Destry James Marcotte had months to prepare himself for a stint behind bars, and leading up to his sentencing on Thursday, he talked as if he was ready.

“If my desire for truth lands me in prison, so be it,” he said.

Marcotte, 48, of Belleville, faced up to 20 years in prison on tax charges related to his beliefs associated with the “sovereign citizen” movement.

It’s a group bound by a denial of the government’s legitimacy, and includes people who challenge everything from municipal traffic laws to federal tax regulations.

And experts say the movement is growing.

Fueled by distrust, sovereign beliefs have lured people from all walks of life — farmers, doctors, chiropractors, blue-collar workers and, for some unknown reason, a disproportionate number of dentists, said JJ MacNab, who has researched the movement for more than a decade, testified before Congress and is working on a book about sovereigns.

More: ‘Sovereign Citizen’ Tax Schemes Land True Believers in Prison : News