Utah
Utah couple convicted in armed standoff calls arrest warrant ‘an act of war’
A decide issued arrest warrants for a Cedar Hills couple who appeared by video as an alternative of in individual Friday to be sentenced for crimes tied to a 2020 armed standoff at a Cedar Hills dwelling. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret Information)
Estimated learn time: 3-4 minutes
PROVO — A decide issued arrest warrants for a Cedar Hills husband and spouse after they appeared remotely for a scheduled sentencing listening to as an alternative of coming to the courthouse in individual because the decide had ordered.
Paul Cromar motioned throughout the video listening to that he needed to talk, and mentioned he and his spouse understand the arrest warrant “as an act of battle.” He mentioned they haven’t missed any hearings and have typically waited hours for hearings to start.
Cromar mentioned they don’t consent to “any voluntary or involuntary servitude” and requested if the decide was attempting to “promote us into slavery.” He mentioned he believes the court docket is attempting to “man steal” them, citing Exodus 21:16 which says anybody who steals a person needs to be put to dying.
This led 4th District Decide Christine Johnson to ask if he was making threats, and Cromar denied that it was a menace.
Paul and Barbara Cromar have been convicted by a jury of housebreaking, a second-degree felony, and wrongful appropriation, a third-degree felony. The costs stemmed from a 2020 armed standoff with police after investigators say they’d been dwelling illegally in a Cedar Hills dwelling for eight months and owed greater than $1 million in taxes. Police say Paul Cromar had made statements that he was by no means going to depart the house once more.
Charging paperwork say the Cromars didn’t file tax returns between 1999 and 2005. The federal authorities took possession of their dwelling. They have been evicted in 2019 and the hose was offered, however they later broke in and commenced dwelling there once more, police say.
An preliminary warrant within the case mentioned supporters of the couple concerned within the standoff had additionally been concerned with a standoff with the Bureau of Land Administration on the Bundy Ranch in Nevada and a standoff on the Malheur Nationwide Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The warrant additionally mentioned neighbors reporting seeing grownup males training actions in army camouflage of their yard and sandbags being carried into their dwelling and individuals who seemed to be guarding the house.
On Sept. 24, 2020, officers from a number of companies entered the home and located weapons, sandbags and wood boards positioned in probably tactical positions to maintain folks from getting in and bomb-making supplies.
In Friday’s listening to, Johnson towards sentencing the couple but, partially as a result of Paul and Barbara Cromar had not met with Utah Grownup Probation and Parole because the court docket had beforehand ordered. That company prepares pre-sentence reviews and gives sentencing suggestions. Johnson mentioned she suspects such a report would suggest probation as an alternative of jail.
Paul Cromar defined that he and his spouse determined it could be unwise to talk with Grownup Probation and Parole brokers, claiming that the company is “not part of correct lawful authorities.”
Within the listening to, Cromar argued that the court docket wouldn’t let his lawyer, somebody not licensed to follow legislation in Utah, symbolize him and maintained the individual assigned to symbolize them had by no means spoken with them. He additionally claimed that he didn’t obtain a good trial in June.
Cromar instructed the decide he isn’t concerned with probation and requested Johnson to condemn them Friday so they may transfer ahead with pursuing different authorized treatments.
Deputy Utah county legal professional Jared Perkins mentioned he believes Paul and Barbara Cromar “have a problematic misunderstanding of the legislation” and have made it clear they won’t cooperate. He mentioned he supported the decide issuing the arrest warrant.
Johnson mentioned she would like to not ship the couple to jail and provides them a chance for probation. She mentioned she is going to transfer ahead with a sentencing evaluation after the Cromars are taken into custody and will take into account jail later if the 2 proceed to hunt jail as an alternative of probation.
“It is unlucky that they’ve refused to cooperate as a result of this court docket has no grudge towards them and had no intention to order some most sentence,” Johnson mentioned.