Judge reluctant to extend sentencing time for elderly Coquille couple
By Jack Moran
The Register-Guard
AUG. 11, 2016
... U.S. District Judge Michael McShane indicated during a sentencing hearing for Ronald and Dorothea Joling in U.S. District Court in Eugene that he was troubled by a government recommendation that could have resulted in the married couple — both of whom are 73 — spending more time behind bars than many people who are convicted of violent crimes under Oregon laws.
Ronald Joling, a former church pastor with ties to a “sovereign citizen” movement that does not recognize federal authority, told McShane in court that he realized on July 25 that many of his long-held antigovernment views are incorrect.
“It took a long time for me to come to this conclusion,” he said. “I can’t believe I wasted 35 years” ...
Both were sent to prison — Ronald Joling for eight years and Dorothea Joling for four — after being found guilty in a 2014 tax evasion trial in Eugene ...
http://registerguard.com/rg/news/local/34672329-75/judge-reluctant-to-extend-sentencing-time-for-elderly-coquille-couple-convicted-of-tax-fraud.html.csp
