Amish charged with Amish assaults ordered jailed until trial

YOUNGSTOWN

A U.S. magistrate has ordered that four Ohio Amish men charged with committing and conspiring to commit religiously motivated physical assaults with dangerous weapons against other Amish men remain jailed pending their trial.

Saying they were flight risks and a danger to the Amish community, Magistrate George J. Limbert ordered detention this evening for Samuel Mullet Sr., a 66-year-old Amish bishop; and his sons, Johnny S., 38, and Daniel S., 37, and Emanuel Schrock, 43, all of Bergholz, who were arrested last week.

The crimes, in which Amish men’s beards were forcibly cut, were described by the U.S. Attorney as hate crimes.

The attacks occurred between September and November in Mesopotamia Township in Trumbull County and in Holmes, Carroll and Jefferson counties, the FBI said.

The magistrate ruled from the bench after a four-hour detention hearing in federal court.

For the complete story, read Thursday's Vindicator and Vindy.com