Three Houston-area individuals accused of belonging to a sovereign-citizen group have been indicted in federal court on charges of falsely claiming to be diplomats of the "Moroccan Empire," according to court records.
A federal grand jury last week returned indictments against Dominique McClue, Kendon Vaughn and Gaylord Hutchins, whom federal authorities say are part of a "sovereign citizen-type group" called the "Diadematis Morocco Illorum Prius Texas," federal court records state.
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None of the defendants had attorneys listed in federal court records as of Monday.
The Sovereign Citizen Movement, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, refers to a slew of groups in the United States who believe they "are not under the jurisdiction of the federal government and consider themselves exempt from U.S. law." Sovereign citizens don't believe in traditional forms of government identification. Because of that, groups under the sovereign citizen umbrella have often become entangled in legal conflicts, white collar crime, and in some cases, violent crime, according to the center. The federal government views sovereign citizens as an extremist, anti-government group.
McClue is charged with one count of conspiracy to make false claims of diplomatic immunity and three counts of falsely claiming to be a foreign diplomat. Vaughn and Hutchins are each charged with one count of conspiracy to make false claims of diplomatic immunity and two counts of falsely claiming to be a foreign diplomat.
According to the indictment, which refers to the group as "conspirators," McClue, Vaughn and Hutchins obtained fraudulent IDs and license plates purporting to be issued from "the Government of Morocco and the "Moroccan Empire." The group allegedly claimed to be the sultan, counsel general, a diplomat "and other false titles" associated with the empire, the indictment stated.
Federal authorities say the group used the fraudulent IDs and plates to "evade arrest and prosecution" by various local agencies, including the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office and the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office.
From 2023 to 2025, group members allegedly made false statements to law enforcement about their names, provided fake ID cards, filed documents in Ellis County claiming to be foreign diplomats and made posts online "encouraging others to join their group and claim diplomatic status to avoid arrest," the indictment states.
"Diplomatic Immunity is imperative for our ppl to be able to get in this political game, they've demonized everything that we do (selling weed, pills, etc) but it's legal for them… that's why it's IMPORTANT that we know who we are MOORS & then u fall under MOORISH LAWS & JURISDICTION!" McClue allegedly wrote on social media in 2023, the indictment states.
Moorish sovereign citizens, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, are an offshoot of the sovereign-citizen movement made up of loose groups and organizations. Some trace their history to the Moorish Science Temple of America, founded in 1913, and to a 1787 peace and commerce treaty between the U.S. and Morocco. Some adherents believe the treaty grants them immunity from U.S. law, according to the center.
The movement includes many different groups. Those who identify as Moorish sovereign citizens generally believe federal and state laws have no authority over them, according to the center.
In Pittsburgh in 2023, for example, a Black man named William Hardison was fatally shot by police after an hours-long standoff stemming from an attempted eviction in which he fired thousands of shots, CBS reported. Hardison, according to court records and a resurfaced video of a traffic stop, said he was a Moor who descended from Morocco, and that the U.S had no authority over him.
Court records indicate McClue, Vaughn and Hutchins have been charged with various misdemeanor and felony crimes in Harris and Fort Bend counties.
Hutchins has faced 21 criminal charges in Harris County dating back to 1998, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. More recently, Hutchins was charged in 2023 in Fort Bend County with displaying a fictitious license plate and having a false ID.
McClue was charged in February 2024 in Harris County with displaying a fictitious license plate and giving a false name to a peace officer, court records show. Her charges were dismissed in January after she presented a valid license plate, ID and vehicle registration to the court.
Vaughn has faced 11 criminal charges in Harris County dating back to 2002, including charges related to narcotics possession and endangerment of a child, court records show.
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This article originally published at Houston-area trio charged with falsely claiming 'Moroccan Empire status' to evade arrest.