Occupied Clearwater - Cult Conspirators

Alumni: Ullman, Pilat - IntNet
Martin Greenberg
Baum - DIGL
Vanniers?
Ron Wiedoff - Pinellas Republican Executive Committee

A Piece of Blue Sky
Jon Atack
"In February 1976, the Guardian's Office in Clearwater was a hive of activity. The St. Petersburg Times was threatened with a libel suit. Cazares was more than threatened: A million dollar suit was filed against him for libel, slander and violation of civil rights... A GO official assured his seniors that a handling of the Clearwater Chamber of Commerce was also underway (a Scientology agent had already joined). A Scientologist had applied for a job at the St. Petersburg Times. A dossier had been prepared on the Clearwater City Attorney, and data collections had been made on three reporters perceived to be enemies."

Understanding Scientology
Margery Wakefield
"After telling the people of Clearwater that Scientologists were nice, friendly people who wanted to fit in with the community, Scientology launched lawsuits against Gabe Cazares and the St. Pete Times, both of whom responded with countersuits of their own against the 'church.'"

Petition puts support for Roberto in writing
St. Petersburg Times, Aug. 26, 1999
"In recent weeks, many letters and e-mails also have been sent to City Hall in support of Roberto, most from individual members of the Church of Scientology."

Reaction to Clearwater's new mayor
Letters to the St. Petersburg Times, Apr. 1, 1999
"Maybe the change from Clearwater to Hubbardsville will happen sooner than you think. Will Mayor Aungst feel good that it happened in his term? I wonder."

Fear and Loathing in Clearwater
Weekly Planet, Aug. 26, 1999
"You’ve read the dirt, heard the attacks. You know about Scientology’s unwelcome status in Germany. One local daily newspaper has almost made a religion out of assaulting Scientology. Visit your local library, and the helpful staff can direct you to archived materials dealing with purported lies and deception. Web sites that decry Scientology abound."

An investigative report on Scientology's attacks on and takeover of the Cult Awareness Network.

The interview that turned into an in-studio confrontation, with Priscilla Coates of the former Cult Awareness Network, former Scientologist Dennis Ehrlich on one side, and Heber Jentzsch in classic nutball form on the other side.

Thriving Cult of Greed and Power
TIME Magazine, May 6, 1991
"The Church of Scientology, started by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard to 'clear' people of unhappiness, portrays itself as a religion. In reality the church is a hugely profitable global racket that survives by intimidating members and critics in a Mafia-like manner."

Scientology from inside out
Quill Magazine, Nov.-Dec. 1993
"Scientology stands ready and able to unleash an assault on the journalist that can include private detectives and lawsuits, making it little wonder that publications have grown reluctant to write about the Hubbard empire."

Mrs. Cazares sues Scientologists for $1-million
St. Petersburg Times, Mar. 19, 1976
"Margaret Cazares, wife of Clearwater Mayor Gabriel Cazares, filed a $1-million slander suit Thursday against the Church of Scientology, one of its spokesmen and United Churches of Florida."\

Scientology critics assail aggressiveness of church
Los Angeles Times, Aug. 28, 1978
"As with its war on government agencies that the church perceives as hostile to it, Scientology's conflict with individual critics are the business of the church's Guardian Office, a legal, public relations and intelligence staff represented in each Scientology church in the United States and other countries."

A battle of beliefs waged in megabytes
St. Petersburg Times, Aug. 3, 1994
"The critics started the fight, creating an electronic bulletin board dubbed alt.religion.scientology on the Internet, a worldwide web of computer networks with an audience pushing 25-million. Then they downloaded their knowledge and opinions in e-mail messages that just about anyone with a computer, a little money and a modem can view."

Scientology Skeptic
Letter to the Tampa Tribune, June 18, 1997
"What the public really wants to know is why such a deceptive corporation is allowed to make a mockery of religious freedom and charge thousands of dollars for sci-fi psychobabble, while it tries to silence all opposition, both online and offline."

The Scientology Attack
Letter to the St. Petersburg Times, Aug. 21, 1997
"The latest advertising blitz from the so-called "church" of Scientology is only one half of their public relations attack. The other half consists of a vicious, ongoing campaign to suppress any critical information, including negative media coverage, high-level "scriptures", and administrative documents."

Religion's search for a home base
New York Times, Dec. 1, 1997
"It turned out that Scientology had come to Clearwater with a written plan to take control of the city. Government and community organizations were infiltrated by Scientology members. Plans were undertaken to discredit and silence critics. A fake hit-and-run accident was staged in 1976 to try to ruin the political career of the Mayor, Gabriel Cazares. A Scientologist infiltrated the local newspaper and reported on the paper's plans to her handlers."

Internet is battleground in foes' war of information
St. Petersburg Times, Mar. 29, 1999
"Scientology lawyers repeatedly threaten critics who operate Web sites and post items to the news group, and have filed lawsuits against several. Companies that provide Internet services are constantly under attack from Scientology lawyers who threaten lawsuits if they don't toss critical Web pages off the Internet."

Scientology: 'We like to make peace'
St. Petersburg Times, Mar. 28, 1999
"In two days of interviews, officials from the Church of Scientology and five of its lawyers answered a wide range of questions in an effort to combat the church's reputation as litigious, secretive and closed to scrutiny. Continually citing the 1993 IRS decision to grant the church tax-exempt status, they compared their operations with mainline church denominations, including the Catholic Church, and compared their litigation history with that of the St. Petersburg Times."

Hardball
St. Petersburg Times, Mar. 28, 1999
"From critics outside the church to former members who sue for fraud and abuse, when Scientology goes to court, most often it is with lawyers and legal papers that can overwhelm less wealthy opponents. In France, England, Sweden and Germany, the pattern is similar: sue the critics, sue the government and sometimes overwhelm the judges. Whenever necessary, use private investigators to probe your opponents' weaknesses and exploit them."

Mayor hopes to mend rift with Scientology
St. Petersburg Times, Mar. 21, 1999
"The new mayor said communicating with Scientology would prevent problems, such as when 3,000 Scientologists mounted an angry march in 1997 to protest what they argued was unfair treatment by Clearwater police. Aungst also said he would be willing to do business with Scientology -- buying or swapping land downtown -- if it makes sense for the city."

Scientology's new tack
St. Petersburg Times, Nov. 20, 1998
"While that is a more rational reaction than a shrill attack on an accuser, church officials cannot wipe the slate clean so easily. A skeptical public still wonders: What has changed inside the Church of Scientology that will save the next Lisa McPherson?"

Scientology chief, Clearwater official meet
St. Petersburg Times, Apr. 23, 1998
"It is a rare occasion when the Church of Scientology's worldwide leader meets with city officials. But City Manager Mike Roberto has spoken with David Miscavige twice in one month, including a four-hour meeting Monday in which the two men discussed the church's downtown expansion plans and the recent flare-ups that led to tensions between the city and Scientology."

German panel brings concerns on Scientology to Washington
St. Petersburg Times, Feb. 28, 1998
"The reason this German lawmaker worries about the popular movie actor getting to see the president and his advisers is that Travolta is a member of the Church of Scientology, the controversial organization that was founded by a science fiction novelist and whose East Coast headquarters is in Clearwater."

The Secrets of the Universe
Wall Street Journal editorial, Feb. 24, 1998
"Earlier this month, German police searched five Munich locations of the sect after the suspicious death of a cult member. In Clearwater, Florida, a young woman mysteriously died after being held at a Scientology hotel. Maybe Mr. Clinton could send down Janet Reno for an investigative weekend in her old neighborhood"

Clearwater, Scientology's capital
La secte menacée de poursuites criminelles
Le Figaro [France], Jan. 13, 1998
[English translation]
"Alas, in this model train's landscape, something is not running really well. Behind its calm white columns, the bank is not a bank. Hotel Fort Harrison, with its white and red ornaments for feasts, refuses the traveller. No children play between the faked cottages of 'Christmas Wonderland'. If you look at it more attentively, even the policemen in bermudas pedaling quietly on the road look a bit as extras."

Sellout to Scientology
St. Petersburg Times, Jan. 6, 1998
"With details of the Scientology agreement now public, there is every reason to question whether IRS officials were more interested in avoiding harassment than in sound tax policy."

Boston Man Wages Costly Fight With Scientology
New York Times, Dec. 21, 1997
"These are among the latest skirmishes in an escalating war between the Church of Scientology and Robert S. Minton Jr., a retired investment banker, who has spent $1.25 million to finance some of the church's most outspoken critics."

Scientology sponsored suit against opponent
St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 23, 1997
"Scientology has blasted Robert S. Minton Jr. for donating more than $1.25-million to its critics, calling his actions "nefarious" and underhanded... But earlier this decade, Scientology officials themselves backed several lawsuits against one of the church's own adversaries, the Cult Awareness Network."

THE EMMONS REPORT

The "Emmons files" are documents from the Clearwater Police investigations into Scientology's activity in the city. The name comes from the multi-volume report which was filed by Lt. Ray Emmons in the mid '80s. In the report, he recommended that state and federal authorities mount a prosecution against Scientology under anti-racketeering statutes.

The cult was, of course, rather agitated when they found out that the Clearwater Police Department had boxes of records and a massive report about the organized crime behind Scientology. In the ensuing conflict, the city took the offensive and filed suit to obtain a ruling on the matter. The suit ended up in arbitration, and a settlement was mediated. The first version of the settlement to reach the city commission was rejected because it contained a provision which would have required the police to notify cult attorneys anytime someone requested a document from the files. This provision was omitted from the final agreement.

This section of Occupied Clearwater has been expanded to include other items related to law enforcement agencies and their investigations of Scientology.

Police looking for church's private eye
St. Petersburg Times, Jan. 28, 1995
"A private investigator who does work on behalf of the Church of Scientology is being sought by Tampa police in a case that features a bizarre claim about the Pasco County sheriff. The investigator, a former Los Angeles police officer named Eugene Martin Ingram, is accused of impersonating a Hillsborough County sheriff's detective."

Miscellaneous GO documents
- Raw Data Report
  Mar. 3, 1976
  "A report which was just received is that a week and a half ago Mark Sableman of the CW Sun had a phone message on his desk which said to call back John McKleen. Apparently he had called Sableman when he was out. Of course immediate speculation is that this is in fact ex-SO member, John McLean. We will be able to verify this with the actual message, shortly."
- RE: Prediction in CW
  Dick Weigand, March 12, 1976
  "From this I see the areas of priority to infiltrate are: 1. SPT, 2. Mayor, 3. Channel 13 TV, 4. Snyder, 5. Florida Attorney General, 6. Florida State Attorney (Russell)"
- Compliance Report RE: Glenn Pool
  Dick Weigand, June 24, 1976
  "You ordered finding out how Glenn Pool got CW newspapers in LA and what was he doing showing them and to handle as necessary. This incident consisted of Pool when trying to recruit people for the Base was telling some to check out the LA Times article which gave the Base's location."

News Articles

The Scientology Files
St. Petersburg Times, Jan. 23, 1994
"They never broke into church buildings or planted electronic bugs, but for the past 13 years, undercover Clearwater police detectives have investigated the Church of Scientology... The investigation boils down to thousands of pages of reports and file cabinets full of tape recordings and books. Stacked up, the documents would reach 40 feet."

Police refuse Scientology help
St. Petersburg Times, Jan. 23, 1994
"It is clear from the files that Police Chief Sid Klein remained wary about any association between his department, which continues a criminal investigation into Scientology, and any Scientology-related group."

City looks to court for opinion on records
St. Petersburg Times, Feb. 1, 1994
"The city is asking a judge to decide if police investigative files on the Church of Scientology are public records. The City Commission on Monday unanimously voted to hire a lawyer to take the case to Pinellas County Circuit Court."

Scientology suit moves to federal court
St. Petersburg Times, Feb. 25, 1994
"Clearwater sued the Church of Scientology's Flag Service Organization earlier this month to determine whether the city can continue to release the investigative files, which were the subject of a Times series in January."

Scientology asks judge to yank files from police
St. Petersburg Times, Mar. 9, 1994
"The Church of Scientology is asking a federal judge to get rid of records that the Police Department has maintained as part of a 13-year investigation into Scientology."

Paper attacks police, Times
St. Petersburg Times, Mar. 11, 1994
"Clearwater police Chief Sid Klein responded to the publication, saying: 'The subscribers of the Tampa Tribune are indeed fortunate to have received such an excellent quality fish wrapper.' "

Chief of police fires warning at Scientologist
St. Petersburg Times, Apr. 1, 1994
"Police Chief Sid Klein is warning a prominent Church of Scientology official not to interfere in a police investigation again... Klein's letter also scolded Scientology for 'arresting' the suspect."

Dispute over Scientology records nearing end
St. Petersburg Times, Aug. 25, 1998
"The most controversial document in the files is a 10-volume report authored in the mid-1980s by Lt. Ray Emmons, now retired. Emmons alleged Scientology was a criminal, money-making scheme, but could not convince the state attorney's office to prosecute."

An unsettling settlement
St. Petersburg Times, Aug. 28, 1998
"It is curious that the city would file suit to protect public records, then agree to help the Church of Scientology intimidate anyone who would request them. Clearwater commissioners should reject the settlement."

Commission rejects Scientology settlement
St. Petersburg Times, Sep. 4, 1998
"City commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to reject a settlement that would have ended a four-year legal battle with the Church of Scientology."

Full text of the settlement agreement
"10. The Plaintiffs agree to conduct a good faith review of the Scientology Records to determine which of those documents they can destroy as unnecessary. Such good faith review shall be accomplished within four (4) months of the date of this agreement."

Police no longer monitoring Scientology
St. Petersburg Times, Nov. 6, 1999
"The Clearwater Police Department no longer assigns an officer to gather intelligence about the Church of Scientology, a major policy shift ending 20 years of vigilance against the controversial group."

Ray Emmons takes Xenu TV on a tour of Clearwater

On the weekend of July 9, 1999, Xenu TV was in town to cover a surprise picket by Bob Minton and friends. At one point, Mark Bunker had an opportunity to interview Ray Emmons, who took Mark to various points of interest in Occupied Clearwater.

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Scientology Investigation
"The purpose of this report is not to harbor ill will amongst the law enforcement prosecution agencies in Florida. The purpose of this report is to unite all agencies together to investigate and bring this large complex criminal organization to justice."

Chronological Events
"During most of the year of 1981, I monitored the activities of the Scientology organization along with my other assigned duties as Supervisor in charge of the Vice and Intelligence Unit. The following reports were taken by the Vice and Intelligence Unit involving Scientology."

Scientology Investigation Redux
"In summation, the investigation of Scientology should take on the proportions displayed by our law enforcement brothers of the Ontario Provincial Police in Toronto, Canada or an overall investigation should not begin. On page 22 through 24 of this report, an accounting of men and materials to date that has been committed to the investigation of a single Scientology org is included for your review."

RICO Report
"The outrageous scope of the fraud perpetrated in Clearwater in the collection of said information and the subsequent reduction of information to signed confessions is not only fraudulent on its face, it has prevented thousands of people from obtaining legal redress or refunds of their money, because they are aware that the Church would use it against them pursuant to the Fair Game Doctrine."

Table of Contents - Exhibits
A comprehensive listing of the documents filed by Lt. Emmons to support the findings in his report.

The Trianon Caper
Lt. Emmons' report on covert operations of Scientology P.I.'s in Clearwater, including an alleged attempt to compromise a federal judge with drugs and prostitutes.
- Investigative Summary
- Declaration of Richard L. Bast
- Declaration of Robert S. Keefer
- Letter from Herman Dromer
- Related news articles:
  - Scientologist operatives posed as agents of 'investor' to check city's plans against church
    St. Petersburg Times, Feb. 1, 1984
  - Feds eye alleged sect plot to corrupt U.S. judge
    Clearwater Sun, Jan. 22, 1984
  - Officials 'not surprised' by investigation into sect
    Clearwater Sun, Jan. 23, 1984
  - Prior sect try at judge reported
    Clearwater Sun, Jan. 24, 1984

Report on Scientology P.I. Eugene Ingram
Information on one of Scientology's more infamous thugs. There was actually a warrant out for Mr. Ingram's arrest in Hillsborough County, FL, but the current status of that warrant is in question.

I. INTRODUCTION

This memorandum and the accompanying exhibits and attachments relate to a wide variety of schemes and acts perpetrated by the Church of Scientology. Some of the activities of Scientology, treated as isolated occurrences, constitute overtly criminal acts, some constitute violations of public policy, and some constitute civil wrongs. However, the schemes and acts discussed, when viewed together as a "pattern," demonstrate clear, convincing and prosecutable offenses under F.S.A., Chapter 895 (Florida RICO)...

The gravamen or thrust of the recommendation in this memorandum is that the foregoing acts by Hubbard and his corporations, when coupled with the schemes and activities of Scientology corporations over the past 30 years nationwide, more specifically over 7 years in Clearwater at the "Flag Land Base," constitutes the "acquiring or maintaining" of an interest in an "enterprise" through "a pattern of racketeering activity," or conducting the affairs of an enterprise through "a pattern of racketeering activity," or a conspiracy to commit the foregoing offenses, all in violation of Chapter 895. The primary "racketeering activity" to be relied upon is fraud, to wit, the sale of books and courses personally owned and copyrighted by Hubbard to people in Clearwater upon representation that the payment for said books and courses constituted a charitable, tax-deductible "donation" to a legitimate, religious corporation. The specific fraud or misrepresentated fact is that it is Hubbard and not the religious corporations who (1) has received the so-called "donations," and (2) who has controlled the corporations as "shams" to generate the "donations" for himself, and (3) who has used the religious corporations (a) to promote the sale of his books and courses, (b) to create an 85 million dollar "sea org cash reserve" which has been conveyed to him and (c) to conduct specifically fraudulent acts and representations about himself and his claimed cures for disease, and specifically criminal activities to conceal the fraud, harass critics and deprive victims of legal redress.

Thousands of people in Clearwater have paid approximately 350 million dollars to the Church of Scientology of California, Inc. (California), upon the express representation that California was operating as a legitimate religious corporation and not the alter ego of Hubbard, who had supposedly resigned in 1966. For the past 7 years while California made such representations and 350 million dollars was "donated," Hubbard and the hierarchy of the Church knew that the Corporation was a front or a "sham" for Hubbard. Recently acquired tape recordings of high-level Scientology officials in a secret conference confirm precisely the foregoing facts. Said tape recording specifically uses the words "sham" and "fraud" and acknowledges illegal payments, or "inurement" to Hubbard. The tapes, together with hundreds of items of documentary evidence and extensive oral testimony provide the basis for a highly provable RICO indictment as hereinafter discussed.

In sum, the essence of the RICO fraud is that people who paid 350 million dollars to the Church of Scientology in Clearwater relying on the fact that such payments constituted tax-deductible "donations" to a legitimate, religious corporation were in actual fact, unknown to them, paying said sums to Hubbard. Hubbard used the religious corporations to conceal his commercial enterprise.

"DEAR SID"

Prior to and following the demonstrations against Scientology in Clearwater in early December, 1997, Scientologist Brian Anderson, "Vice President for Special Affairs" at the Flag Service Organization, sent a series of letters to Clearwater Police Chief Sid Klein. The correspondence from Anderson is a classic example of Scientology paranoia and double-speak, and was characterized by CPD's Public Information Officer as a "schizophrenic diatribe".

Scientology official Brian Anderson, not enjoying a PSTA board meeting

Critics, church stage protests
Tampa Tribune, Dec. 6, 1997
"In a letter to the police, Anderson accused the department of working with protesters against the church... Klein dismissed the accusations as absurd and demanded the church produce evidence that police were doing anything other than investigating a suspicious death."

Clearwater chief has earned his city's support
St. Petersburg Times, Dec. 9, 1997
"Most damaging to the relationship between city and church was a 9-page letter sent Friday to Klein by Scientology official Brian Anderson. In the vitriolic letter, Anderson made several vague accusations about Klein and his department, including the charge that police give Scientologists too many parking tickets. Anderson refers to the diminutive Klein as "Big Sid" and accuses the police chief of 'bigotry.' "

Putting the Chief on Notice
Brian Anderson to Chief Klein, Dec. 4, 1997
"This is further to request you keep copies of your appointment log, make notations where you have been having meetings concering the Church, Scientologists or efforts to destroy the Church or harass it in any way so that there is an official record, tape recordings of any conversations you have with individuals, such as mentioned above, and the maintenance of any written records you have."

Calling the Bluff
Chief Klein to Brian Anderson, Dec. 5, 1997
"If you have any objective evidence whatsoever of your bizarre conspiracy theories or 'extra-legal' actions on the part of me or any Clearwater Police officer, it is time, Mr. Anderson for you to produce the evidence."

Foaming at the Mouth
Brian Anderson to Chief Klein, Dec. 5, 1997
"Missed by you and your Police Dpartment is that [Lisa McPherson] was our friend. You never once sent your condolences of her death to us."

Little Games
Brian Anderson to Chief Klein, Dec. 7, 1997
"My response, and so as to avoid psychiatric evaluation of myself and all Scientologists by your PR Wayne Shelor, is your statements are 'repugnant.' (There--I've quoted the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, so now call them schizophrenic.)"

Star Consultant
Brian Anderson to Chief Klein, Dec. 11, 1997
"This letter is regarding your star 'consultant', 'witness', general 'allege whatever is needed handyman', Vaughn Young."

Calzone Pizza Funding
Brian Anderson to Chief Klein, Dec. 11, 1997
"The question is this: Have you been providing 'Calzone' pizza funding to Ken Dandar, Robert Minton, Vaughn Young or any of the other 'anti-Scientology' protestors/haters who have been appearing in Clearwater? This includes directly or through intermediaries or other front groups whether coded with Mafioso type code names or otherwise."

Public Relations Man
Brian Anderson to Chief Klein, Dec. 12, 1997
"In last Sunday's St. Petersburg Times, George was quoted, under the name Wayne Shelor, as stating that my letter of December 5th outlining to you specific crimes and discriminatory acts by the Clearwater Police Department against Scientologists was 'a schizophrenic diatribe.' "

Calzone Pizza Files
Brian Anderson to Chief Klein, Dec. 15, 1997
"After conducting an appropriate police investigation, the individual was located, across country no less. At this point, your Calzone Pizza operation went into action."


	Ben Shaw, Scientology agent, at a meeting of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority