A 41-year-old man from Bristol Township’s Levittown section was arrested last week following a traffic stop.
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Last Friday around 2:10 p.m., a trooper pulled a 2009 Infiniti over along I-95 northbound near the Bristol Exit. The reason for the stop was not listed.
The driver – later identified as Daniel Leo Steslow – identified himself as a sovereign citizen and refused to comply with commands, according to state police.
“The operator would not identify himself or the vehicle he was operating,” troopers wrote in a statement.
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Troopers said the incident involved resisting arrest with no injuries.
The sovereign citizen movement is often known for its anti-government views and the belief that its adherents are not citizens of the U.S. The movement often misinterprets laws and the U.S. Constitution.
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Steslow was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, obstruct administration of law, reckless endangerment, driving an unregistered vehicle, misuse of plate card, failure to carry a license, and driving while operator privileges suspended or revoked. District Judge Daniel Baranoski preliminarily arraigned Steslow and released him on $1,500 unsecured bail.
Days before his arrest, Steslow was cited by Morrisville Borough police for driving an unregistered vehicle and related offenses, according to court papers.
Steslow has had past run-ins with police dating back to the 1990s, according to court papers.
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Steslow was found guilty in 2011 of simple assault in a case where a fight that led to his Bristol Township neighbor suffering stab wounds. He was found not guilty in the case of attempted homicide and aggravated assault.
The arrest is one of two related to sovereign citizens in recent weeks. A man who reportedly subscribed to sovereign citizen beliefs was arrested by Middletown Township police on gun-related charges.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
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