An explosive document has come to light in the controversial case of a Eureka Springs man who won a $3.5 million judgment against a Bentonville woman that could be a factor in an appeal filed by the defendant.
The case, filed by Eureka Springs alternative bar and gay resort owner Anthony Christopher against Northwest Arkansas nonprofit director and true crime writer LaDonna Humphrey in 2018, was based on Christopher's claims that he was defamed after Humphrey blew the whistle on him for activities that later led to an investigation by the Arkansas Attorney General's office.
The document, (see below) which is a copy of a sworn statement taken by attorney Tom Stockland and certified by court reporter Blake Greenway on February 18, 2020, contains statements from a former acquaintance and employee of Christopher that throws doubts on the veracity of the case.
Christopher was charged with Identity Theft and two counts of Medicaid Fraud after he successfully sued Humphrey in Benton County circuit court. During the civil suit, Christopher denied Humphrey's counterclaim that included allegations of Medicaid Fraud at a therapy clinic for children he owned at the time. Humphrey was one of multiple community members that stood up to Christopher and turned him in for Medicaid Fraud .
Humphrey, who told the court that her purse containing her phone with all the evidence the judge wanted was stolen from her vehicle in front of her house, was found in contempt by Circuit judge Xollie Duncan. Duncan signed an order the next day for expediated delivery of discovery of the information that was on Humphrey's missing phone. (Begs the question of how she was in contempt of court prior to the order being signed)
Humphrey and her husband filed a police report and spoke with an officer moments after the purse was taken from her car in front of her residence in Bentonville. The car driven by the person involved in the theft was similar to the vehicle Christopher drove at the time.
Judge Duncan also found for Christopher in the defamation case and awarded the $3.5 million-dollar judgment, literally forcing Humphrey into bankruptcy.
In the aforementioned sworn statement, provided to Today in Fort Smith by a source close to the case, the acquaintance of Christopher claims not only that Christopher was behind the theft of Humphrey's phone, but also alleges that Christopher indicated that he "paid an attorney, who paid a judge".
In response to a question about whether Christopher had an "in" with the judge, the subject of the sworn statement said:
"I don't know if this was when we were getting our toes done in Berryville, or if it's when we're in the hot tub at Magnetic Valley Men's Resort. We were talking about this whole case and I said how did you get away with it or... you know what did you do (?) and he said "I have more money than God", and he said "I paid an attorney who paid a judge."
(Note: Christopher has used the phrase "I have more money than God" in several communications with Today in Fort Smith in the past.. That includes an attempt at bribery when this publication was offered a large sum of money to "help him bury that b****". in a 2021 phone call and a series of text messages.)
Christopher is the owner of the Magnetic Valley Men's Resort in Eureka Springs. The resort bills itself on its website as "an all male clothing optional resort catering to gay, bisexual, and straight men 18 years and older."
The witness says in the sworn statement that he met Christopher, who is a drag participant, while judging a drag queen pageant in Oklahoma. Because he had experience as a bartender Christopher offered him a tryout at Eureka Live Underground, the alternative lifestyle bar he owns in Eureka Springs and hired him after the first night.
The witness goes on to say that he had never met LaDonna Humphrey or spoke to her, and all of his knowledge about the case came through conversations with Christopher.
The sworn witness said:
"So we started to hang out on a more personal level, getting to know each other. And he was always talking about this b****, Ladonna Humphrey, and how she tried to ruin him and how she is still trying to destroy him and so on and so forth."
"And he got a judgment against her for like 3 million for libel, I mean for defamation of character and slander. He talked about how there was a -- that her purse was stolen, and a cell phone and it had some information on it and they tried framing him for it. And I said "well did you do it" and he said something along the lines of "I'll never tell".
When asked what he thought Christopher meant by saying "I'll never tell" the witness said Christopher insinuated that he had taken the phone.
This sworn witness quoted Christopher as saying "no one can ever prove that I did it. So I'll never tell."
(Editor's note: Today in Fort Smith has received two allegations in the past that Christopher and/or his attorney have had possession of Humphrey's phone after it was stolen. One source, who refused to go on the record, said Christopher was using the phone as a "prop"
at Eureka Live Underground.)
This sworn witness also said Christopher told him that Humphrey "would never be able to afford to pay him, and he would take her for everything she has, because she was some b**** that tried to ruin his life."
The sworn witness, when given the name of three circuit judges in Benton County, picked out Xollie Duncan as being the judge Christopher claimed to have a " fix in" with.
You can read the entire redacted sworn statement by downloading this link:
Christopher has a checkered past. He was the founder of a non-profit food pantry in Oklahoma and just vanished one day without saying a word to the other volunteers involved in that organization. (Google Shawnee, Oklahoma Hotdog Ministry)
He's also been sued by at least three individuals for deals concerning a suspicious real estate transaction, unpaid construction debt, and for allegedly illegally taking over the bar he currently owns from the rightful owner, Cordale Moore.
The Arkansas Attorney General's office, after enduring numerous appeals in the Identity and Medicaid fraud case, seemingly dropped the ball on those issues and said that because attorneys had changed in the office and they couldn't contact witnesses the case was being dropped.
Today in Fort Smith is still investigating this situation and we will provide updates as they are developed. Until then, if you have had any negative interactions with Judge Xollie Duncan or Anthony Christopher, we urge you to come forward. Today in Fort Smith is fighting to expose the truth!
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