HUERFANO- United States Marshals, acting on behalf of the Internal Revenue Service, raided the property of Randy and Heather Yarbrough on Friday, Jan 23 and seized their house and land for non-payment of taxes.
The Yarbroughs, who live on an off-the-grid house set north of Navajo Estates, were not home at the time of the raid.
Six U.S. Marshals and two Huerfano Sheriff’s Officers drove out to the property early Friday morning, leaving behind a fully prepared SWAT team which had come down from Pueblo standing by in the Sheriff’s parking lot just in case things didn’t go well.
The Yarbroughs, who have not paid their personal taxes in at least 16 years, protest the collection of taxes, feeling there is no legal requirement to pay them. They have been in repeated contact with the I.R.S. over the situation, and have also talked with Sheriff Bruce Newman about the subject several times. They knew the land seizure was eminant.
Sheriff Newman stated there is no arrest warrant for the couple. Asked what would happen if the Yarbroughs returned to their property, he noted they would be trespassing, as it now belongs to the I.R.S. Newman said the couple had been given time on Friday afternoon to return briefly to remove their animals, and would soon have another chance to return to collect some of their personal belongongs. “This has been an ongoing deal for years and years,” Newman said.
The Yarbroughs, when contacted for this story, had no comment, but noted they may have a statement at a later date.
