Amish Mafia: Name Of Fake Lancaster Police Department & Fake Mug Shots In Episode One?
December 20, 2012 by Hollywoodite
Amish Mafia is currently on episode three in which time we’ve learned the real names and real criminal histories of the cast. None of which correlates to what has been shown onscreen. For example, in episode one “Lebanon Levi” 33-year-old Levi King Stoltzfus is portrayed as being a felon with a storied history of violent crime. He is a felon. However, his real rap sheet reveals mostly vehicular and alcohol-related convictions starting when he was in his early 20s and there’s no mention in the Lancaster records of these supposed violent crimes (that’s only for Lancaster, there’s no accounting yet for his crimes in Shelby, Ohio).
In episode one, in addition to the disclaimer revealing that there is no Amish Mafia, Discovery reveals Stoltzfus’ real full name in poorly-redacted records (and poorly-bleeped audio) pertaining to a “Lancaster County Police Department.” Another disclaimer at the introduction of each new “Mafia” member says ”The Lancaster County Police have refused to comment on Lebanon Levi,” or whomever, as a lawyer narrates and stands outside Lancaster Bureau of Police. Probably because the “Lancaster County Police Department” doesn’t appear to exist and “Lebanon Levi” is really named Levi King Stoltzfus.
Thanks to a helpful reader, Jarred, for providing the following information: “The initial arrest record and subsequent arrest abstract recently posted are not real. There is no law enforcement agency named Lancaster County Police Department. There is the Lancaster City Police, and Lancaster County Sheriffs office, but neither would have arrest abstracts that show arrest details and a photograph that is represented above. Also the photograph is not representative of a booking photo as it does not have the prescribed agency booking plate that would show the individuals name, date of birth, arrest date, and inmate number/case number. Also, the show depicts illegal activity that would attract the attention of the FBI Violent Criminal Organization Unit and the Department of Justices unit that pursues RICO charges against criminal franchises. These units would be able to gather enough evidence and probably cause to seek arrest warrants for the individuals on the show.” And providing a “list of all of the Law Enforcement Agencies in Lancaster County, PA with their addresses and radio channels… None [of which] uses the name: “Lancaster County Police Department” as depicted on the arrest record.”
Indeed, after checking the list, it appears there is no “Lancaster County Police Department.”
Here’s the thing, the records shown in episode one use Stoltzfus’ real name and mention the Lancaster area of Pennsylvania where he does have a real and verifiable arrest record. However, as suspected earlier and confirmed above, it would appear the onscreen criminal records and booking photos are fake; a fabrication used only for production purposes (same for the rest of the cast’s records).
Stoltzfus is clearly not committing crimes on-camera. He is a fire fighter who helped Discovery stage scenes by taking out insurance, warning people first, and setting fire to property then extinguishing it himself; all for the cameras, and done safely. He has a MySpace page. And he owns his own construction business, and you can learn about why he started his own business in an earlier post too.
UPDATE 01/02/13: Since it’s caused some consternation in the comments, here’s further verification that the police department does not exist as described by Discovery. According to PennLive.com and The Associated Press: “…there is no such thing [as the arresting agency “Lancaster County Police”]. There is a Lancaster City Bureau of Police, but no countywide force.”
UPDATE: 1/03/13: Further proof, there is no “Lancaster County Police Dept.”
In the latest episode of the Discovery Channel’s Amish Mafia, a reference was made to the Lancaster County Police. The only problem; there’s no such thing.
So the Lancaster City Police set out to set the record straight posting this on its Facebook page: “NAME CLARIFICATION: We are the Lancaster City Police Department. We have been serving Lancaster City for well over 200 years. If you are looking for the Lancaster County Police Department, as depicted on a fictional cable TV show, you may want to look elsewhere.” – via CBS21.