ATTORNEY AT LAW
________
1776 Patriot Way, Suite A, VA 00000-0000
555.555.5555
Mr. Andrew R. Romagnuola
Special Agent
Federal Bureau of Investigation
151 Patton Avenue, Suite 211
Asheville, NC 28801
Re: FBI raid on William Patriot in November 2007
Dear Mr. Romagnuola:
On November 14, 2007, you and your crew executed a search warrant at the address of Mr. William Patriot in Asheville, NC. You did this pursuant to a search warrant issued on November 9, 2007 by Dennis L. Howell, the US Magistrate Judge in Asheville, NC.
During the raid at Mr. Patriot’ address, you seized a number of valuable items which have no use to a criminal investigation. Since these items will not be used as evidence in a criminal investigation, Mr. Patriot requests that you return them to him.
These items included those listed by Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent Mr. Stuart M. Kelly in the form of a receipt at 10:50 am on that day.
At that time, you seized one hundred ounces of copper pieces from the USPS box. You are welcome to keep a representative sample for your investigation. It is Mr. Patriot’ request that you return the rest to him.
You also seized a personal check from the USPS box that was written out from Anna C. Brown to Patriot. The check has no value to you as part of a criminal investigation and should be returned to Mr. Patriot.
Moreover, you seized a George Carlin cassette tape. It is astonishing that you would consider it useful to this investigation. You have had adequate time by now to have reviewed it and ascertained that it has no value to this investigation. Mr. Patriot requests that you return it to him for his personal enjoyment.
In addition, your people took a Kay Jewelers envelope addressed to Mr. Patriot. I am confident that you will find this of no value in a criminal investigation and it may be returned to Mr. Patriot’ address or to notify him to pick it up.
I hope we can resolve this matter without litigation. We do not want to violate the concept of judicial economy or insult the fine judges in western North Carolina.
In a similar case involving Dr. Robert Clarkson, the magistrate judge in Greenville, SC, ordered the FBI to return most of the material subject to the search warrant. Judges in Asheville will probably take a similar stance. Therefore, we can avoid unnecessary court action if you return to Mr. Patriot those items similar to those seized and then returned to Dr. Clarkson.
Also, the District Court in Asheville, NC, in the Clarkson case, ordered your office to return to him all items that had no evidentiary value in your investigation. Please apply the same standard to the items you took from Mr. Patriot and return them to him. Dong so would save everyone a lot of time, resources, and the expense of a court case.
The Assistant US Attorney in Asheville agreed to return to Dr. Clarkson his coins, cash, checks and other material. Apparently she anticipated a court order and took the wise action of conceding where she could not win anyway.
NORFED, the National Organization for the Repeal of the Federal Reserve Act and the Internal Revenue Code, was incorporated in Nevada in September of 1998 as a non-profit educational association for a kindred political association. This political association has always been a political association, and it is a non-profit business.
NORFED’s political goals include repealing the Federal Reserve System and the Internal Revenue Code. To promote its political purposes, this group has a number of programs – such as distributing gold and silver Liberty Dollars in specie, digital, and paper certificate form.
NORFED’s right to promote its views is protected by the First, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments of the US Constitution. In the same manner that practices are an important part of beliefs in religion, so it is in politics.
Mr. Patriot is a Regional Currency Officer with NORFED. Mr. Patriot has a right under the US Constitution to participate in political organizations and to promote his political ideals. The Bill of Rights to the Constitution prohibits the federal agencies from interfering with the political process of a free people. I will expect you to respect Mr. Patriot’ rights to promote any ideas that he chooses to promote – absent anything like violence, of course.
Apparently, FBI agents under your supervision seized Mr. Patriot’ NORFED copper pieces to harass and burden his association with a political organization. It seems that your agency wanted to destroy NORFED and intimidate Mr. Patriot into severing his association with a political organization which the FBI determined was wrong. However, you have no authority under the law or regulations to make such a determination or to attack political organizations.
As you saw in the news media, a few months ago, the FBI office in Boston paid over ten million dollars ($10,000,000) in damages and generated adverse publicity. Please do not bring such shame on the good office in Asheville, North Carolina.
The requests made by Mr. Patriot in this letter are legitimate requests, and all items as described herein must be returned to him as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Lawyer, Esq.
Attorney for William Patriot