WNC District Court Sentence Two for Communicating Threats

WNC -- August 30, 2023: U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Dena J. King announced founder
and creator of an anti-government website was sentenced to 10 years.

Timothy Michael Dever, 57, of Naperville, Illinois, aiding and abetting menacing interstate communications in federal
court ln Asheville late Thursday. In addition, was sentenced to three years of court supervision following his parole. Darris Gibson Moody, 57, of Waynesville, North Carolina, was sentenced to two years in prison and three years of supervised release for communicating a threat across state lines.

The Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, Robert M. DeWitt, joined U.S. Attorney King in making the announcement.

According to court documents and proceedings, Dever was the creator and administrator of a website for the "People's Bureau of Investigation" (PBI), a fictional organization. As the website's administrator, Dever hosted, maintained, and provided content for PBI, including templates for court judgments, or "Writs of Execution," issued by the "U.S. Environmental District Court," a fictitious court that purportedly convicted hundreds of public officials and private individuals of various fictitious crimes. The website claimed that the writs authorized private citizens, such as Moody, to conduct a "citizen's arrest" of the individuals named on the fraudulent writs. The website also claimed that those apprehended could face monetary fines, imprisonment, or even death, and that anyone who made a "citizen's arrest" of the individuals named in the writs was eligible for a reward of up to $20,000.

According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, Dever promoted the writs as a means to remove federal, state, and local officials from office. Dever made the template for the false writs downloadable from the PBI's website, along with other documents and videos that explained the writs' purpose and how to serve them. For instance, one of the videos on the website was a recorded radio talk show in which Dever and another individual discussed how private citizens could apprehend "a sheriff, a judge, and a governor," who they claimed had been convicted in the "highest court in the land." Dever also maintained on the PBI website a list containing the names, home addresses, and confidential information of victims who were falsely identified as convicted defendants in the fake writs. According to court records, the PBI website listed the identifying information of over 900 victims residing in approximately 32 states.

As Dever previously admitted in court, PBI's website also allowed group members to use a digital app for encrypted communications in online chatrooms and via text messages, as well as the sharing of information on how to construct, use, and serve the writs. Dever also used the PBI website to solicit direct donations and sell PBI merchandise to raise funds.

Moody, a member of a similar PBI group, accused her targets of being convicted of corruption, environmental offenses, and even treason. Moody used software to fax phony arrest notices to 57 individuals, the majority of whom resided in the Western District of North Carolina, including sheriffs, judges, and other government officials and private individuals.