From the May 2001 Idaho Observer:

Mark Alan sentenced to time served, court costs

OROVILLE, Wash. -- Though held prisoner from February 9, 2001, until April 11, 2001, Mark Alan (Rabenold) was given credit for time served of 42 days at sentencing May 3 in Okanogan county for assault on a police officer.

The sentencing, at which Mark Alan was ordered to pay court costs of $630 and serve one year probation, stemmed from the alleged assault of Deputy U.S. Marshal Carey Perkins. Perkins, who did not announce himself and was wearing plain clothes, allegedly attempted to hand papers to Mark Alan in the capacity of a civil process server when his hand was bumped by Mark Alan's windshield as he drove away at approximately 6 m.p.h.

Perkins' hand was not injured in this “assault.”

The sentencing was part of a plea agreement with Deputy Attorney Thomas Hopkins reached April 11. The feds agreed to drop their assault charges and release Mark Alan from captivity if he would plead guilty to third degree assault in the state court.

Mark Alan, husband and father of six children, was facing 10 years and no hope for a fair trial if he continued to challenge the federal government.

The persecution of this honorable American began with his refusal to obtain an FCC license for his low-powered, pro-American radio station, which had been in operation since 1997. Since its own regulations preclude Mark Alan's station from needing a license, the FCC had to manufacture an event to silence his pro-American voice.

Okanogan County Court Commissioner Chris Culp showed compassion for Mark Alan and what he had been through. Culp asked if Mark Alan was pleading guilty to the charge of his own free will. Mark Alan eventually answered “yes.”

Later he admitted that, “I've always been free with my thoughts and my words. Now I have to measure them.”

Please see the March, 2001 edition of The Idaho Observer for the full story.

In essence, Mark Alan was forced to lie to the state government by admitting guilt to an assault he did not commit -- just to avoid prosecution by a federal government that had threatened him with 10 years in prison for something he did not do.

Note: To Mark, Jeri, Candy, Terry, Jeb, Vicki, Sara, Joel, Steve and others too numerous to mention: We tried our best and now we know, don't we?