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Norbu Chen
"Tibetan" Healer
Agents Arrest Faith Healer
Agents Arrest Faith Healer
November 9, 1974 (Saturday)
The Eagle, Bryan, Texas
HOUSTON (AP) – A self-styled faith healer who discussed his talents on national television Wednesday night was charged here Friday with violating a statute that prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms.
Norbu Chen, 50, of Houston was charged in federal court. It was alleged he was convicted in Kentucky on a charge of rape in 1958 and assessed a seven-year prison term.
The charges list six aliases that Chen is alleged to have used.
Chen appeared Wednesday night on the NBC Tomorrow talk show. [Nov. 6, 1974]
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents, armed with a search warrant, raided Chen's home here late Thursday night, seizing a number of weapons.
At an arraignment hearing before US. Magistrate H. Lingo Platter, Thursday, Chen denied he had been convicted of rape. Instead, he said, he was convicted of detaining a woman.
Chen claimed he agreed to enter a Kentucky state prison as an undercover agent after his conviction, and assumed that he received a full pardon after his parole 28 months later.
Chen said he bought the weapons after discussing the matter with an attorney. He wept repeatedly during the hearing before Platter, saying, "I didn't do anything wrong."
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Faith Healer is Jailed in State
November 10, 1974 (Sunday)
Brownwood Bulletin, Brownwood, Texas
HOUSTON (AP) – A self-styled faith healer remained in the Harris County jail today on charges of violating a law that prohibits convicted felons from possessing fire arms, Norbu Chen, 50, of Houston, who discussed his talents on national television Wednesday night, was charged Friday after officers raided Chen's home and seized a number of weapons.
Chen was arrested in Kentucky in 1958 and charged with rape. The charge was reduced to detaining a woman and Chen was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison.
Chen, who wept repeatedly at his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate H. Lingo Platter, said he bought the weapons after discussing the matter with an attorney. "I didn't do anything wrong," he said,
Chen claimed he agreed to enter a Kentucky state prison as an undercover agent after his conviction, and assumed that he received a full pardon after his parole 28 months later.
Charges against Chen list six aliases he is alleged to have used.
Chen told a reporter for the Louiseville Courier-Journal recently that he was born in Kentucky as Charles Vernon Alexander, but sald there was no certificate attesting to his birth.
Prison records show that Alexander was arrested in Lexington, Ky., Sept. 10, 1957, and charged with rape. The charges was reduced to detaining a female, and on Jan. 23, 1958, he was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison.
While still in prison in 1959, Alexander provided prison documents that embarrassed Kentucky's lientenant governor, Harry Lee Waterfield, during Waterfield's unsuccessful gubernatorial primary race with former Gov. Bert Combs.
When paroled in 1960, Alexander worked as a Kentucky state employe in the office of a Combs assistant. Alexander was convicted of drunk driving in 1961 and lost his state job.
Alexander was called before the parole board to show cause why he should not be sent back to prison and by March 7, 1961, Alexander had disappeared and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
While living in Clearwater, Fla. in 1969 under the name of Richard C. Johnson, Alexader hired a lawyer to take up his problems with the Kentucky parole board. The arrest warrant subsequently was dismissed.
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