CLEVELAND -- Amish sect leader Samuel Mullet Sr. must pay for his own legal defense and in addition, he will have to pay twice the normal rate for a federal public defender.
Mullet is accused of leading an Amish sect that cut the beards and hair of those who disagree with them.
Last month, the man of modest means became an instant millionaire.
Mullet got a reported $2 million for leasing part of his 800-acre farm to gas and oil companies.
He'd previously been ruled legally indigent and was using a federal Public Defender in court.
Federal prosecutors argued Mullet could now afford to pay for a private lawyer and asked a judge to require that.
The federal public defender's office is paid for with tax dollars. The lawyer working on Mullet's case gets a fixed salary and is paid $125 an hour and would be working on a different case if he was not assigned to Mullet's case.
Mullet had already rung up about $12,000 in legal bills. He'd agreed to pay $125 and hour and that money went into a court fund to pay for other defendants' court-appointed lawyers.
Assistant Public Defender Ed Bryan argued that payment actually benefited taxpayers and reduced what they pay for legal bills.
Prosecutors asked that Mullet be required to switch to a private lawyer or lawyers whose rates would likely be much higher.
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Dan Polster allowed Mullet to keep using the public defender's office but Polster said Mullet must pay twice the rate -- $250/hour.
Mullet had also asked to be free on bond that he could not afford to post.
Polster refused that request, agreeing with prosecutors that Mullet was a danger to the community. Polster said Mullet might have more influence in the Amish community with his new-found wealth.
Mullet got half of the oil lease payment. His wife controls the other half.
They will get additional royalties depending on how much oil and gas their land produces.
Bryan did an interview with WKYC's Tom Beres about Mullet's new money and defense prior to the release of Polster's ruling.
Bryan also addressed the perception that Mullet was a potentially dangerous cult-like leader, denying he is a danger to anyone.
Seven of 16 defendants in the case remain behind bars.
Mullet is being held in the Bedford Heights jail. His trial is scheduled for Aug. 27.
Monday the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court ruling that Mullet should remain behind bars.
WKYC-TV