Rockefeller Asks To Dismiss False Name Charge

The man accused of using a fake name to establish himself in wealthy circles in Boston, New York and Los Angeles is asking a judge to dismiss a charge that he gave a false name when he was arrested in the kidnapping of his daughter.

Clark Rockefeller, whose real identity is Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, was arrested last summer after he allegedly snatched his 7-year-old daughter during a supervised visit in Boston.

Lawyers for the German national who moved to the United States in the late 1970s want a judge to drop the charge of providing a false name to police. They argue that he had used the alias for at least 15 years and was not trying to defraud anyone.

Rockefeller is also charged with parental kidnapping, assault and battery, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.