The Attorney General's Fugitive Unit booked Vines into the Travis County Jail yesterday. Vines, who was added to the Top Ten List of Child Support Evaders in December 2006, was arrested April 3 on two counts of criminal nonsupport. On April 16, a judge ordered Vines to be returned to Texas to face the pending charges. If convicted, Vines faces up to two years imprisonment in state jail and a fine of up to $10,000 on each count.
"Parents have a moral and legal obligation to pay their court-ordered child support," Attorney General Abbott said. "The Office of the Attorney General will continue pursuing parents who violate the law by refusing to support their children. We are grateful to the Travis County District Attorney's Office and Arkansas authorities for their tremendous assistance with this case and their commitment to children."
Attorney General Abbott recently released a new edition of Texas' Top Ten Most Wanted Child Support Evaders. The federally-mandated list includes parents who owe a combined $542,187 in overdue child support.
On April 18, Child Support Evader Stephen Zygaj was arrested after he turned himself in to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. Zygaj owes more than $45,000 in court-ordered child support for the care of a son in Michigan.
The arrests of Zygaj and Vines brings the number of evaders arrested or located since Attorney General Abbott took office in December 2002 to 84. Anyone with information about a Child Support Evader should contact the Attorney General by calling 1-866-EVADERS (382-3377) or e-mailing evaders@oag.state.tx.us.
