Last week, the man who sat atop Texas’ Most Wanted Child Support Evaders list for several years and who kept law enforcement officials guessing as to his whereabouts for over 13 years appeared for sentencing in a Carson County courtroom.
After a 1991 divorce, David Zearl Martin, the owner and operator of a chiropractic clinic, was ordered to pay $3,500 a month in child support for his two children. However, he never paid a cent of child support and eventually fled the country in 1997.
Since that time, authorities had heard various rumors regarding his whereabouts but had been unable to track him down.
However, earlier this year, an observant FBI agent spotted Martin in Jordan. Shortly thereafter, he was apprehended and deported back to the U.S. after trying to get into Oman without a valid passport.
On January 6, Martin arrived in New York City, and was arrested by law enforcement officials who took him back to Texas to stand trial for nonpayment of child support, a state jail felony.
At the time of his arrest, Martin owed $420,000 in back child support, putting him first on the Most Wanted Child Support Evaders list and $260,000 ahead of the next person on the list.
Last Wednesday, Martin pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal non-support and was sentenced by the district judge to one year in a state jail. In addition, Martin was ordered to pay the following:
- $423,000 in restitution (Martin has since paid $15,000)
- $3,530 in transportation costs (the expenses accrued transporting Martin from New York City to Carson County)
- $273 in court costs
To learn more about child support or post-divorce issues, contact an experienced and skilled legal professional.
Stay tuned for more from our Ft. Worth family law blog …
This post is for informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice.
Related Resources:
Judge sentences man for not paying child support (Amarillo Globe-News)
