Scientology "experts" deceived by con man

German Radio came out with a new Scientology story today shedding some light behind the reliability of so called "former Scientologists". They had checked the background of a so called "Scientology Expert" and found him to be fraud with search warrants out against him in several countries. He "saved" himself into a psychiatric clinic, most likely to prevent extradition (or because his "leader" told him so. I guess it's awfully hard to give interviews under psychiatric medication).

Source (German) : Website of SWR Radio, 21 August 2007
Radio broadcast as MP3 (German), 21 August 2007

in english:

Scientology experts deceived by con man

According to SWR (German TV/Radio broadcast station) information, the supposedly high-ranking dropout of Scientology is a notorious con man. The man was presented to the media by sect experts as a longstanding member of Scientology with secret insider knowledge.

In June this year Christian Markert contacted German authorities in the USA. The 36 year old supposedly seven-year member of Scientology with secret insider knowledge was helped getting out of the organisation.

Shortly later Ursula Caberta (head of the Task Force Scientology, in Hamburg) presented the man in an event about Scn to the Berlin CDU faction. Before that the Hamburg ministry of interior had the man flown into Germany. ...

In jail for fraud

According to investigation by SWR the 36 year old man was noted many times as a con man; the supposed dropout was even sentenced several times for fraud. In the late 1990s he was in prison. The data about his life history are that much contradictory in itself that a longstanding membership and high-ranking duty in Scientology seem to be impossible. In an interview with SWR he said to have studied in the USA in the late 1990s when he became a Scientologist. He claims to have been rapidly appointed member of the inner circle of executives for his talents.
Finally he would had been sent to Ireland where he “more or less was head of the Dublin mission”. Meanwhile a speaker of the Irish police confirmed that Markert is currently wanted for theft in Ireland.

Markert gave interviews to “Focus”, ARD, ZDF and other media. The Baden-Wuerttemberg OPC, too, questioned him for several days and was convinced about the correctness of his data to a great extent. When confronted with SWR´s investigations the OPC meanwhile declared that Markert´s information “are considered with caution”.

Voluntarily into psychiatry

But Markert not only deceived sect experts and authorities but also artists. In 2004 he planned the a musical gala with two dozens of performers and rented 40 halls throughout Germany. One staff became suspicious when he showed off to have been on stage even with Glen Close and reported him to the criminal police for fraud which then stopped the whole tour. According to information of the staff’s attorneys he then went to Essen where he admitted himself to psychiatry, the staff said to SWR.

In a catalogue draft of the musical available to SWR, he called himself Chris Markert-Davis and claimed “to have performed as various leading characters in the musical productions of Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, Les Miserables and The Beauty and the Beast. With the same photo as in the catalogue he praises himself as an counsellor for life and “doctor of psychology”. Since weeks Markert could not be reached for a comment.