ig nt y ▁and ▁rejected ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁On ▁March ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁William ▁St anton , ▁a ▁Gar field ▁County ▁ran cher , ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Mont ana ▁resident ▁ever ▁conv icted ▁of ▁terror ism ; ▁District ▁Judge ▁Kenneth ▁Wilson ▁sent enced ▁St anton ▁to ▁ 1 0 ▁years ▁in ▁prison ▁( the ▁maximum ▁penalty ) ▁for ▁using ▁violence ▁for ▁political ▁ends . ▁The ▁following ▁day , ▁four ▁armed ▁men ▁who ▁sty led ▁themselves ▁the ▁" G ar field ▁County ▁Fre emen " ▁were ▁arrested ▁when ▁they ▁entered ▁the ▁M uss el shell ▁County ▁Cour th ouse ▁and ▁tried ▁to ▁file ▁papers ▁protest ing ▁the ▁se iz ure ▁of ▁Rod ney ▁Sk ur dal ' s ▁house ▁by ▁the ▁In ternal ▁Re venue ▁Service . ▁ ▁Liens ▁ ▁The ▁Fre emen , ▁led ▁by ▁Le Ro y ▁M . ▁Schwe itzer , ▁used ▁inter ▁al ia ▁Anderson ▁on ▁the ▁Un iform ▁Com mer cial ▁Code ▁and ▁Bank ers ▁Hand book ▁to ▁draw ▁not ices ▁of ▁li en ▁against ▁public ▁officials . ▁The ▁li ens ▁were ▁then ▁alleg edly ▁sold ▁to ▁generate ▁equ ity ▁to ▁fund ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁" f irm ▁offer ▁to ▁pay ▁off ▁the ▁national ▁deb t ." ▁The ▁Fre emen ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁li ens ▁conform ed ▁to ▁the ▁Un iform ▁Com mer cial ▁Code ▁and ▁that ▁their ▁town ship ' s ▁court ▁had ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁a ▁tort ▁claim ▁for ▁dam ages