The Church of Scientology’s leader was served 27 times in two states with a federal lawsuit that accused him of human trafficking, but lawyers were either denied entry or told he wasn’t at that location, according to court documents.Â
After 10 months, U.S. Judge Julie Sneed ruled that David Miscavige “is actively concealing his whereabouts or evading service,” according to Tuesday’s court filing.
He’s “deemed to have been properly served as of the date of this order (Feb. 14, 2023), and therefore has 21 days to answer or otherwise respond” to the allegations in the lawsuit.Â
Miscavige had argued in court documents that he was never served with the lawsuit, which was filed against him and four entities linked to the Church of Scientology in Florida federal court in April 2022.Â
FORMER SCIENTOLOGY MEMBERS MAKING ATTEMPTS TO SERVE TRAFFICKING SUIT AGAINST LEADER DAVID MISCAVIGE
Lawyers attempted to serve him with the charging documents in Florida and five locations in California and called him at four separate phone numbers that a private investigator tracked down as potential leads, but nothing was successful, according to the most recent court filing.
“While Miscavige repeatedly asserts that Plaintiffs have attempted to effectuate service at the wrong address or addresses at which he was not present, Miscavige has never provided Plaintiffs or the court with the correct address,” Sneed wrote in her ruling.Â
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“Indeed, following his counsel’s appearance in this matter, Plaintiffs have continued their attempts to effectuate service on Miscavige through his counsel and other identified addresses, and have sought to have Miscavige’s counsel provide an adequate address at which to effectuate service. Miscavige’s counsel has declined.”
The lawsuit was filed by three ex-Scientology church members – husband and wife Gawain and Laura Baxter as well as Valeska…
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