Robert Barnwell Clarkson (June 4, 1947 – March 1, 2010) was an American tax protester in South Carolina. Early life Clarkson was born in Camden, South Carolina, the son of James S. H. Clarkson, Jr. of Sumter, South Carolina and Frances Dargan Clarkson of Camden, South Carolina. He graduated Sumter High School (then known as Edmunds High School) in the class of 1965 and then graduated in 1969 from Clemson University with a bachelor of arts degree in economics. He served as a platoon leader in the Vietnam War. Clarkson graduated from South Carolina Law School in 1974. Lawyer misconduct Clarkson was brought up on lawyer misconduct charges in 1976 and in 1977 was indicted on numerous accounts of preparing fraudulent tax returns and presenting false claims to the United States Department of the Treasury. In 1978, his lawyer misconduct hearings were concluded at the South Carolina State Supreme Court and he was disbarred. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Clarkson had two federal tax-related criminal convictions. He was given a suspended sentence with five years probation, under the condition that he not become involved with income tax schemes. Parole violations The following year, Clarkson violated his probation and was sent to federal prison. In 1984, he was again paroled on the condition that he not become involved with income tax schemes. He violated his parole the following year and once more was sent back to federal prison. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Clarkson was involved with anti-government groups, and "sometimes dresses as 'The Great One, a sort of masked super-hero symbolizing resistance to the tax authorities." In 1989, Clarkson started an organization called the Carolina Patriots with two associates. They taught classes on how to evade Internal Revenue Service (IRS) demands. Numerous clients had legal problems after taking their advice. 1994 indictment and conviction Early in 1994, a federal agent attended the class and, in April, Clarkson and two associates were indicted for conspiracy to impede, impair, obstruct and defeat the functions of the Internal Revenue Service under . All three were convicted and the convictions were upheld on appeal. They were sentenced to 57 months in prison. Clarkson was released from prison in April 1999. In affirming the conviction of Clarkson and his co-defendants, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit rejected his argument that he had a First Amendment right in