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Colin Haag charged with kidnapping and Amanda Cyphert charged with criminal restraint in a dispute over custody of Cyphert's two girls.

http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/02/07/news/trial-of-pretend-pastor-accused-o...

MACHIAS, Maine — The trial of accused kidnapper Colin Haag Jr., 34, who passed himself off as a pastor to the congregations of several Down East churches, will begin Tuesday, Feb. 8, at Machias Superior Court. The trial is joined with that of his girlfriend, Amanda Cyphert, 35, who has been charged with criminal restraint by a parent.

Haag, who told the Bangor Daily News last year in a jailhouse interview that he never was ordained, is accused of kidnapping his girlfriend’s two children and hiding them from their biological father in an Ellsworth motel. Haag had many in the Jonesport-Columbia area tricked into believing that he and his girlfriend were married and that he was an ordained pastor. He admitted in the exclusive interview at the Washington County Jail that neither was true. Cyphert had adopted Haag’s surname as her own and was even arrested under the name Amanda Haag.

The two were arrested last April in a case that appears to be rooted in a bitter custody battle. The couple is originally from Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Before their arrests, Haag and Cyphert were living in Jonesport while Haag served as pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Columbia. He told the BDN shortly after his arrest that he had never been ordained as a minister, although he had served as one at churches in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

Deputies with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office say they were drawn to the case on April 18 by Colin Haag Sr., who told them he had been held against his wishes in the cellar of his son’s rental home in Jonesport. The deputies said Haag Sr. told them where to find the girls. A man identifying himself as Haag Sr. has since written several letters to the BDN denying he was kept prisoner. Haag Jr. has never been charged with any violation involving his father.

Cyphert’s daughters, ages 7 and 12, were found later on April 18 alone in a room at the Eagle’s Lodge Motel in Ellsworth. They have since been reunited with their biological father, Randall Dodge, and reportedly now are living in Florida. Police said Dodge had legal custody and had been searching for them for two years.

Attorney Jeff Davidson of East Machias, who is representing Cyphert, said Monday that the daughters are in Maine for the trial and are expected to be called as witnesses by the prosecution.

Haag has remained jailed since his arrest on two counts of Class A kidnapping. He has been unable to post $25,000 cash bail. Each count is punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.

Cyphert was charged with criminal restraint and remained in jail from April to September, when she posted $5,000 cash bail.

Haag has denied the kidnapping charges and said there was never any custody agreement between Cyphert and her daughters’ father. He said the entire issue was a custody issue blown out of proportion.

Machias attorney Frank Cassidy, who represented Cyphert when she was arrested, said at the time that she was fighting for custody of her daughters and made no attempt to conceal their whereabouts. Cassidy said he had assisted Cyphert in filing a parental rights and responsibility action against the father of her children in March. That filing requires that the father be notified of his children’s location, which Cassidy said triggered the calls to police by the children’s father.

Machias attorney Toff Toffolon represents Colin Haag Jr. He could not be reached Monday for comment on the trial, which is expected to take two days.
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28 comments // UNBELIEVABLE!!! Maine Justice and Gender

  • trulyinnocent
    • 0
      trulyinnocent  
    • This guy jeremy77 is a liar. I am this accused man he is speaking about. Amanda knows that her and I DID NOT do anything wrong. I will be showing the proof to the media soon enough. I wish people would just worry about themselves and not about other people. These lies from the WCSD in Maaine has ruined several people lives. Including my marriage to amanda. I will be pposting soon the letters amanda gave me while we were both at the WCJ. It speaks comletely opposite of what her attorny said and this jeremy77 character.

    • 12 months ago
  • jeremy77
    • 0
      jeremy77  
    • i no amanda cyphert personaly.im the one who put her on the plane to get her to maine.she is an amazing person.she would help anyone out .and she was in to bad relationships back to back.that girl is a wonderful mother.she loves her kids deeply.and ther was no custody order.they left out .wher she had called the cops because she was afraid of her x husband.she called 15 times .they didnt come.so she got a break and took her bbys to a motel for there saftey.SHE IS NOT GUILTY OF THES CRIMES.she loves her kids.very much....

    • 2 years ago
  • MotherForTruth
    • 0
      MotherForTruth  
    • jeremy77:

      Is there any evidence of abuse by he ex-husband or it is Amanda's claims? Why did she move to Maine where laws help women to send men to prison without ANY evidence of abuse. Maine apparently is a safe heaven for women who use false allegations against their husbands, boyfriends especially during custody battles.

    • 2 years ago
  • jeremy77
    • 0
      jeremy77  
    • MotherForTruth:

      amanda was abused,she kept it to her self.they moved to maine because collin the lying devil he is convinced her by force that maine is wher they need to b.her family didnt even no about the abuse.because she didnt want no one worrying bout her..she is a strong willed person...an randal left her.and moved to florda.amanda stayed where she was at 4 a yr and 4 months.then she hooked with collin.that was a mistake..but if randal had been looking fore the girls fore 2yrs .y wasent the amber alert issued??everyone has run this poor women down.an they dont no the half of it but what the media tells them.this country is falling fast and i ant wt!!!!!!!

    • 2 years ago
  • jeremy77
  • WeAreChangeKy
  • MotherForTruth
  • littlwarrior
  • MotherForTruth
  • littlwarrior
    • +1
      littlwarrior  
    • MotherForTruth:

      Yes but I cant tell from the article even who would be in the right or wrong, it says the father has full custody, therefore the charges would stand even if the custody was in dispute, but then it says that there is no existing custody agreement, meaning there could only be charges filed if someone crossed state lines with those girls. Its really messy I hope both sides get good lawyers and for the sake of the girls it is figured out in a fair and just manner. But if Maine is anything like Idaho then what ever the prosecutor says will go.

    • 2 years ago
  • MotherForTruth
  • justadad
    • +1
      justadad  
    • littlwarrior:

      Idaho court/prosecutor/justice/rule-of-law . . . say no more.

      A little piece to corroborate:

      ====

      Reprimanding a proposed motion from the floor, a judge lectured of inappropriateness.

      Then, as you may likely already appreciate, the prosecutor (a contract attorney for benefit of AG's too busy office) proposed motions from the floor; of which the judge openly accepted. While in the same session, the judge even went further as to how the papers should be prepared and when they might be subsequently gathered.

      ====

      Rules of evidence,
      To rule of law,
      Of mere petulance,
      In lions claw.

    • 2 years ago
  • justadad
    • 0
      justadad  
    • littlwarrior:

      There's too much money at stake to be concerned with Liberty, Justice or even of any given unalienable rights.

      Sadly, many of the alleged guardians to such -- aka, defenders of Liberty and pursuers of Justice -- already understand and fail to address.

      For many of us, the stakes have been quite high.

      It is enough to make one sick.

      With kind regards,
      - just adad

      -------

      ps, on a positive note, there appears to be an opening for light. It is rumored that some speech/debate is providing avenue to acknowledgement. As you likely appreciate, such (i.e., "acknowledgement") truly represents as the most important yet difficult "step."

    • 2 years ago
  • treewolf39
  • MotherForTruth
  • treewolf39
  • MotherForTruth
  • MotherForTruth
    • +2
      MotherForTruth  
    • The children's mother Amanda Cyphert is charged with criminal restraint in a dispute over custody of Cyphert's two girls, but her boyfriend Colin Haag charged with kidnapping?

    • 2 years ago
  • ray4ausa
    • +1
      ray4ausa  
    • MotherForTruth:

      Smells "fishy" to me. The father in Florida, the mother in Maine, and the children with the mother and boyfriend. The sheriff looking for the children and a parent doing "anything to save" her children form their father, even though he knew where they were. the boy friend wanting to help his new love and you have a "public servant" on a vendetta to get elected to a higher position. Very fishy. I would like to know what the father does for a living, his mental attitude toward his x=wife, his "rejection" factor. Then and only then will I accept charges being brought against the mother. A violent father and husband is not what these children needs.

    • 2 years ago
  • MotherForTruth
    • 0
      MotherForTruth  
    • ray4ausa:

      Biological father, Randall Dodge, had legal custody and had been searching for his children for two years. Amanda Cyphert did not have the custody of girls and apparently kidnapped the kids and moved to Maine to keep the children away from their father. Do not forget family courts rarely grant a full custody to fathers, I guess this mother is a real abuser. Apparently her new boyfriend, Colin Haag tried to help her and now he is in more trouble then she is. Why? She is a woman.

    • 2 years ago
  • jeremy77
    • 0
      jeremy77  
    • MotherForTruth:

      there was no custody order!!randall had gabe ther son.cause gabe wanted to b with his father an amanda had shey,and ariel.cause the girls wanted to b with amanda.and amanda and randall was in ontact all the time..wrongfully accused.she is a wonderfull person.and se loves her bby dearly....

    • 2 years ago
  • MotherForTruth
  • jeremy77
  • jeremy77
    • 0
      jeremy77  
    • MotherForTruth:

      the media should b punished 4 falce info..small town,da 4 promotion..go figure..amanda would give anyone the shirt off her back..with no questions.ive seen her do..collin now he a reall peace of work..i told her he was bad news..from the start..

    • 2 years ago
  • jeremy77
  • MotherForTruth
  • MotherForTruth
  • jeremy77
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