6/1/08 – Trial date rescheduled for minister “Buster White” accused of trafficking counterfeit goods
Texarkana Gazette
June 1, 2008
by Jim Williamson
Trial date rescheduled for minister accused of trafficking counterfeit goods
The trial date for the man charged with trafficking in counterfeit Nike shoes and compact discs has been rescheduled for August.
The trial for Leslie Ray “Buster” White was originally scheduled for Monday, but has been re-scheduled for August before Federal District Judge David Folsom in the Eastern District of Texas.
The pre-trial date will be Aug. 4 and the trial date is Aug. 5.
White has pleaded innocent to the federal charges of trafficking in 1,475 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes and trafficking in counterfeit labels of copyrighted compact music discs.
White was indicted last year by a federal grand jury in Tyler, Texas. He was released on his own recognizance.
The FBI confiscated about $109,185 in cash from a safe in the Great American Outlet Mall on New Boston Road in Texarkana, Texas. The indictments are based on alleged sales of the counterfeit shoes and CDs at the outlet mall.
During appearances before the Fouke, Ark., City Council meetings, White has been referred to as the associate pastor of the Tony Alamo Ministries. However, Alamo said White was “just a member” of the ministries.
If convicted, White could receive a maximum of 20 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $2 million for trafficking in counterfeit goods.
He could also receive a maximum of five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 for trafficking in counterfeit labels, said Davilyn Walston, public information officer for the U.S. Attorney John L. Ratcliffe of the Eastern District of Texas.
A radio program broadcast by the Tony Alamo Ministries, dated June 15, 2007, discussed the initial investigation and was listed as “Program 395.” The recorded program is available to the public over the Internet on the ministry’s Website.
During the program, White said FBI agents “stole $110,000 from my safe and $55,000 to $60,000 of inventory.”
White also claimed in the radio program he was “harassed at our home.”
“I told everyone involved in this, ‘You can take my business, my homes, cars, but you can’t take my soul,’” said White in the program.