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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A Mercer County man received a five-year prison sentence this week for retaliating against a federal law enforcement officer.
A federal jury in August convicted 62-year-old Jeffrey Reed of Flat Top for the act, in which Reed filed a fraudulent lien and attempted to interfere with IRS efforts.
According to officials, Reed owed a tax debt to the Department of Treasury. An IRS revenue officer attempted to take a portion of Reed’s wages after letters addressed to him were sent back or ignored. Reed, who worked at an Oak Hill hotel, met with his managers and requested they not comply with the agency.
When Reed received notice of a single-wage garnishment of $598, he responded with a $4.95 million lien against the revenue officer and the hotel owner.
“Reed’s lien claimed 165 constitutional violations, including illegal search and seizure, war, treason and slavery,” the office of U.S. Attorney William Thompson said Monday in a release. “Reed also sought to attach any real and personal property owned by the revenue officer and the owner of the hotel.”
Reed also claimed the revenue officer owed him an additional $9 million because his name had been copyrighted.
Reed admitted in February 2020 to filing the lien against the revenue officer to stop wage collections.
The sentence is in concurrence with three years for the attempted interference offense. Reed will also be under three years of supervised release.