Fouke News

A District Judge Harry Barnes on Tuesday rejected claims that members' religious rights were infringed upon when the state seized underage children from ministry compounds in September and November 2008. Barnes said there was no evidence the Arkansas Department of Human Services acted in bad faith to deny the ministry members "their right to practice their religious beliefs."

The lawsuit accused DHS of using the child-abuse investigation to disband the ministry. Alamo was sentenced to 175 years in prison after he was convicted of taking young girls across state lines for sex.

Posted by: Loren Coleman on January 30th, 2010 I'm giving a talk this evening in Pennsylvania entitled "Boggy Creek, Bigfoot, and Beyond." It truly is amazing how many people say they were inspired to go into Bigfooting based upon seeing this film.

Convicted evangelist Tony Alamo has been moved from an Arkansas jail to a federal prisoner transfer center.

Alamo was sentenced in November to 175 years in prison for child sex abuse. The Federal Bureau of Prisons Web site said Thursday that Alamo is in Oklahoma City awaiting transfer.

Five young women who testified last year that evangelist Tony Alamo took them as "wives" and sexually assaulted them when they were minors are entitled to $500,000 each from his multi-million-dollar ministry, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyra Jenner, the lead prosecutor, said after court adjourned that a monster had been caged.

Alamo, 75, presently occupies a cell in a county jail in downtown Texarkana. He won’t be moved to a medical unit within the Federal Bureau of Prisons until after a restitution hearing Jan. 13. The government’s expert witness, a psychologist who focuses on sexual abuse victims, is expected to estimate the cost of physical and psychological treatment the Jane Does require for recovery.

When Alamo returns to court Jan. 13 for a sentencing hearing, the judge will decide if the five witnesses who testified as his victims should receive restitution. All of the witnesses, now 17 to 33 years old, told the court they were forced to “marry” and have sex with Alamo as young girls. Experts have said each victim should get $2.7 million.

UNDATED The National Weather Service in Shreveport has issued a Tornado warning for parts of the Ark-La-Tex Wednesday night.

Authorities are looking for suspects in the vandalism of two police patrol cars in Fouke and theft of a shotgun and two flashlights from the cars.

Mayor Terry Purvis says the driver's side windows of both cars were knocked out. He calls the vandalism and thefts "brazen" because the cars were in a well lit area near a fire department and City Hall.

By: Kristi Jordan - Texarkana Gazette - Published: 12/07/2009

A profile of Tony Alamo follower and fugitive John Kolbek will air at 8 p.m. Saturday on FOX as a segment of “America’s Most Wanted.”

Receiving Awards, slaps on the back, kissing babies, ignoring child victims of violent and horrific crimes against their persons, just a few of the Good Ol Boy hobbies these two share.

It's all beginning to make perfect sense now. Alamo's defense included Steve's brother, Jeff Harrelson, who called the little girls Alamo raped and the little boys Alamo beat bloody "liars".

On this Thanksgiving weekend I want to tell you about a group of young people who are giving thanks for the first time in their lives. This year they are extremely thankful that their tormentor, the self proclaimed preacher Tony Alamo, has finally been brought to justice.

Bernie Hoffman, aka Tony Alamo, founder and leader of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries, age 75, was sentenced to 175 years' imprisonment today by U.S. District Court Judge Harry F. Barnes in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, announced U.S. Attorney Deborah Groom.

By: Jim Williamson - Texarkana Gazette - Published: 10/26/2009

Garland City, Ark. Mayor Yvonne Dockery is accusing Prosecuting Attorney Brent Haltom of “prosecutorial misconduct” by forcing her to resign as mayor “by putting false charges on her.” Dockery is also rescinding the letter of resignation the court prepared for her to sign

The rulings concerned four of six girls taken into state care Sept. 20, 2008.

Vaught’s opinion denying Greg Seago’s appeal of his daughter’s removal includes the observations of a state psychologist immediately following the raid.

State human services officials were justified in removing children living at the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries last year for their own protection, the state Court of Appeals ruled today.

By GARRICK FELDMAN Leader executive editor The young thug who killed a popular TV personality, and the old evangelist who assaulted girls as young as 8 and 10 were both sentenced last week and will stay behind bars for the rest of their lives.

JON GAMBRELL Associated Press Writer November 18, 2009 | 9:46 a.m.

The Arkansas Court of Appeals has ruled that state child welfare officials properly seized children from the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries after a police raid.

Evangelist Tony Alamo controlled his followers from behind bars for years when he was in prison for tax evasion.

Evangelist Tony Alamo controlled his followers from behind bars for years when he was in prison for tax evasion.