supporters, who took up most of the six rows in Rodgers' courtroom, dwindled in number as the day went on.

Jo Hovind's son, Kent Andrew Hovind, and two women escorted her out of the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Pensacola.

Richard Hogan, an acquaintance of Kent Hovind who observed the last day of the two-week trial, said he felt especially bad for Jo Hovind.

"He was the leader, and she probably went along with him," said Hogan, 53. He first met the Hovinds when their children were homeschooled.

"It's pretty tough to fight Goliath," Hogan said. "The first time the IRS calls, you should go ahead and deal with it. It didn't have to come down to this."

'Dr. [sic] Dino,' wife guilty

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061102/NEWS01/611020330/1006

Published - November, 2, 2006
'Dr. [sic] Dino,' wife guilty


Nicole Lozare
nlozare@pnj.com
Jury deliberations took about three hours.

A federal jury has convicted Kent Hovind and his wife, Jo, of tax fraud.

Hovind faces a maximum of 288 years in prison. His wife faces up to 225 years. Her charges include aiding and abetting her husband with 44 counts of evading bank-reporting requirements.

In closing arguments this morning, Alan Richey, Kent Hovind’s defense attorney, said the Pensacola evangelist was never notified by the IRS that he was violating a specific law by not withholding and paying employment taxes on workers at the Dinosaur Adventure Land and Creative Science Evangelism, both of which he founded and operates.

Hovind also believes that as workers of God, he and all employees of the theme park and his ministry are exempt from paying taxes.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heldmyer said the case was not about religion but about paying taxes.

In her closing argument, she said that Kent Hovind was advised and told numerous times by the court, an attorney and even a member of the Pensacola Christian College that he must pay taxes.

Kent Hovind is charged with 58 federal counts, including failure to pay $845,000 in employee-related taxes and withholdings.

If found guilty, he faces a maximum of 288 years in prison. His wife, Jo Hovind, faces up to 225 years. Her charges include aiding and abetting her husband with 44 counts of evading bank-reporting requirements.

Defense lawyers for the Hovinds rested their case on Wednesday without presenting evidence or calling witnesses.

Prosecutors rest case against Hovind

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061101/NEWS01/61101006

Published - November, 1, 2006
Prosecutors rest case against Hovind


Nicole Lozare
nlozare@pnj.com
The prosecution has rested its case in the trial of Pensacola evangelist and tax protestor Kent Hovind and his wife, Jo.

The defense will not present a case.

Kent Hovind is charged with 58 federal counts, including failure to pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes. Jo Hovind and her husband also are charged with 44 counts of evading bank-reporting requirements.

IRS agent Scott Schneider led the four-year IRS investigation of Kent Hovind, a creationist who owns Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street and is founder of Creation Science Ministries.

This morning, Schneider wrapped up 2 1/2 days of testimony, answering questions from the defense about his experience in Iraq as an Army interrogator.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Heldmyer went over Schneider’s credentials. She asked about Schneider’s authority to issue summons and his ability to seize property in the IRS investigation.

For more on the day's events in court, read Thursday's News Journal.

IRS agent testifies in Hovind trial

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061031/NEWS01/610310326/1006

Published - October, 31, 2006
IRS agent testifies in Hovind trial
Case could go to jury Thursday


Nicole Lozare
nlozare@pnj.com
Special IRS Agent Scott Schneider continued to testify this morning in a federal court trial of a Pensacola evangelist accused of tax evasion.

Part of the Kent and Jo Hovind's Creation Science Evangelism Ministries' work is Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street.

Schneider was cross-examined by the defense, which focused on the 2004 raid at the Hovinds’ Pensacola home. Seized in the search was $42,000 in cash and an array of weapons.

The defense also read memos that the Hovinds wrote to their staff that they believe they were doing God’s work and that the employees were missionaries.

The trial began Oct. 17. The Hovinds are accused of tax evasion, including failure to pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes.

For more on this story later today, see PensacolaNewsJournal.com.

Earlier story from print edition follows

Nicole Lozare
@Pensacola NewsJournal.com

Despite a million-dollar business and speaking engagement earnings of nearly $50,000 a year, Pensacola evangelists Kent and Jo Hovind did not count the money as income.

Jo Hovind even filed for financial assistance from Baptist Healthcare for her medical bills.

Special IRS Agent Scott Schneider testified Monday that the couple denied that they had any income in numerous documents.

“Dr. and Mrs. Kent Hovind do not earn salaries,” wrote Martha Harris, the trust secretary of Creation Science Evangelism to Baptist. “As health insurance is not provided for this couple, we would appreciate (financial assistance.)”

The trial, which began on Oct. 17 but was on a one-week hiatus until Monday, is expected to go to the jury for deliberation Thursday. The prosecution is expected to rest its case today.

The Hovinds are accused of tax evasion, including failure to pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes at their Creation Science Evangelism Ministry, which includes Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street.

Kent Hovind, a tax protester, makes a substantial amount of money. Schneider testified that in 2002, the ministry sold more than $1.8 million in Christian merchandise. But Hovind believes he and his employees work for God, are paid by God and, therefore, aren’t subject to taxation.

Schneider, who was on the stand for nearly eight hours on Monday, testified that Kent Hovind was confrontational and uncooperative. On Hovind’s radio show aired over the Internet, the evangelist prayed that something would stop the agents’ investigation.

“We took it seriously and were aware of our own personal safety,” Schneider said.
Schneider also testified that Hovind refused to provide tax information to churches that paid him for speaking.

Schneider said the Hovinds wrote checks to their children from their Creation Science Evangelism account. They also withdrew money from that account for cashier’s checks.

On one day, a $9,000 check was issued for their son, Eric. That same day, another $9,000 check was issued for Eric’s wife, Tanya.

Hovind tax trial resumes

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061030/NEWS01/61029007/1006

Published - October, 30, 2006
Hovind tax trial resumes

Nicole Lozare
nlozare@pnj.com
Special IRS Agent Scott Schneider is expected to continue testifying after a lunch break in the trial of Pensacola evangelist Ken Hovind , which resumed this morning after a one-week hiatus.

Hovind and his wife, Jo, are accused of tax evasion, including failure to pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes at his Creation Science Evangelism Ministry, which inlcudes Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street.

Hovind, a tax protester, makes a substantial amount of money. But he believes he and his employees work for God, are paid by God and, therefore, aren't subject to taxation.

Schneider testified this morning that Jo Hovind requested financial help for her bills from Baptist Health Care, claiming that she had no income.

Schneider also said the Hovinds wrote checks to their children from their Creation Science Evangelism account. They also withdrew money from that account for cashier's checks.

On one day, a $9,000 check was withdrawn for their son, Eric. That same day, another $9,000 check was withdrawn for Eric's wife, Tanya.

Schneider said Kent Hovind refused to give a tax identification number to the First Baptist Church of Satsuma in Alabama, where he spoke. The church paid him a $738 fee. The tax ID number would have been used on a tax-reporting form.

Earlier story from print edition follows

Michael Stewart
@PensacolaNewsJournal.com

After a weeklong delay, the trial of a Pensacola evangelist charged with income-tax evasion is expected to resume today.

A deputy clerk with the U.S. Clerk of Courts said testimony is expected to begin at 8 a.m. in the trial of Kent Hovind and his wife, Jo, before U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers.

The trial, which began Oct. 16, was canceled the first two days of last week when Jo Hovind's attorney, Jerry Barringer, fell ill. The trial was not scheduled the remainder of the week.

Hovind, a creationist who owns Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street, is charged with 58 federal counts, including failure to pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes.

In addition, Hovind and his wife are accused of withdrawing large sums of money just below the $10,000 threshold for bank-reporting requirements to conceal $430,500 withdrawn from AmSouth Bank between July 20, 2001, and Aug. 9, 2002.
Trial highlights thus far:

- Attorney David Charles Gibbs testified that during a conversation Hovind stressed that "he was like the pope and this (Hovind's property) was like the Vatican."

- Barringer said Kent Hovind is a literalist who believes every word of the Bible and his religious beliefs should be respected.

- Pensacola Christian College Senior Vice President Rebekah Horton testified that students at the school were not allowed to work for Hovind because of his tax views.

"We know the Scriptures do not promote (tax evasion)," she said.

- Defense attorney Alan Richey said "the government is slinging a lot of mud, trying to make him look dirty. And his wife --- a piano teacher of 20 years --- they're trying to make her look dirty, too."

Illness delays Hovind trial

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061024/NEWS01/610240338/1006

Published - October, 24, 2006
Local news briefs

Illness delays Hovind trial

Illness delayed the tax-evasion trial of Pensacola evangelist Kent Hovind and his wife, Jo Hovind.

The trial, which began last week, was scheduled to continue Monday but was canceled when Jo Hovind's attorney, Jerry Barringer, fell ill. Depending on Barringer's condition, the trial could resume today.

Kent Hovind, owner of Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street and founder of Creation Science Evangelism, is charged with 58 federal charges, including failing to pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes. Jo Hovind, a co-defendant, is charged, along with her husband, with 44 counts of evading bank-reporting requirements.

Evangelist said he 'beat the system'

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061021/NEWS01/610210318/1006

Published - October, 21, 2006
Lawyer: Hovind detailed actions
Evangelist said he 'beat the system'


Michael Stewart
mstewart@pnj.com
A Florida attorney testified Friday that Pensacola evangelist Kent Hovind disputed the government's right to tax him and likened his ministry's powers to that of a foreign embassy.

"He tried to stress to me that he was like the pope and this was like the Vatican," Seminole attorney David Charles Gibbs testified at Hovind's trial before U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers.

Hovind faces 58 federal charges, including failing to pay $473,818 in employee-related taxes and making threats against investigators. Hovind, a creationist who owns Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street in Pensacola, is the founder of Christian Science Ministries.

Gibbs, an attorney with the Gibbs Law Firm in a suburb of St. Petersburg, also is affiliated with the Christian Law Association, a nonprofit organization founded by his father that offers free legal help to churches nationwide.

Gibbs has done work for Marcus Pointe Baptist Church and was a guest speaker at the church on Oct. 17, 2004, a day he said he remembers well because it was his daughter's 10th birthday.

After church, Gibbs and his daughter, along with other church members, were invited to Hovind's home for pizza and soda.

Gibbs testified he and Hovind spent several hours together watching their daughters play in the Dinosaur Adventure Land park owned by Hovind.

Gibbs said Hovind tried to persuade him he had no obligation to pay employee income taxes and explained with "a great deal of bravado" how he had "beat the tax system."

Gibbs said Hovind also told him he preferred to deal in cash and that when you are "dealing with cash there is not way to trace it, so it wasn't taxable."

Hovind and his wife, Jo, a co-defendant in the trial, also are charged with 44 counts of evading bank-reporting requirements by making frequent withdrawals just below the $10,000 threshold for reporting cash transactions to the IRS.

Testimony of Special IRS Agent Scott Schneider took up the remainder of the day and is expected to resume Monday.

Schneider said his investigation revealed that Hovind "hadn't filed tax returns ever, to my knowledge."

The government contends that Hovind paid his employees in cash and labeled them missionaries to avoid paying payroll and FICA taxes. Most of Schneider's testimony was centered on documents seized during a 2004 raid of Hovind's property that indicated he ran his ministry like a business.

U.S. Assistant Attorney Michelle Heldmyer presented evidence that showed Hovind and his wife kept meticulous payroll records and required workers to punch a time clock like many business employees.

Evidence presented included employee applications, vacation schedules and memos chiding staff for showing up late to work.

In one memo, Jo Hovind informed her daughter, who works at the park, that her pay would be docked $10 for talking too long on the telephone when she should have been working.

The prosecution hopes to rest its case Tuesday. The defense is expected to take at a week or more to make its case.

Hovind argues god's workers are exempt

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061020/NEWS01/610200327/1006

Published - October, 20, 2006
Christian College leader says taxes are part of religion
Hovind argues god's workers are exempt


Angela Fail
afail@pnj.com
A local Christian leader on Thursday testified against Pensacola evangelist Kent Hovind, explaining the Bible does not condone tax evasion.

Rebekah Horton, Pensacola Christian College's longtime senior vice president, took the stand during the second day of testimony at the federal trial.

Hovind, who calls himself "Dr. Dino," faces 58 charges. He is accused of evading $473,818 in federal income, Social Security and Medicare employee taxes at his Creation Science Evangelism Ministry, which includes Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street, a creationist theme park dedicated to debunking evolution.

His wife, Jo, also is on trial, accused of contributing to the fraud by making 45 bank transactions in a little more than a year in an effort to make the money untraceable.

Hovind believes he and his employees work for God, are paid by God and therefore aren't subject to taxation.

But Horton said whether Hovind works for God is irrelevant and the Bible does not exempt anyone from paying taxes.

"We know the Scriptures do not promote (tax evasion)," she said. "It's against Scripture teaching."

Horton first heard of Hovind's beliefs about taxes in the mid 1990s.

A woman gave Horton a videotape. The woman received it when she worked for Hovind.

The video featured another evangelist advocating tax evasion, Horton said. The woman told Horton of Hovind's philosophy on paying his employees.

"She said, 'You were giving a gift with your work, and they were giving a gift back to you,' " Horton said.

Horton said her first concern was that the woman was breaking the law. Horton also testified she was concerned about Pensacola Christian College students who worked at Hovind's ministry.

"The day could come when you're going to be in trouble," she told the woman. "Because Mr. Hovind is going to be in trouble."

Horton believed it was the college's duty to report the misleading doctrine. Administration called the Internal Revenue Service and gave the tape to officials, she said.

"I didn't want to see innocent people get led astray," she said.

Pensacola Christian College then decided its students no longer were permitted to work with Creation Science Evangelism, Horton said.

Hovind sent her a letter, she said, and then visited her office.

On her desk, she kept note cards of Bible verses that contradicted Hovind's stance on taxes, including Romans 13, which discusses submission to authority and 1 Peter, Chapter 2, which refers to "submission to rulers and masters," she said.

"I didn't get into a debate with him," she said. "I just continued to refer to these verses."

Horton said she had "no ill feelings" toward Hovind. She just doesn't agree with him on the tax issue.

Defense attorney Alan Richey asked Horton if she had trouble with Hovind on other issues.

"It's not my place to judge him," she said.

The trial is scheduled to continue today at 8:30 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers. It is expected to take at least two weeks to complete.

Workers testify in 'Dr. [sic] Dino' trial

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061019/NEWS01/610190338/1006

Published - October, 19, 2006
Workers testify in 'Dr. [sic] Dino' trial

Amy Sowder
asowder@pnj.com
Two people who worked for a Pensacola evangelist testified Wednesday in federal court that they didn't consider where they worked to be a church.

Evangelist Kent "Dr. Dino" Hovind is accused of failing to pay $473,818 in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes for employees of his Creation Science Ministry between March 31, 2001, and Jan. 31, 2004.

Hovind has claimed he didn't have to pay the taxes because his employees were "volunteers," "missionaries" or "ministers" and his business was a ministry.

His wife, Jo Hovind, also is on trial, accused of contributing to the fraud by making 45 bank transactions in a little more than a year in an effort to make the money untraceable.

Hovind owns Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street, a creationist theme park dedicated to debunking evolution.

The trial is being heard by U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers and is expected to take at least two weeks to complete.

Alan Richey is Kent Hovind's defense attorney, and Michelle Heldmyer is the prosecutor. They used government documents, letters and recorded phone conversations on Wednesday to question four witnesses.

Brian Popp, Hovind's employee for at least eight years, testified that he preferred to be paid in cash and that Hovind said that was the preference of the other employees.

"He said if it was up to him, he'd prefer to pay us all with checks," Popp said.

Popp said Hovind told him about the bank's requirement to report transactions over $10,000 and said it was "not safe to carry large sums of cash."

He also testified employees had a certain "paranoia" about Hovind's run-ins with the IRS, although workers were under the impression Hovind was "on the offensive rather than the defensive."

Popp testified that Hovind warned employees not to accept mail addressed to "KENT HOVIND." He said Hovind told the workers the government created a corporation in his "all-caps name." Hovind said if he accepted the mail, he would be accepting the responsibilities associated with that corporation, Popp testified.

Heldmyer asked Popp to read from ministry memos that referred to the workers as "employees" and included rules about timeliness, payroll, vacation days and salaries.

Richey pointed out the ministerial aspects of the memo, including references to Scripture and "helping to promote Christ."

Popp said the memos didn't always paint a clear picture of the inner workings of the ministry.

"There was sometimes a difference between memos and how we'd actually operate," he said.

Although Popp considered himself a minister at the time of his employment, he said Hovind's ministry isn't a church.

"It wasn't what I had become accustomed to be a church," he said.

Diane P. Cooksey, who was a sales representative for the ministry from January 2003 to June 2005, testified she was expected to pay her own taxes.

"He explained what his belief was, right up front in the interview, that I would pay my own taxes," she testified.

She received her hourly wage of $10 in a weekly paycheck, she punched a time clock, had 10 paid vacation days and considered herself an employee, not a missionary as a few others called themselves, she said.

Cooksey testified she never received a W-2 or 1099 tax form for the money she made.

"I didn't see it as a church, personally," she said, adding that on occasion, materials were given for free to missionaries and prisons.

After the Dinosaur Adventure Land was raided on April 2004, Kent Hovind required his employees to sign nondisclosure agreements if they wanted to keep their jobs, she said.

"I was uncomfortable signing it, I guess, because of not having a full understanding," Cooksey said.

M.C. Powe, an IRS officer who investigates people who have unpaid tax returns or unpaid tax liabilities, testified she first attempted to collect taxes from the Hovinds in 1996.

Kent Hovind was not home at the time, so she gave his wife a summons and taxpayer rights brochure.

Powe said she then received a letter from Hovind that stated: "... this summons indicates that you assume I am a 'taxpayer' per the IRS code."

Hovind denied in the letter that he was a tax protester, saying instead he was a steward over the property of the Lord, she testified.

Powe said Hovind never showed up at the appointed time and she returned to the home. When she learned Kent Hovind wasn't home again, she informed Jo Hovind that their vehicles would be seized.

"Because he traveled around a lot, I thought he would move his assets beyond our reach," she said.

Hovind tried several bullying tactics against her, Powe testified. A recording that Hovind made of a phone conversation was then played. In the phone conversation, Hovind tried to make an appointment with Powe by 10 a.m. that day. When Powe said she couldn't meet him because she had a staff meeting, Hovind threatened to sue her, which he did.

"Dr. Hovind sued me three times, maybe more," Powe testified. "It just seemed to be something he did often."

She testified that the cases were dismissed.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Beard, who handled Hovind's bankruptcy, filed after his vehicles were seized by the IRS, testified that Hovind opted for the Chapter 13 "wage-earner plan," available only to those who have a regular source of income.

In his bankruptcy forms, Hovind wrote that he had no form of income, that he rejected his Social Security number and that his employer was God, Beard testified.

"That gives you a warning sign," Beard said.

Staff writer Angela Fail contributed to this report.

Dinosaur Adventure Land owner, wife face 58 counts of tax fraud

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061018/NEWS01/610180337/1006

Published - October, 18, 2006
Evangelist's trial begins
Dinosaur Adventure Land owner, wife face 58 counts of tax fraud


Angela Fail
afail@pnj.com

Defense attorneys said it's a case of a Pensacola couple's ignorance of the law and their religious beliefs.

A federal prosecutor said it's a case of a couple refusing to pay payroll taxes for their employees.

Opening statements began Tuesday in the trial of Pensacola evangelist Kent Hovind and his wife, Jo. Between them, the Hovinds are charged with 58 counts of tax fraud involving their Creation Science Ministry. The ministry includes Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street, a creationist theme park dedicated to debunking evolution.

Twelve jurors and two alternates were selected Tuesday to hear the case that could take two weeks. The trial is expected to continue at 8:30 a.m. today before U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers.

Prosecutor Michelle Heldmeyer said Hovind, also known as "Dr. Dino," failed to pay about $470,000 in federal income, Social Security and Medicare taxes for his ministry employees between March 31, 2001, and Jan. 31, 2004.

She said Jo Hovind contributed to the fraud by withdrawing thousands of dollars in cash from the ministry's bank account so the money could not be traced. She made 45 transactions in a little more than a year, sometimes taking out as much as $9,500 at a time. Banks are required to report cash withdrawals that exceed $10,000.

"The Hovinds ran a business," Heldmeyer told the jury. "All employers are required to contribute to those systems."

Both Kent and Jo Hovind pleaded not guilty in July.

Defense attorney Alan Richey said Hovind was unaware of the laws he was charged with breaking. He said no one from the Internal Revenue Service ever notified Hovind he was breaking the law.

"The government, the IRS, has taken its time trying to find a way to come after Mr. Hovind," he said.

Heldmeyer said from 1999 to March 2004, the Hovinds took in more than $5 million. Their income came from amusement-park profits and merchandise -- books, audiotapes and videotapes -- they sold on site and through phone and online orders, she said. About half the money went to employees.

Those employees either were salaried or were paid hourly wages. They worked set hours. They signed up for vacations and sick leave.

But rather than accepting his responsibility as an employer, Hovind hid behind terminology, Heldmeyer said.

He called his employees "volunteers," "missionaries" or "ministers," she said. Wages were referred to as "gifts" or "love offerings."

Employees then became responsible for paying Hovind's portion of the income tax, she said.

And though the Hovinds refer to their business as a ministry, it's not affiliated with a church, she said.

"It's not a church," she said. "But that doesn't matter, because a church still has to pay payroll tax."

Hovind attempted to manipulate funds from the start of his ministry, she said.

In 1996, he filed for bankruptcy, a move Heldmeyer said Hovind designed to prevent the IRS from collecting taxes.

The IRS later determined Hovind filed under an "evil purpose," Heldmeyer said.

She called Hovind a "very loud and vocal tax protester," recalling a number of lawsuits he filed against the IRS over the past decade. Each was deemed frivolous and was thrown out, she said.

And on April 13, 2004, when IRS officials issued a search warrant for Hovind's property, he resisted.

"It was a very difficult day," she said.

Richey and Jerold Barringer, Jo Hovind's attorney, told a different story.

Richey said IRS agents stepped outside their authority that day, interrogating employees and confiscating records and money.

"For the government, it's OK if they're extreme," he said.

He called Hovind a literalist who takes every word of the Bible as truth.

Barringer said the Hovinds have specific religious beliefs that should be respected.

"Mr. Hovind believes what the Bible says," he said. "Most Christians do, as well."

He said when Hovind traveled the country sometimes 250 days out of the year, Jo Hovind served as a "housewife" who was "simply helping people in the office."

"The government is flinging a lot of mud, trying to make him look dirty," Richey said. "And his wife -- a piano teacher of 20 years -- they're trying to make her look dirty, too."

Jury selection set today in trial of Pensacola evangelist Hovind

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061017/NEWS01/610170326/1006

Published - October, 17, 2006
Local news briefs
Jury selection set today in trial of Pensacola evangelist Hovind

Jury selection begins today in the trial of Pensacola evangelist Kent Hovind, who is charged with 58 counts of tax fraud.

Hovind is accused of failing to pay $473,818 in federal income, and Social Security and Medicare taxes for employees of his Creation Science Ministry between March 31, 2001, and Jan. 31, 2004.

Hovind owns Dinosaur Adventure Land on North Palafox Street, a creationist theme park dedicated to debunking evolution.

Hovind appears before U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers. If jury selection is completed in time today, opening remarks from the prosecution and defense could take place.