John Chester Stuart had one of the best defense attorneys in town and an argument for self-defense in a January road-rage shooting death in north Phoenix.
Then, on March 26, someone filed a series of documents in Stuart’s name with the Maricopa County Superior Court; several have Stuart’s signature, and one, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, bears his thumbprint.
Prosecutors say that two of them are falsified Internal Revenue Service documents claiming Stuart had issued $3 million bonds to County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Superior Court Judge Timothy Ryan to settle his case and exonerate his bond.
Thomas had Stuart arrested and charged with filing false documents, a felony. He was held without bond because he was charged with a felony while out on bail on other charges.
But did Stuart file them himself, or did somebody do it on his behalf?
“My understanding is that he did not prepare these documents,” said David Michael Cantor, Stuart’s attorney. “It was all prepared and filed by two other people.”
On Friday, Superior Court Judge Roland Steinle unsealed the documents that landed Stuart in jail.
The phony IRS forms were accompanied by a rambling 26-page legal discourse on the U.S. monetary system and why a citizen is entitled to a share of the federal treasury.
One document appearing to be signed by Stuart was labeled “Bond Order” and addressed to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury claiming ownership of a federal government account worth $150 million and demanding that the two $3 million bonds be transferred from that account.
Cantor claimed that Stuart had no knowledge of the IRS documents, his signature is not on them, and instead pointed to the names on the letters attached to them in the filing.
One purports to be the name of a notary public in Oceanside, Calif., though there were no telephone or Internet listings under that name and address. The second was of an Arizona document preparer whose Web site says he is an ordained rabbi and law-school graduate who is not a member of any state bar.
According to police reports, on the evening of Jan. 29, Stuart and his fiancee were setting up Ron Paul campaign signs. Beasley and his wife were returning home after spending the afternoon at a golf tournament and a Scottsdale bar.
At around 9 p.m., according to reports, Stuart’s car passed Beasley’s on Pinnacle Peak Road in north Phoenix. Occupants of both cars said a slur was shouted from the other. When Beasley caught up to Stuart at Tatum Boulevard, the two men exchanged words.
Beasley got out of his car and walked to the driver’s window of Stuart’s SUV.
Eyewitness accounts vary as to whether Beasley reached into Stuart’s car and attacked him before he was shot or whether Beasley was backing away.
Stuart shot Beasley once in the forehead, fled the scene and was arrested shortly afterward.
Beasley died at the scene. His autopsy showed he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.19, more than twice the legal limit.
Stuart was charged with second-degree murder and drive-by shooting.
He posted a $46,000 cash bond, but the IRS immediately imposed a levy on the money.
Though the lien was lifted, prosecutor Susie Charbel succeeded in getting Stuart’s bond raised to $230,000.
The March 26 documents claimed to supersede that bond.
Stuart’s attorney at the time he secured bond, argued that Stuart is not a member of an extremist group called the Freemen despite documents filed with the Pinal County Recorder’s Office in which Stuart claims that he is not a U.S. citizen, does not recognize the authority of the United States and does not pay taxes or have a Social Security number.
Contact The Law Offices of David Michael Cantor and speak to a Criminal Defense Attorney in Arizona about your case. We handle DUI/ DWI cases, vehicular crimes, homicide, drug and sex offenses, white collar crimes, property crimes and other violent crimes.
