When speaking of the most dangerous countries on earth for Christians to practice their faith, the United States is not typically mentioned. Christians are free to worship in America, but only under America’s terms and conditions. The freedom to express (Christian) faith in the United States has been increasingly infringed upon during the past century. If a particular aspect of one’s Christian faith openly opposes and challenges any part of the American elitist secular establishment, then the U.S government, with its unlimited resources, can come down hard against any individual or group whose pronounced Christian beliefs threaten the nation’s secular ideology. Such is the case of Dr. Kent Hovind.

Kent Hovind, also known affectionately as Dr. Dino, is a Baptist Christian minister and a young earth creationist. Hovind established Creation Science Evangelism in 1991 and in 2001 he opened Dinosaur Adventure Land, a small theme park near his home in Florida. Hovind supports his ministry through various speaking engagements, theme park admissions and through creation science evangelism related merchandise sales.

Hovind earned a decent amount of money to support himself, his family and his ministry. Yet comparatively speaking, to other well-known American televangelists, he made a pittance.

In July 2006, Hovind was arrested and later convicted of 58 felony counts of tax related charges. The charges brought against Hovind, and his defenseagainst these charges, are summed up, in layman’s terms, as such:

1. Twelve counts of willful failure to withhold federal income taxes and FICA taxes from his employee’s wages.

Hovind’s defense: He is a tax-exempt minister, not an employer, and those who work for him are working for his ministry. They are not employees, but workers for God’s kingdom who were compensated accordingly.

2. Forty-five counts of structuring transactions to evade IRS reporting requirements.

Hovind’s defense: To avoid unnecessary IRS inquires, he was advised to make withdrawals – of his own money – from his own accounts, in amounts of less that $10,000. RICO laws were enacted to impede the ability of organized crime and drug cartels from using the American banking system to make large deposits and withdrawals of cash. It is not, nor should it be, a crime for a ministry to withdraw it’s own cash as funding needs of the ministry arise.

3. One count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the administration of the internal revenue laws.

Hovind’s defense: The only so-called “threat” Hovind made was that on a radio program when he prayed for an IRS agent investigating him.

On January 19, 2007, Kent Hovind was sentenced to ten years in prison and was ordered to pay the federal government over $600,000 in restitution. Hovind was scheduled to be released in the summer of 2015, but now is facing further criminal charges.

On February 9, 2015, Hovind is scheduled to begin a new trial, for six counts of mail fraud and criminal contempt charges. Hovind is now facing another 20-year prison sentence upon completion of his 10-year prison sentence. And what are these new charges for? The latest indictment accuses Hovind of “willfully, knowingly, and with intent to defraud, devise and intend to devise a scheme to defraud the United States” through “a Claim of Lien Affidavit of Obligation with attachments” and “four Memoranda of Lis Pendens.”

In layman’s terms, Hovind is being charged for using the prison mail system (fraudulently) to appeal his previous 58-felony count conviction (contempt).

The lead prosecutor in Hovind’s first trial was U.S. Attorney John David Roy Atchinson who vigorously pursued a federal indictment against Hovind.

On September 16, 2007, about 8-months after convicting Hovind to a 10-year prison sentence, Atchison was arrested at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport in a sex crime sting operation. He was charged with “enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity using the Internet,” “aggravated sexual abuse” and “traveling across state lines to have sex with someone under the age of 12.” At the time of his arrest, Atchinson was carrying presents for his intended victim, including a doll and a pair of earrings. He also had a jar of petroleum jelly in his possession.

On October 5, 2007, Atchinson committed suicide by hanging himself in his prison cell. His secret life and desires of pedophilia were exposed and he wasn’t going to stick around to face the consequences of his ruined reputation or endure through his upcoming trial and likely conviction.

This writer has had the privilege of corresponding with Kent Hovind, from time to time, during his incarceration. His teachings are a great source of wisdom and knowledge. As a Messianic Christian and old earth creationist, I don’t agree with every single facet of either Hovind’s Christian faith or his creation beliefs, but I am in agreement with the majority of what he teaches.

Your support of this petition may well mean life over death for Dr Hovind.