BRICK, NJ — He calls himself "Without Prejudice" and says he is a sovereign citizen. But a Brick Township man is finding that holds no weight with local authorities after he was arrested Friday morning on fraud charges, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Karl P. Scheufler, 47, of Brick, was arrested at 6:30 a.m. Friday by Detectives James Conroy and Stephen T. Shadiack Jr. of the Economic Crimes Unit of the prosecutor's office. People who declare themselves sovereign citizens are "anti-government extremists who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or 'sovereign' from the United States" and as such not subject to its laws, according to the FBI.

He is accused of filing a false Uniform Commercial Code financing statement against individuals as a retaliation over theft claims by the victims, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor's office. The Uniform Commercial Code financing statement is a lien, Della Fave said, and the victims contacted the prosecutor's office about the issue. Scheufler, who said he holds himself as a sovereign citizen known as "Iesus: the Christ, an irrevocable trust" and declares his current name to be "Without Prejudice," was charged with third-degree falsifying government records, Della Fave said.

Brick Township Police provided assistance, Della Fave said, and Senior AP William Scharfenberg approved the charges against Scheufler.

He has been released to answer the charge in court at a future date.

