Accessory to kidnapping charges against Fabian Marta, a financial supporter of the film “Sound of Freedom,” have been dropped.
The 51-year-old Missouri native was arrested in July on charges that his lawyer characterized as “unfounded.” He had been facing at least 10 years in prison if convicted.
Marta’s arrest quickly became headline news in light of the fact that a financial backer of a hit film about the fight against human trafficking was arrested and charged with a crime related to the very evil that film was created to combat.
However, Angel Studios, which is the film’s distributor, quickly clarified that as a crowdfunded project, “Sound of Freedom” obtained financial support from thousands of individuals and Marta was not considered a main contributor.
“Just as anyone can invest in the stock market, everyone who meets the legal criteria can invest in Angel Studios projects,” said CEO Neal Harmon at the time.
Following the dropping of the charges, Christine Bertelson, the circuit court’s public information officer, told USA TODAY the case involved “a misunderstanding…There was no kidnapping.”
Marta had been providing housing for a woman who was in a custody dispute with a relative involving two children. Marta had been providing a living space for the woman and her children in exchange for the woman’s help in renovating some of his properties.
The charges were dropped after a grand jury determined that there was not enough evidence to convict.
On Sept. 25, the day the charges were dropped, Marta posted the grand jury memorandum online, saying, “Sound of Freedom is an important movie, go see it.”
“As far as all the demons out there who are trying to tie me to some bulls**t story, here you go,” he continued. “Grand jury could not indict. No crime was ever committed.”
“My Freedom, livelihood and reputation [were] Attacked,” Marta posted the next day before asking followers for financial support to pursue legal action against his accusers. “I want to fight back by holding Saint Louis PD responsible for the Malicious Prosecution and also bring suit against the Defamers.”
