Pensacola News Journal:
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.
This is especially fun because Hovind's defense was completely insane.
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."
And then there are times when 'doing wrong' and 'committing tax fraud' are synonymous. Sure let's you know about these guys' relationship with logic, doesn't it? When you live and operate your business in Heaven, then whether or not you 'work for God' makes a difference. When you live and operate your business in Florida, working for God doesn't exempt you from the law. Saying you work for Jesus isn't a blank check to make up law as you go along.
Tags: news politics religious right scandal crime Florida Kent Hovind
