A sentencing hearing for the Nelson man found guilty of income tax evasion last month has been rescheduled.
Warren Fischer’s sentencing hearing was on the docket for Wednesday morning but was rescheduled for August 21, 2013 for unknown reasons.
The hearing would have been the first time Fischer appeared in the courtroom since making preliminary appearances. He boycotted the trial that took place over four days from April 22 to 25. He represented himself but the case proceeded ex parte, without him present.
On June 25, he was found guilty of one count of evading payment of income taxes. The court heard previously that Fischer had evaded paying $60,000 in income taxes for the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. He also faced three lesser charges of making false statements on tax returns he filed for those years.
Judge Lisa Mrozinski stayed the false statement charges, meaning only the tax evasion conviction would be considered during sentencing. The maximum sentence Fischer could face is a fine equivalent to 200 per cent the amount owed, plus two years in jail.
A warrant for his arrest was endorsed when Fischer was found guilty to ensure he would appear for sentencing. He is currently being held in custody in Kamloops.
While the well-known doctor was outside the Nelson courthouse during the trial and when the guilty verdict was handed down, he did not speak to the media.
Irene-Maus Gravenhorst (who prefers to be identified as ©Irene-Maus: Gravenhorst-Kiapilanoq-CAPILANO™ in print), a member of the Sovereign Squamish Government who has been speaking on Fischer’s behalf, explained that Fischer is awaiting settlement on a counterclaim, which he filed through their government's court, seeking financial compensation for "criminal violations against him." He will not participate in the BC court system until he's received his settlement, according to Gravenhorst.
Fischer is seeking trillions of dollars in damages from everyone involved in the provincial court case, from the judges to the Canada Revenue Agency representatives who searched his home for evidence and the Nelson Police Department officers who supervised the search.
Fischer is known in the community as doctor of Chinese medicine, however he is no longer registered with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners.