Tax protesters receive probation after helping federal government

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Two Branson men who stopped paying federal income tax have received probation after helping the government by speaking out against tax protests.

A federal judge in Springfield handed down sentences Tuesday of three years probation each for Martin R. Dingman and Shane O. Grady.

Federal prosecutor John Wood said the two men had each reached a plea agreement, under which they gave a series of a radio and newspaper interviews urging people not to withhold federal income taxes.

The two men also paid back taxes totaling more than $560,000 for 1996 through 2001.

Prosecutors said the two men stopped paying taxes in 1996 after going to meetings where protesters argued that the government had no legal or moral right to assess taxes.