Judge Roger L. Hunt of the Federal District Court denied the F.T.C.’s motion in the main, ruling that Mr. Johnson could continue to express his opinion as long as the sites did not misrepresent themselves as government entities. Mr. Johnson has since toned down EvilFTC.com.

Mr. Johnson had won the first skirmish in his campaign against the government, but the judge did admonish him not to go too far. Referring to a site that Mr. Johnson had set up to criticize the receiver, which he called “RobbEvansfraud.com,” Judge Hunt said, “You need to understand, sir, you are accused in this case of using the Internet to deceive people.”

The judge added: “When you use this procedure, process of multiple Web sites, which, in the court’s view, deceive or intended to misrepresent or deceive or mischaracterize the court, its appointed receiver or a governmental agency, it’s going to be difficult for you to convince me that you do not use the Internet to deceive at the time of trial.”

But the judge’s warning did not seem to daunt Mr. Johnson’s campaign. In January, a video appeared on YouTube accusing federal prosecutors in the criminal case of threatening Mr. Johnson and his family with the aim of pressuring him to accept a plea deal. (Prosecutors have publicly denied the accusations.)

“Jeremy felt it was better to get the truth out than to sit and be quiet, which is not his nature,” said Mr. Ruben, his uncle.

Lumberjacking, for Now

The government seems determined, too. Federal prosecutors have asked Judge Miranda Du of district court in Las Vegas to stop almost all discovery in the civil case. If she decides in the government’s favor, the civil suit would effectively be put on hold while federal prosecutors pursued the criminal charges. Banned from marketing grant programs while the cases proceed, Mr. Johnson recently bought a portable sawmill on eBay and is lumberjacking in forests near where his great-great-grandfather had a sawmill. But he has not disappeared into the woods.

Where many other online marketers who sold similar products using similar techniques eventually agreed to settle F.T.C. charges of deceptive practices, Mr. Johnson continues to proclaim his innocence.