Something of Interest

[IRS Inspection <irsnwpr@net.insp.irs.gov>]

					United States Attorney
					Western District of Washington

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 1997

JAMES D. BELL PLEADS GUILTY TO OBSTRUCTING THE IRS AND USING FALSE SOCIAL
SECURITY NUMBERS

United States Attorney Kate Pflaumer announced that JAMES DALTON BELL, 39,
pleaded guilty today in the federal court in Tacoma to two felony charges.
BELL, a resident of Vancouver, Washington, pleaded guilty to obstructing and
impeding the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and to falsely using a social
security number with the intent to deceive.  United States District Court
Judge Franklin D. Burgess presided over today's proceedings.

The charges stem from an investigation initiated in October, 1996 by IRS
Internal Security Inspectors into reports that BELL was gathering the names
and home addresses of IRS employees. In previous court hearings, IRS
Inspectors testified that BELL had obtained the names and home addresses of
70 IRS employees as part of  "Operation LocatIRS." In the eight page plea
agreement signed by BELL, he acknowledged that he had gathered the names and
addresses of the IRS employees in order to intimidate them in the
performance of their official duties.

During the course of their investigation, IRS Inspectors discovered that
BELL was advocating a scheme called "Assassination Politics", whereby
persons would be rewarded with "digital cash" for killing certain
undesirable people.  BELL identified these undesirables as government
employees, such as IRS employees, who would be intimidated from enforcing
internal revenue laws for fear of being assassinated.  In the plea
agreement, BELL admitted that he suggested using "Assassination Politics" as
an enforcement mechanism for the "Multnomah County Common Law Court", and
that this was part of his effort to obstruct and impede the enforcement of
internal revenue laws.  In affidavits previously filed in this case, IRS
investigators identified BELL as a participant in the "Multnomah County
Common Law Court", which was described as a self-appointed anti-government
extremist group which purports to hold "trials" of IRS and other Government
employees for the performance of their official duties.  The affidavits
indicated that in January, 1997 the "Multnomah County Common Law Court" held
a "trial" of IRS and other Government officials.  

In the plea agreement, BELL also admitted that on March 16, 1997, he
conducted a chemical "stink bomb" attack on the IRS office in Vancouver,
Washington, using the noxious chemical mercaptan.  In affidavits filed with
the Court, IRS Inspectors tied BELL to two previous mercaptan attacks
against non-government targets: one being a lawyer's office in 1984, and the
other a vehicle in 1989.  The IRS investigators also linked BELL to two
purchase orders for noxious chemicals, one in 1994 and one in 1996.
According to the plea agreement, the attack on the IRS office resulted in a
cost to the government of $1,359, and caused a number of IRS employees to
have to leave work.  In an affidavit previously filed in this case, IRS
Inspectors indicated that the mercaptan attack may have been linked to the
February 20, 1997 seizure of BELL's vehicle by the IRS for unpaid taxes.

As part of the plea agreement, BELL also admitted that he used several
different social security numbers in order to hide assets from the IRS and
thus to impede the IRS's ability to collect taxes he owed and to prevent the
IRS from levying his wages.

Federal agents had previously executed two search warrants on BELL's
residence.  On April 1, 1997, IRS agents seized computers, documents, and
firearms during a search.  In a follow-up search, the Environmental
Protection Agency seized a variety of dangerous chemicals which had been
discovered during the execution of the  IRS warrant.  BELL was arrested by
IRS Inspectors on May 16, 1997.  BELL continues to be held in custody based
on a May 23, 1997 ruling by Magistrate Judge J. Kelley Arnold that BELL
posed a danger to the community and was a flight risk.

BELL faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine
for the obstruction charge, and five years and a $250,000 fine for using a
phony social security number.

The IRS received assistance in the investigation of BELL from the Portland
Police Bureau, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon State Police, Federal
Bureau of Investigation, and the Vancouver, Washington Police Department.