Federal grand jury indicts minister

TYLER, Texas—A federal grand jury returned indictments Tuesday charging Leslie Ray “Buster” White, the associate pastor of Tony Alamo Ministries, with trafficking in 1,475 pairs of counterfeit Nike shoes and trafficking in counterfeit labels of copyrighted compact music discs. White is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline Craven at 11 a.m. today in the Texarkana federal courthouse to enter a plea to the indictments. The FBI also 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 sales of the counterfeit shoes and CDs at the outlet mall. “He is being railroaded because he goes to my church,” said Tony Alamo. During appearances before the Fouke City Council meetings, White has been referred to as the associate pastor of 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 i...