After Missouri drug bust, man says religion, sovereign citizenship give him immunity

A man charged with possessing marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms in the Ozarks says his religion protects him from any criminal penalties, according to police.

Thomas Tovar, 23, was arrested early Saturday morning by Phelps County sheriff’s deputies and has been charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance.

He was traveling with his girlfriend in Phelps County when a deputy spotted his vehicle veering across the center line multiple times, according to court documents.

He told police his girlfriend had 7 grams of marijuana, but a search of his vehicle revealed about 86 grams.

Tovar also had a bag of psychedelic mushrooms, police said.

It is unclear from court records whether Tovar was citing a recognized or imagined religion as part of his defense.

Tovar also claimed sovereign citizenship allowed him to ignore Missouri law.

The Kansas City Star has written extensively about the sovereign citizen movement, including a series last year on domestic terrorism.

Sometimes referred to as freemen, sovereign citizens believe the government is corrupt and out of control; therefore, they do not recognize local, state or federal authority. Authorities say the loosely organized movement, which has been around in various forms for decades, is in the midst of a major growth spurt and a surge in violence.

Tovar’s bond was set at $25,000.

The Star’s Judy Thomas contributed to this report.

Max Londberg: 816-234-4378, @MaxLondberg

This story was originally published December 19, 2017 at 2:25 PM with the headline "After Missouri drug bust, man says religion, sovereign citizenship give him immunity."