Editor’s Note: I apologize that my work is so dull, dry and boring. I have previously published warnings for readers to get a quad shot 20 oz mocha or an “Annihilator” from Dutch Brothers, since I’m boycotting Starbucks. In an effort to make things more interesting, I’ve borrowed from Dr. Seuss to explain what happened after I asked for the tax returns and 1023 application for exemption for Richard Schair’s nonprofit group, the Circle Fund. Please be warned that this article reports on the disturbing subjects of human trafficking and rape. I consider this an editorial as it provides opinion. And, again, the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Thank you,

Sandy

The Honorable William O’Kelley, Senior Judge for the U.S. District Court, Gainesville Division, agreed with Plaintiffs A, B, C and D to grant Richard Schair’s motion to suspend their civil case against the former fishing tour operator. Four Brazilian women have alleged in federal court that Schair trafficked them into prostitution, while minors, for his North American fishing clients. This is the first case enforcing the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) and it appears that Judge O’Kelley wrote his decision with extreme great care, fully aware that he is setting precedent by determining the legal conditions under which the civil case can be reinstated because of Schair’s criminal grand jury investigation, writing:

“A criminal action includes both ‘investigation and prosecution.’ Once initiated, a criminal action remains pending until final adjudication in the trial court. The statute gives no guidance, however, about how to determine when a criminal action is initiated or when a criminal action that does not lead to a prosecution is terminated…The statute also does not specify when a criminal action that does not lead to a prosecution ends…Thus, the statute leaves open the possibility that an investigation could remain pending indefinitely which would effectively foreclose any civil suit arising out of the same occurrence as the subject for investigation.”

Judge O’Kelley then called for updates every 90 days to keep track of Schair’s “pending criminal investigation and/or prosecution.”

Evidence for Schair’s motion to stay included a federal criminal grand jury subpoena, issued on June 25, 2009, to his company for various documents for purposes of the grand jury investigation and a grand jury target letter issued to his ex-wife Amelia Karr, stating:

“according to information that ICE and FBI supplied to (the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida), (Ms. Schair) was involved with a company and/or an individual who may have been engaged in child sex tourism in Brazil.”

Schair also provided a Brazilian request for prosecution from the Public Ministry to a Federal Judge in the Amazon district that “denounces” or accuses him and five Brazilian nationals of operating a house of prostitution. (1)

This case began on June 14, 2011 when, for the first time ever, four Brazilian women filed a complaint in U.S. federal court based on the TVPA, alleging they “were victims of sex trafficking…while under the age of eighteen…They were caused to engage in commercial acts by Defendants” Richard Wayne Schair and Wet-A-Line Tours LLC. The case was coordinated by Equality Now, a humanitarian group dedicated to protecting and promoting women’s rights around the world, with pro bono legal services led by attorney John Harbin of the Atlanta law firm of King and Spalding.

According to the U.S. State Department:

“It is a crime for a United States citizen or permanent resident to travel abroad for the purpose of having sex with a minor and it is a crime for a United States citizen or permanent resident to actually have sex with a minor while abroad… It is a criminal activity to knowingly arrange, induce, procure or facilitate for profit the travel of a person when you know that the person is traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors.”

Though the case was stayed, Schair filed an answer to the complaint on August 12, 2011, sounding like Bart Simpson’s “I wasn’t there, I didn’t do anything, You can’t prove it” defense. He never denied any of the charges, claiming that the alleged victims aren’t entitled to damages because they “stem entirely from the acts and omissions of other persons and parties over whom Defendants exercised no control.” It has yet to be determined if “other persons” included the 19 members of the Shriners secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters, some pictured partying with underage Brazilian girls. It also has yet to be determined if these Jesters are the same customers being investigated by Brazilian authorities as national leaders call for tour operator reform in the Amazon.

Schair’s other customers include former Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry. In September, 2007, Henry and 23 friends, family and trial lawyers were clients of Wet-A-Line Tours in Brazil, two weeks after a Jester trip. According to this report, Governor Henry’s guests included his chief of staff, Gerald Adams, and an Oklahoma Highway Patrol security trooper, Patrick Mays. The report also lists two-time past president of the Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association Terry West and continues:

“Also listed are Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission member and former Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association President Jimmy D. Loftis, and fellow attorneys Blake Virgin, John R. Hargrave, John W. Norman, John B. Norman, 2006 Oklahoma Trial Lawyers Association president Brad West, Bart West (Terry West's sons), former Judicial Nominating Commission member William E. Woodson, oilman Paul Hale, Robert D. Bell, Robert L. Bell and Mike Oliver. Hale, Oliver, Loftis, Virgin, Woodson and the Bells also took the 2003 trip based on a report in The Oklahoman at the time. Also listed is Richard R. Dunning, a member of the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents, appointed by Henry earlier this year.”

Now that the case is suspended, Schair claims the complaint should be dismissed because it violates his rights to:

• Procedural due process as provided by the Fourth and Fifth Amendments.
• Substantive due process as provided by the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.
• Equal protection under the law and are otherwise unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment.
• Protection from “excessive fines” as provided under the Eighth Amendment.

Schair also claims that multiple awards against him and Wet-A-Line Tours constitute double jeopardy and are in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. Based on all this, he further claims that the womens' claims for punitive damages should be dismissed, that the venue is improper and that the claims are barred by applicable statute of limitations.

This is Schair’s fourth attempt to prove his innocence, or maybe fifth if we count his current efforts to avoid indictment by the Grand Jury in Miami. His three previous failures include:

• Unsuccessfully suing a competitor who claimed Schair provided prostitutes for his clients fishing in the Amazon.
• Unsuccessfully suing Newsvine.com after I reported he’d been indicted by the Brazilian Federal Police.
• Failing to convince a Brazilian Federal Judge to dismiss the charges and indictment against him.

Judge O’Kelley is the same judge who presided over the Schair v Newsvine case, filed by attorney Aaron C. Clark. The Judge granted Schair’s Petition for Removal Libel, Assault, Slander on July 24, 2009.

The Judge more recently agreed that Plaintiffs A, B, C and D could maintain their anonymity after they shared concerns for their safety, charging that Schair and his company “by and through their agents and employees, engaged in international commerce and sex trafficking of children by recruiting customers in the United States to engage in ‘sex tourism’ in Brazil.” Judge O’Kelley issued his order on July 15, 2011, writing that:

“Plaintiffs are four Brazilian women who claim that defendants enticed or coerced them to engage in commercial sex with American customers on tour boats operated by defendants. Plaintiffs also allege that they were coerced into performing sexual acts with defendant Richard Wayne Schair. The sexual acts occurred while the tour boats were located in the Amazon basin. Each plaintiff was a minor at the time of these sex acts; one was allegedly twelve years old. Plaintiffs claim that the disclosure of their identities will ‘subject them to embarrassment, humiliation and ridicule,’ particularly ‘given the prevalence of social media and internet communication world-wide.’ Additionally, plaintiffs allege that since defendants are still actively engaged in sex trafficking in this area, disclosure of their identities could expose plaintiffs to danger…Given the factual allegations in this case, the court finds that at the present time, plaintiffs may file their complaint under pseudonyms and may maintain their anonymity through the Rule 16 scheduling conference that will be held to address the parties’ Joint Preliminary Report and Discovery Plan. The prime fact that compels this decision is that plaintiffs were minors at the time of the alleged sexual coercion. Sexual coercion of a minor is information of the utmost intimacy that warrants special protection.”

Trying to defend himself, Schair continues throwing people under the bus. He threw his ex-wife Amelia Karr under the bus by submitting her Grand Jury target letter as evidence for his motion to stay. In his answer to the human trafficking complaint, his attorney, L. David Wolfe, wrote:

“Defendants deny the allegations contained in paragraph 8 of the Plaintiffs’ Complaint. Furthermore, the vessel AMAZON SANTANA was owned and operated by Lauro Rocha and Jean Phillip Perol as owners of Santana Turismo Ecologico Fishing Safaris, LTDA. Defendant Richard Schair held a security interest in the vessel from mid-2005 to late 2007 as collateral for a loan made to Santana Turismo Ecologico Fishing Safaris, LTDA, for the build-out of the vessel that would become the AMAZON SANTANA. Defendants played no role in the day-to-day operations of the vessel or tours. Finally, the acts alleged by Plaintiffs fail to meet the requirement of ‘coercion’ as set forth in 18 U.S. C. 1591(e)(2)(A-C), and therefore Plaintiffs have not stated a claim upon which relief can be granted.”

Here, he throws his Brazilian business partner Lauro Rocha under the bus along with the head of the official French tourism office and the Chairman of the European Travel Commission, Jean Philip Perol.

Chairman Perol told Elite Travelling magazine:

“My favorite region is the Amazon, and every year I invite friends from around the world to take a five-day cruise up the river on my boat. People from France, the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Brazil all mix together on board, up to 18 people. What happens is people discover themselves, and they all have a little something in common. I’ve done this for three years now, and it’s on board the 100-foot boat that I share with another friend.”

Current Brazilian court records show that Schair’s co-defendant and business partner Lauro Rocha, was served on September 9, 2011.

An online search for “Wet-A-Line” with the Georgia Secretary of State reveals that the corporation was “terminated” last July and that Richard Schair is the CEO of a nonprofit group. The “Wet-A-Line Tours LLC” Certificate of Voluntary Termination has the Secretary of State terminating the company on May 9, 2011, with Schair backdating his signature to July 1, 2010.

According to the Secretary of State, the articles of dissolution must state that there are no actions pending against the corporation in any court or that adequate provision has been made for the satisfaction of any judgment, order or decree that may be ordered against the corporation in any pending action.

Judge O’Kelley granted Schair’s motion to stay because he provided evidence of two criminal actions pending against his corporation in an effort to stay the civil action also pending against his corporation.

The webpage “Dissolving a Corporation” for the Georgia Secretary of State states:

“If articles do not comply with requirements of the Georgia Business Corporation Code they will be returned to the filer for correction. If corrected and returned, the date of dissolution will be the date the articles were initially received.”

Do these ongoing cases prevent Schair from terminating his company? Does this termination create a date from which a statute of limitations can start tolling, counting on the grand jury to drag on until the Plaintiffs’ time runs out? Was his signature backdated so a hypothetical two year statute of limitations would end on July 1, 2012? And does not disclosing the criminal actions against Wet-A-Line Tours mean that the Certificate of Termination filed with the Secretary of State is fraudulent?  

The other filing was for “The Circle Fund,” a nonprofit group listing Richard Schair as CEO. Most philanthropists would proudly list their nonprofit groups on their professional websites and include their charitable associations in their online business listings. 

Schair does not.

The website states:

“The Circle Fund, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation whose mission is to ‘Support the Families that Support Our Freedom’ by providing scholarships for dependents and spouses of service-members that have been killed or severely disabled as a result of their military service.  We believe it is our solemn duty as Americans to honor these great men and women of freedom by receiving their sacrifice with sincere hearts and bringing it ‘Full-Circle’ back to those who are left behind.”

The “About Us” section reads:

“The Circle Fund is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Foundation that was formed by a select group of business professionals and entrepreneurs who have combined their passion for ‘Supporting The Families that Support Our Freedom’ by proving scholarship grants to the families of our fallen heroes and wounded warriors. Our Leadership Team and Board of Directors consist of military veterans, real estate brokers, CPA's, attorneys, developers, non-profit leaders, and business owners. Due to the experience and expertise of our seasoned professionals, along with our ongoing fundraising efforts through corporate sponsors and individual partnerships, The Circle Fund is uniquely positioned to accept all types of Real Estate assets while providing a philanthropic avenue for receiving the maximum allowable tax benefits according to current Internal Revenue Service codes and regulations.”

Curious is the timing of the group’s formation, considering it’s placement in the following timeline:

April 29, 2009 the Brazilian Federal Police indicted Schair for rape, corruption of minors, operating a network of prostitution and Indigenous violations.

May 5, 2009 I report Schair’s indictment.

June 19, 2009 Schair asks a Brazilian Federal Judge to dismiss all charges against him by applying for habeas corpus.

June 23, 2009 Judge denies Schair’s application, citing his request has no merit.

June 25, 2009 U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami sends Schair and Wet-A-Line Tours a subpoena to testify before a Grand Jury on July 16, 2009.

June 26, 2009 Schair sues Newsvine.com in Hall County District Court, Georgia over my work.

July 6, 2009 Schair named CEO and Founding Board President of the Circle Fund.

July 28, 2009 Schair withdraws complaint after Newsvine.com changed venue to federal court.

August 3, 2009, Brazilian federal judge accepts case against Schair.

Applicant, Secretary/Treasurer and CFO Chris Brooks explained to the IRS in the “Finances” section of the 1023 application for exemption that:

“Startup expenses will be provided by substantial donations from the founding Board of Directors.”

In contrast, the website states:

“The Circle Fund relies solely on the support of others to maintain its ongoing mission of providing Educational Scholarships to the families of our fallen heroes.”

The Circle Fund’s business plan defines program qualifications as:

“Military service-Member must have served on active-duty in a theater of  combat operations and either been killed (KIA) or wounded in action (WIA) as a result of their military service during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) from October 7, 2001  and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) from March 20, 2003.”

The marketing plan described the primary market as:

“Families of military service-members killed or wounded while on active duty…Many children and spouses of those killed in action are now facing financial hardships and are unable to meet their educational goals due to the permanent loss of income to the family. Also, many of these injured heroes are facing significant barriers to employment by being unable to continue their military service and unable to find comparable civilian employment in their field of expertise as a result of their disability.”

When a request for the tax returns and 1023 Application for Exemption was emailed to Schair’s agent/attorney, Aaron C. Clark, he responded “Seriously?”

Then I heard from the CFO Chris Brooks and two other attorneys, which in my ten years of asking for nonprofit returns, was the strangest response ever.

Their responses went something like this, thanks to Dr. Seuss.

That Schair I am.

That Schair I am.

I do not know

That Schair I am.

He’s caught up

In cases of

Court house spam.

I do not know that

Schair I am.

The CFO wrote:

“I’ve got a wife.

I’ve got two kids.

I know nothing of

His nonprofit biz.”

One lawyer made

It crystal clear

“I’ve fought the feds

Year after year

To clear his name

In the blogosphere.

I know nothing

Of his nonprofit biz.

I’m just a white collar

Criminal whiz.”

Another wrote:

“I’m just the agent,

Seriously?

I’m that guy

From your history.

Remember when we

Sued Newsvine

Over your work?

I’m just that

Nitwit legal jerk.”

Because he loves

Making legal spam.

He’s at arm’s length,

That Schair I am. 

The tax documents were lawfully provided within 30 days of my request by the nonprofit attorney who helped form the group. According to the group’s 1023 application for exemption, the Projected Statement of Revenues and Expenses anticipated income of $250,000 in 2009, increasing in 2010 to $500,000 and then $1 million in 2011.

On August 18, 2011 attorney Thomas R. Wrobel of NonprofitlegalCenter.com wrote :  

“In response to your request for disclosure of our form 990s please be aware the organization has had minimal activity in the past few years. No 990EZ was filed in 2009 because the organization was below the $25,000 threshold. For 2010, please see attached the receipt for the filing of the form 990N, because the 2010 revenue was below the 990EZ threshold of $50,000. Additionally, attached is the 1023 form you requested.”  

Why did Schair, secretary/treasurer Chris Brooks and agent/attorney Aaron C. Clark go to all the trouble and expense of writing up a business plan and applying to the IRS to create a nonprofit group that currently solicits the following donations? These include:

• CASH - One-Time Cash Gift, Monthly Sponsor, Estate Gift
• REAL-ESTATE - Residential Property, Multi-Family, Commercial Property, Raw Land, Industrial / Warehouse, Manufacturing Plants, Income Property
• OTHER NON-CASH - Stocks / Bonds, Tangible Personal Property, Automobiles, Coin / Stamp Collections

Why does this group appear to have not met their financial goals and performed as promised to the IRS? Has Schair provided any scholarships or grants to family members of dead service members and disabled veterans? Why was the Circle Fund invisible on the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks?

Or was this nonprofit group created as a vehicle to potentially hide assets?

Next: “Zen and the Art of Throwing Others Under the Bus.”

(1)    Schair’s motion to stay and answer to the Plaintiffs’ complaint are contrary to the  findings of the Federal Prosecutor in the Amazon District of the Brazilian Public Ministry:

“The Facts – Richardo Wayne Schair and Jose Lauro Rocha Da Silva, as administrative partners of the Santana Turismo Ecologico company, Fishing Safaris LTDA, owner of the vessels Amazon Santana and Santana 1, in the years between 2005 and 2007, engaged in the illegal activities of sexual exploitation of minors, taking financial advantage of the prostitution of minors.

At the same time period, acting as managers of Richard Wayne Schair and Jose Lauro Rocha Da Silva, the nationals (Brazilian citizens) Juscelino De Souza Motta, Daniel Gerbaldo Lopes, Admilson Garcia Da Silva and Adilson Garcia Da Silva, who worked as interpreters for North-American tourists, executed the recruitment and facilitated the prostitution of minors, making it partially possible, through the economic exploitation of the prostitution of minors.

Thus, all of the denounced (accused) people were associated with this criminal group, which was established to economically explore the prostitution of underage Brazilians in the State of Amazonas, through actions that constitute the following crimes, according to the normative prescription of the time period when the facts occurred:

1)      Sexual exploitation of minors

2)      Rape

3)      Facilitation of Prostitution

4)      Ruffianism

5)      Domestic trafficking of people

6)      Sexual Exploitation of minors.

The United States citizen Richard Wayne Schair, owner of the tourism agency Wet-A-Line Tours, located in the state of Georgia in the U.S.A. promoted (or facilitated) touristic trips of North Americans to Brazil more precisely to the State of Amazonas. Through his tourism agency, he under-contracted (or hired) in that Country, touristic trips for cruising and fishing in the Amazon River, and offered his clients the possibility of sexual encounters, for (financial) renumeration, with Brazilian girls, many of whom were underage.

The letter to the judge continues that the defendants acted under the orders of Schair and Rocha to recruit the girls to work as prostitutes for North Americans during the trip. “Photographic proof and recordings of police missions reveal how Brazilian girls were hired to participate in parties with foreign tourists.” (Editor’s Note: These pictures include members of the Royal Order of Jesters.) It also explains that evidence obtained after searching the boats “attest to the existence of numerous images of Brazilian women in sexual poses within the vessels and in the company of foreign tourists.” It continues that one woman “admitted that on the 2^nd semester of 2006 while being 13 years old, that she was invited by Richard Wayne Schair along with her sister to cruise on the vessel, where she had carnal relations (sex) with Richard Wayne Schair deeming indubitable the practice of the crime of rape.” The request from Federal Public Ministry prosecutors asks the judge to process the accused ones to their final condemnation and requests that the witnesses and victims be summoned to trial.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From Copyright © 2011 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission. http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/

Disclaimer: All are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The news about Richard Schair’s alleged involvement with child sex tourism in Brazil has spread around the world since “Allegations Link U.S. Companies to Brazilian Sex Tourism by Barry Meier,” was published by the New York Times on Friday, July 8, 2011.

Different articles in The Brisbane Times, CNBC, The Huffington Post and AOL Travel, show that other journalists are digging into the story.

The HuffPo article “Iriny Lopes, Brazil Women's Rights Minister, Calls For Amazon Sex Tour Investigation” reports that:

“RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil is investigating allegations that an American fishing tour operator was using expeditions in the Amazon to cover up the sexual exploitation of underage indigenous girls, the country's minister for women's rights said Monday.

‘The country cannot stand idly by before allegations of this sort,’ Iriny Lopes told the Associated Press.

She said she was meeting with the minister for human rights, Maria do Rosario Nunes, and seeking information from investigators and prosecutors on the case to decide whether to establish a commission to look into the matter.”

The AOL article specifically links to “Brazil Prosecutes Schair & Co. for Running House of Prostitution” and reports that Schair’s customers included a group of Shriners.

This was first reported in “Jesters to Testify About Illegal Drugs, Prostitution?”

As a matter of memberships, one must first be a Master Mason before joining groups like the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners. One must be secretly invited from the Shriners to join the Royal Order of Jesters. The Jesters are currently under investigation for human trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism after three of them were caught by the FBI in a human trafficking sting taking an illegal alien sex slave from Buffalo, New York to a Jester party in Kentucky. These included a NY State Supreme Court Judge, his lawclerk and a retired Lockport police captain.

Brazil’s largest news outlet, Globo, reported yesterday (translation by Bing) that:

“The Minister of the Secretariat for women's policies, Iriny Lopes, decided on Monday proposing an agreement between the federal Government and the States of the Legal Amazon to combat sexual exploitation and enhance monitoring of fishing tourism companies in the region. The decision was taken Monday the Minister, after meeting with the Federal Police (PF) and the Prosecutor. The action was taken after the newspaper "The New York Times" report that the American company Wet-to-Line Tours, formally known as fishing tourism, tourist sex packets also sells on Amazon. The G1 tried to contact the company, and waits for response.

To organize the action, the Minister will talk to the Ministers Luiz Sérgio, fisheries, defence, Nelson Jobim, Antônio Patriot, of Foreign Affairs, José Eduardo Cardozo, justice, and Carlos Lupi, labour and the President of FUNAI (Indigenous Agency), Márcio Meira.

In an interview G1 to this Sunday, Iriny said that the priority is to monitor the process so that it is not stopped, as, according to the American newspaper, either the owner of the Wet-to-Line Tours.

For the Federal Public Ministry, the evidence is damning. The criminal action against the company Wet-to-Line, by American Richard Schair, runs in the 4th Vara Federal do Amazonas and is at the stage of service of the five denounced.”

The 24 Horas News has just published “PF investigates 20 Americans suspected of sex tourism” (translation by Bing) and reports that:

“The Federal Police (PF) in the Amazon will investigate more 20 Americans suspected of participating in sexual tourism scheme with indigenous children in the Amazon, on the pretext of sport fishing. An American and five Brazilians have already been denounced by suspicion.

In research, the PF had a list with other alleged American clients of travel agencies. She was on the computer of American Richard Schair, agent of the Wet-to-Line Tours, target of process in the United States on suspicion of sexual tourism exploitation in Brazil.

The Agency also is being processed in Brazil, as well as the Santana ecological tourism-Fishing Safaris, partner in organizing tours in Manaus.

According to PF, packages for fishing, which allegedly included sex tourism, cost $ 4,000 to

$5,000 ($ 6,300 to $ 7,900). The PF said that at least 15 girls were victims of rape and grooming.”

It has yet to be determined if these 20 customers includes 19 Jesters known to have gone on Wet-A-Line tours to Brazil. Fishing guides provided depositions to the Brazilian Federal Police and in the U.S., testifying that the Jesters returned year after year. They also gave pictures to the Brazilian federal police of “Masons” having sex with underage girls.

FOX News Atlanta ran a news report about this earlier today, featuring pictures of Jesters partying with Brazilian girls.

One correction to the FOX News story, typos included, concerns:

“Senior I-team reporter Dale Russell broke this story nearly two years ago and is he has the exclusive report.”

The Brazilian Sex Tourism story was first reported here on March 6, 2008, with six other articles published prior to FOX News broadcasting “Brazil Sex Tourism” on November 23, 2009.

Reporter Dale Russell interviewed a disheveled Richard Schair who proclaimed his innocence over and over, as if he’s above the law; as if he’s got inside connections.

Schair may very well have connections, vested in protecting him and/or keeping him from naming names. Documents filed with the Georgia Real Estate Commission in 1986 show how Schair, though a recently convicted felon, applied for and was granted a Georgia real estate license. One witness who wrote two letters of support and testified at his hearing was former federal prosecutor Larry Mackey, who convicted Schair for moving over three tons of marijuana and cocaine possession in the early ‘80s.

Documents submitted to the Georgia Real Estate Commission include two letters of support from Mackey, plea agreements, amendments to sentencing, a transcript of the entire hearing and the commission’s decision. The transcript tells how Schair was kept in solitary confinement after he turned drug informant. The transcript details how Schair was moved to city and county jails to gather information on other drug dealers in cases from Illinois to Arkansas and Florida. This is how he managed to serve three of a twenty year prison sentence.

Mackey is better known as the federal prosecutor who convicted Oklahoma bomber Timothy McVeigh. He works today in the Indianapolis branch of Barnes & Thornberg LLP, the same firm as Schair’s current Federal White Collar Crime Defense attorney, Solomon Wisenberg.  

Both Mackey and Wisenberg have yet to return calls to answer questions about their client’s recent legal filing or explain why their client, who is under criminal investigation by a Grand Jury, is being prosecuted in Brazil and is being sued by four Brazilian girls for sex trafficking, is talking to the media.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From Copyright © 2011 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission. http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/

Update 6/12/2009: Congressman Chris Smith, representing New Jersey’s Fourth District, authored the “Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (P.L. 106-386)” or TVPA.

Yesterday, former fishing tour operator Richard Schair made public a criminal investigation by a federal grand jury into his and ex-wife Amelia’s alleged involvement with child sex tourism in Brazil.

Schair filed a pro se motion in the Gainesville, Georgia federal court to “stay” or stop a civil complaint brought against him by four Brazilian girls who allege he caused them, while underage, to engage in commercial sex acts with his North American fishing clients.

Their unprecedented complaint was coordinated by Equality Now, an international humanitarian group dedicated to fighting the sexual abuse and exploitation of women and girls with pro bono legal assistance provided by the Atlanta law firm of King and Spalding.

The complaint was filed to enforce civil remedies provided by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), describing the girls as victims of sex trafficking, with one as young as twelve.

Schair’s motion to stay “is a private counterpart to two ongoing criminal actions,” including prosecution by the Brazilian Public Ministry and Grand Jury FGJ 08-304 (MIA) out of Miami, Florida. It is not yet clear if the foreign prosecution is admissible in support of the stay.

Schair’s motion includes a copy of the original Brazilian charging document and documents from the Miami Grand Jury, including a target letter sent to Schair’s ex-wife on December 16, 2010. This request from Assistant US Attorney Marlene Rodriguez asks Amelia to talk with agents because “according to information that ICE and FBI supplied, Ms. Schair was involved with a company and/or an individual who may have engaged in child sex tourism in Brazil.”   

Other grand jury documents include a subpoena to testify, issued to Schair’s former fishing company Wet-A-Line Tours in July, 2009.

An attachment asks for:

• The Schair’s travel records from January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2008
• Photographs of all customers
• Electronic communication, files and contact information regarding all individual customers, corporate entity customers and subcontracted travel agencies

The other document is a request from the Brazilian Federal Ministry to a Federal Judge in the Amazon district asking for the prosecution of Richard W. Schair and five others. The request alleges that from 2005 to 2007, Schair’s fishing trips aboard the Amazon Santana “engaged in the illegal activities of sexual exploitation of minors, taking financial advantage of the prostitution of minors.” The request spells out the charges for which Schair was indicted, including:

• Sexual Exploitation of Minors
• Rape
• Facilitation of Prostitution
• Ruffianism
• Domestic trafficking of people

“Brazilian Girls Sue Richard Schair for Sex Trafficking” explains more about the girls' historic complaint.

“Brazil Prosecutes Schair & Co for Running House of Prostitution” explains more about this unprecedented multi-national human trafficking prosecution.

This is the second time Schair has made public criminal proceedings against him while trying to avoid prosecution. He filed an application for habeas corpus in June 2009, asking the Brazilian federal judge in charge of his indictment to drop all charges against him. This request made public his indictment after a federal police report itemized the charges for which he was originally indicted.  The Brazilian judge rejected Schair’s request, stating his case had no merit.

 “Brazilian Child Sex Tourism Resource and Timeline” explains:

This resource provides links to nine articles that document four different cases involving Atlanta real estate salesman and former fishing tour operator, Richard W. Schair.

The articles detail three legal challenges that totally blew up in his face.

1) Schair sued a business rival after alleging that he provided prostitutes for his fishing customers. As evidence mounted against him, Schair then paid his rival $15,000 to settle out of court. A witness list for the defense named 19 Jesters who were expected to testify about their first hand knowledge of minor prostitution, prostitution and drug use while on one of Schair’s fishing trips.

2) Schair’s failed request for habeas corpus made public his indictment by the Brazilian Federal Police for rape, using minors for prostitution and violating indigenous rights.

3) Schair sued Newsvine.com after I reported his indictment. He immediately withdrew his complaint after Newsvine attorneys moved the case from district court to federal court.

Schair first came to my attention after I published “Jesters Exposed,” the first ever article about the Shriners’ secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters, currently under investigation for sex trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism.

It has been confirmed that investigators have interviewed the Jesters about their trip/s to Brazil. It has yet to be determined if any of them have been called to testify before the grand jury.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From Copyright © 2011 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission. http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/

Update 7/12/2011: U.S. Congressman Chris Smith, representing New Jersey’s Fourth District, authored the  “Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (P.L. 106-386)” or TVPA.

Equality Now, a humanitarian group dedicated to protecting and promoting women’s rights around the world, has just announced their coordination of unprecedented legal efforts to represent four Brazilian Indian girls in a complaint filed today in U.S. District Court, Gainesville Division, against former fishing tour operator and real estate salesman, Richard Schair of Gainesville, Georgia. (1)

The complaint alleges that Schair caused the underage girls to engage in commercial sex acts and describes them as victims of sex trafficking, with one as young as twelve.

The complaint further alleges that Schair, “by and through his agents and employees, engaged in international commerce and sex trafficking of children by recruiting customers in the United States to engage in ‘sex tourism’ in Brazil.” Court documents from cases in both the U.S. and Brazil suggest that these customers included members of the Shriner’s secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters, currently under investigation for human trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism.

The complaint continues that Schair and associates used fraudulent and coercive means to recruit, obtain, harbor and transport “young girls under the age of eighteen aboard the Amazon Santana and used fraudulent means to solicit and coerce Plaintiffs into commercial sex acts with his customers aboard the Amazon Santana.”

According to the Equality Now:  

“Initiated and coordinated by international human rights organization Equality Now, the landmark civil case will be filed by Atlanta law firm King & Spalding. The case is noteworthy because it is the first time that the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) will be used by alleged victims of trafficking to seek damages from a sex tour operation.”

John Harbin, a partner in the law firm, will lead the pro-bono litigation, stating “With this lawsuit, we hope to shine a spotlight on such conduct and the real harm it does to the victims, and to get justice for the victims.”

King and Spalding has been in business for 125 years with over 800 lawyers in offices in Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dubai, Frankfurt, Geneva, Houston, London, Moscow, New York, Paris, Riyadh (affiliated office), San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Singapore and Washington, D.C.. According to their website, “King & Spalding represents half of the Fortune 100 and, according to a Corporate Counsel survey in August 2009, ranks fifth in its total number of representations of those companies.”

The U.S. Department of State states:

“It is a crime for a United States citizen or permanent resident to travel abroad for the purpose of having sex with a minor and it is a crime for a United States citizen or permanent resident to actually have sex with a minor while abroad… It is a criminal activity to knowingly arrange, induce, procure or facilitate for profit the travel of a person when you know that the person is traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors.”

The girls are seeking damages for trafficking them to engage in commercial sex acts while (1) under the age of eighteen and (2) by means of force, fraud or coercion, in the State of Amazonas, Brazil, aboard the vessel Amazon Santana in an amount to be determined at trial.

Schair was indicted by the Brazilian Federal Police in 2009 for rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network. The Brazilian Public Ministry began prosecuting him and five Brazilians on April 29, 2011 for operating a house of prostitution, story here.

Brazilian attorney, Dr. Washington Cesar Rocha Magalhaes, anchors the legal activity in the Amazon as he represented the girls when they testified in June, 2007 as part of a federal investigation into the sexual exploitation of minor Indian girls living along the Amazon by North American foreign tourists. The girls' statements can be read here.

Dr. Magalhes can be seen in this YouTube video of the Brazilian news Rede Record report “Childhood in Danger” by Carlos Azen. He reported that the FBI had been in jungle villages interviewing the same girls and showed the Amazon Santana fishing boats used by Schair on his fishing trips. The video was posted with closed captions by ECPAT-USA, working to form a global network for the protection of children.

The TVPA was passed by Congress in 2000 to prevent and protect against sex trafficking by punishing the traffickers and protecting the victims.

Equality Now chooses their cases “based on their significance and the prospects of finding restitution for the victims and reshaping the rule of law by setting precedents or highlighting the need for equal protection under the law. Cases are brought to the public’s attention and foster public debate and more widespread rights-seeking. Equality Now is currently supporting three cases through the Adolescent Girls’ Legal Defense Fund.”

Ethiopia - Marriage by abduction, a common practice in parts of Ethiopia, occurs when a man kidnaps a woman or girl, rapes her and then pressures her to marry him. In 2005, following advocacy efforts by the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), supported by an international Equality Now campaign, Ethiopia abolished the law that provided for exemption from punishment in these cases of abduction and rape, if the rapist subsequently married his victim.

Zambia - The “defilement” or rape of minors is rampant in Zambia. Equality Now has been actively supporting a case involving the rape of a 13-year-old girl by her teacher. Two other teachers confirmed her allegations, and the girl’s aunt/guardian reported the incident to the school. The teacher admitted she was his “girlfriend”, and remarks reportedly made by the head teacher indicated that this was not the first such incident involving this teacher. The teacher went into hiding, and his parents tried to negotiate with the aunt, who refused and reported the matter to the police. The teacher was arrested but was released on bond and has not been prosecuted. As a result, the aunt consulted a lawyer she knew who agreed to handle the case pro bono as a civil matter.

Kenya - The AGLDF is monitoring the case of a young Maasai girl who bled to death after being subjected to Female Genital Mutiliation  in Kenya. The circumciser and the girl’s father were arrested and are facing manslaughter charges. This may be one of the first prosecutions of a circumciser and a parent in the Maasai community. The AGLDF retained a lawyer to help the prosecution bring a successful case (public prosecutors in Kenya are often not lawyers themselves), and we will follow the case until a judgment is rendered.

Taina Bien-Aime, Executive Director of Equality Now explains that:

“This unprecedented case focuses on the criminal links between human trafficking and the sex tourism industry operating from the United States with impunity. We hope it sends a loud and clear message to all sex tour operators in the United States that sex trafficking victims anywhere can bring a case against those who exploit them by pressing for damages in the U.S.”

Equality Now reports that UNICEF estimates about a quarter of a million children are forced into the commercial sex industry in Brazil, the second largest number after Thailand. The 2010 Trafficking in Persons Report by the U.S. State Department reports that officials are concerned about Brazil’s “serious official complicity in trafficking crimes at a local level” and that “police have turned a blind eye to child prostitution and potential human trafficking activity.”

“It is time for the U.S. federal government to take all forms of sex tourism seriously,” Bien – Aime continued, “and apply the law to the fullest extent to punish the perpetrators and protect the victims of American sex tourism around the world.” 

(1) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 11, states: "Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which they have had all the guarantees necessary for their defence."

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From Copyright © 2011 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission. http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/

Editor’s Note and Disturbing Content Warning: These materials are presented as a public service to educate you about the growing crime of “child sex tourism.”

The U.S. Department of Justice writes:

“Child sex tourism makes its profits from the exploitation of child prostitutes in developing countries. Many children are trafficked into the sex trade…Child prostitutes live in constant fear; they live in fear of sadistic acts by clients, fear of being beaten by pimps who control the sex trade, and fear of being apprehended by the police. It comes as no surprise that victims often suffer from depression, low self-esteem, and feelings of hopelessness. Many victims of child sexual exploitation also suffer from physical ailments, including tuberculosis, exhaustion, infections, and physical injuries resulting from violence inflicted upon them. Venereal diseases run rampant among these children and they rarely receive medical treatment until they are seriously or terminally ill. Living conditions are poor and meals are inadequate and irregular. Many children that fail to earn enough money are punished severely, often through beatings and starvation. Sadly, drug use and suicide are all too common for victims of child sexual exploitation.”

Combine this with secret societies hiding behind burned and crippled children and we have the worst nonprofit fraud of our time; prostitution at taxpayer expense.

Be warned that learning about this might adversely affect you. Five Indian girls told the Brazilian Federal Police how they, as minors, were lured into prostitution for North American tourists, like that group of “Masons” who were fishing in Brazil for Peacock Bass and girls over 13. One girl testified that she lost her virginity and was left pregnant after such a trip. Then, as a 13 year old unwed mother, she and her baby were ostracized from her village.

Those who prey on such poverty must first be Master Masons before joining groups like the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners. They’re best known for their red fezzes and operating 22 hospitals that now take insurance for previously free medical care for burned and crippled children. A Shriner must be secretly invited to join the Royal Order of Jesters, currently under investigation for sex trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism.

Three years after reading the girls' depositions, I’m still writing for them, giving them a voice, for which Newsvine.com was unsuccessfully sued. Then, a mainstream media outlet used my work as a resource without citation. Please feel free to use these materials as a resource as long as you provide attribution.

So, what’s up with this underground network of Jesters who use their influence to protect each other? Like I’ve written before, who really cares if these guys want to get snot slinging drunk, gamble their asses off or mess around with prostitutes?

That’s just a weekend in Vegas.

The problem is that the Jesters are tax exempt. Individual Jesters can claim their fraternal and charitable contributions/donations on their tax returns. Their donations go towards their group’s party fund. Then the group deducts the costs of partying AKA spreading the gospel of mirth and merriment. This means that we subsidize the taxes that they don’t pay.

Someone at the IRS somehow granted the Jesters dual tax exempt status for both their 501c10 fraternity and 501c3 charity. Tax returns show that the Jesters' fraternal exempt purpose is spreading the gospel of mirth and merriment. The charitable exempt purpose is a Jester museum that allows their new headquarters building to be a write off. Except the Marion County tax assessor didn’t buy it.

That’s how this all started. “Jesters Exposed” describes how the national office appealed a property tax exemption denial and convinced the tax appeal board that they deserved the exemption because the ROJ is an appendant body of Masonry. Obfuscating charitable apples and fraternal oranges, the Jesters got the exemption.

There are about 23,500 Jesters organized into fraternal "courts" that correspond to the 191 Shriner temples located across North America. These courts write off millions in party expenses year after year while we make up for the taxes they don’t pay, like the property taxes.

Again, partying with prostitutes at tax payer expense.

Thank you for being here,

Sandy Frost

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Starbucks, WA

This resource provides links to nine articles that document four different cases involving Atlanta real estate salesman and former fishing tour operator, Richard W. Schair. The articles detail three legal challenges that totally blew up in his face.

1) Schair sued a business rival after alleging that he provided prostitutes for his fishing customers. As evidence mounted against him, Schair then paid his rival $15,000 to settle out of court.

2) Schair’s failed request for habeas corpus made public his indictment by the Brazilian Federal Police for rape, using minors for prostitution and violating indigenous rights.

3) Schair sued Newsvine.com after I reported his indictment. He immediately withdrew his complaint after Newsvine attorneys moved the case from district court to federal court.

Schair came to my attention after I published “Jesters Exposed,” the first ever article about the Shriners’ secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters, currently under investigation for sex trafficking, prostitution and child sex tourism. Schair had sued a competitor who alleged that he provided prostitutes for his customers. A witness list for the defense named 19 Jesters who were expected to testify about their first hand knowledge of minor prostitution, prostitution and drug use while on one of Schair’s fishing trips.

As the evidence mounted against him, Schair settled out of court by paying the defendant $15,000.

After I reported that the Brazilian Federal Police had indicted him, Schair sued Newsvine.com for libel. Attorneys for Newsvine.com moved the case from Hall County District Court in Georgia to U.S. District Court in Gainesville, prompting Schair to withdraw his complaint.

This list of articles includes links to pertinent documents.

A timeline follows.

Jesters to Testify About Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?

Thu Mar 6, 2008 10:35 AM PST

A slander complaint between two former fishing tour operators included a witness list for the defense that named 19 members of the Royal Order of Jesters who were expected to testify about “their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers.”

Brazilian Fishing Trip Depositions: "Masons" Pictured Having Sex with Teen Prostitutes?

Sun May 25, 2008 3:55 PM PDT

Two fishing guides, previously employed by Richard W. Schair, were deposed by the Brazilian Federal Police as they investigated the sexual exploitation of minor girls by North American tourists. These guides, both brothers, were advised by Brazilian authorities to testify in the United States. These depositions were recorded over three days in Miami as the fishing guides, among other things, identified pictures of “Masons” having sex with teen prostitutes.

Deposition of Adilson Garcia Da Silva, Sunday April 13, 2008, 11am – 6:25pm

Deposition of Adilson Garcia Da Silva, Sunday April 15, 2008, 10:10am – 12 noon

Deposition of Adilson Garcia Da Silva, Monday April 14, 2008, 11:45am – 6:30pm

Deposition of Admilson Garcia Da Silva, Tuesday April 15, 2008, 12:20pm – 7:30pm

Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists

Mon Jun 2, 2008 2:58 PM PDT

Five girls provided depositions to the Brazilian Federal Police on June 13, 2007 and described how “Richard” illegally lured them off their reservation to clean and cook on his fishing boat. They told the police that upon arrival, they were expected to get drunk and perform “programs” that consisted of oral sex, strip and dance contests on the boat with North American fishermen. The girls allege that they were told they’d be paid one rate, but were paid much less of what had been promised. One testified that she was left pregnant after one such fishing trip, at the age of 13.

Brazilian Judge Rejects Jester Fishing Tour Operator's Request for Habeas Corpus

Mon Jun 29, 2009 5:15 PM PDT

On June 23, 2009, Brazilian federal judge, MARIA LUCIA GOMES DE SOUZA, denied a June 19, 2009 habeas corpus request filed on behalf of Richard Wayne Schair. If granted, it would have protected Schair from unlawful detention upon entering Brazil after being charged with rape, corruption of minors and operating a house of prostitution.

Brazilian Federal Police, Amazon division, inquest #410/2007 led to filing legal proceedings against Schair on August 8, 2007 after they had been investigating "that since the year 2000, minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the region of the Municipality of Autazes/AM became victims of sexual exploitation by North American tourists."

Federal Court, Amazon District cover sheet can be read here.

Customer list submitted as evidence in Schair’s request for habeas corpus can be read here.

Page 1 of Brazilian Federal Police Report submitted to Judge can be read here.

Page 2 of Brazilian Federal Police Report submitted to Judge can be read here.

Editorial: Schair v Newsvine Illustrates Importance of Reporter Shield and Child Protection Bills Before Congress

Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:12 PM PDT

This article explains the necessity of reporter shield and child protection bills before Congress in lieu of the Richard W. Schair v Newsvine Inc. complaint filed in Superior Court, Hall County, Georgia.

Richard W. Schair v Newsvine Dismissed as Brazilian Judge Accepts Rape & Underage Prostitution Case Against Him

Wed Aug 5, 2009 11:04 PM PDT

Richard Schair's motion to dismiss was granted after Newsvine.com moved his
libel and defamation complaint to federal court. Additionally, the federal judge overseeing Brazil’s own case against him accepted it from the federal prosecutor's office.

Schair v Newsvine Motion of Removal of Action can be read here.

Schair v Newsvine federal court cover sheet can be read here.

Newsitorial: Schair's Failed Application for Habeas Corpus Confirms Indictment, Implicates Jesters

Wed Sep 9, 2009 9:04 AM PDT

A failed application for habeas corpus made public the indictment of former fishing tour operator Richard W. Schair after the Brazilian Federal Police investigated his role in the alleged sexual exploitation of minor Indian girls living along the Amazon.

ABC News Confirms FBI Investigating Jesters for Child Sex Tourism

Mon Apr 5, 2010 11:06 PM PDT

“ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer” has confirmed that the FBI and ICE are continuing their investigation into fishing tour operators who facilitate “child sex tourism." This report includes a blurred picture of a Jester partying with a young Brazilian girl on his lap.

Brazilian News Confirms FBI Investigating Child Sex Crimes, Jesters Pictured w/Victims

Fri Oct 8, 2010 12:11 PM PDT

This Brazilian Rede Record news broadcast aired on October 6 and is described as “Companies That Sell packages of Tourism in the Amazon Promote Orgies.”

"Fashion in Europe, Japan and the USA is the ecological tourism. Who is buying the packages do not want the traditional uses, either adventure. One of the destinations is the Brazilian Amazon. Girls are employed to work on vessels of luxury and are sexually exploited by foreign tourists."

The broadcast offers a closed caption English translation, video of the Amazon Santana and interviews with some of the girls, their attorney and a Brazilian Federal Police officer. He says that the investigation “has already been sent to the ‘Ministerio Publico Federal’ or ‘Federal Attorney,’ there were indicted the owner of the agency in Brazil and the man who sold the trips in the U.S., the American Richard Wayne Schair, who is accused of raping the girl ‘J.’”

The broadcast continues:

“The FBI agents who also investigate the case were in Autazes in the house of this young lady of Indian origin. They found the same poverty level that we are witnessing, a fridge practically empty, they heard dramatic testimony. She states that at 17 she accepted an offer to work on the yacht Amazon Santana. She was convinced by 2 foreigners to have sexual relations. On the trip lost her virginity, and believes that became pregnant of one of them.”

Timeline:

May 11, 2007 – Richard Wayne Schair, owner of Wet-a-Line Tours, sues Philip Marsteller, owner of Amazon Tours, for defamation and libel after alleging his involvement with drugs and prostitution.

July 11, 2007 - Five Indian girls provide depositions to the Brazilian Federal Police, alleging that "Richard" illegally lured them off their reservation to work as underage prostitutes for his North American fishing clients.

August 8, 2007 - Brazilian Federal Police, Amazon division inquest #410/2007 leads to filing legal proceedings against Schair, charging him with rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network.

February 15, 2008 - "Jesters Exposed" published and is the first article ever written about the Shriners' secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters.

March 6, 2008 - "Jesters' To Testify about Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?" reports that 19 Jesters named on a witness list for the defense were expected to testify about "their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers" in the case Schair v Marsteller.

May 25, 2008 - "Brazilian Fishing Trip Depositions: 'Masons' Pictured Having Sex with Teen Prostitutes?" covers depositions provided by Brazilian fishing tour guides who state that the Jesters asked to be called "Masons" and for girls over 13.

June 2, 2008 - "Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists" describes what five "Jane Does" told the Brazilian Federal Police about how “Richard” asked them to cook and clean on his fishing boat but instead were made drunk to then have sex with North American tourists. One testified that she was left pregnant at age 13.

September 15, 2008 - Philip Marsteller was honored at a ceremony held at the Church Center of the UN. He, on behalf of his Peacock Bass fishing business Amazon Tours, Inc., took a public stand against child sex tourism by signing "The Code" AKA Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism. The event was sponsored by ECPAT, which stands for "End Child Prostitution Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes." The signing ceremony honored Marsteller and Amazon Tours for becoming only the sixth American business to take such a public stand against child sex tourism.

December 9, 2008 - Schair pays Marsteller to settle out of court as mounting evidence supports his allegations.

June 19, 2009 - Schair submits an application for habeas corpus to prevent being arrested upon entering Brazil, asking the Brazilian Federal Police to dismiss the indictment against him.

June 23, 2009 - Brazilian federal judge Maria Lucia Gomes De Souza denies Schair’s application.

June 26, 2009 - Schair files libel/defamation complaint against Newsvine.com in Hall County Superior Court, Georgia.

June 29, 2009 - "Brazilian Judge Rejects Jester Fishing Tour Operator's Request for Habeas Corpus" published.

July 14, 2009 - "Editorial: Schair v Newsvine Illustrates Importance of Reporter Shield and Child Protection Bills Before Congress" includes "The big picture here is that Richard Schair is attempting to intimidate other media from covering the breaking news out of Brazil that his request for habeas corpus was denied. Now he could and probably would be arrested upon entering Brazil for the charges of rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network."

July 24, 2009 – Attorneys for Newsvine.com transfer Schair's defamation complaint from district court to federal court.

July 27, 2009 - Brazilian judge issues final denial of Schair's application for habeas corpus because it lacks merit.

July 28, 2009 - Schair's attorney files motion in federal court to dismiss complaint against Newsvine.com.

July 29, 2009 - Schair v Newsvine complaint dismissed in federal court.

August 3, 2009 - Brazilian judge approves the case against Richard Wayne Schair as submitted by prosecutors on behalf of the Brazilian Federal Police, paving the way for prosecution.

Aug 5, 2009 - Richard W. Schair v Newsvine Dismissed as Brazilian Judge Accepts Rape & Underage Prostitution Case Against Him reports that Schair's motion to dismiss was granted after Newsvine.com moved his defamation complaint to federal court.

Sep 9, 2009 - Newsitorial: Schair's Failed Application for Habeas Corpus Confirms Indictment, Implicates Jesters explains how Schair’s indictment became public through his failed application for habeas corpus.

Apr 5, 2010 ABC News Confirms FBI Investigating Jesters for Child Sex Tourism features Diane Sawyer confirming that the FBI and ICE are continuing their investigation into “child sex tourism.” The broadcast pictures a Jester partying with a Brazilian girl on his lap.

Oct 8, 2010 - Brazilian News Confirms FBI Investigating Child Sex Crimes, Jesters Pictured w/Victims is about the Rede Record broadcast reporting that FBI agents were in a jungle village to interview the girl who became pregnant, at age 13, after working as a prostitute for Schair’s customers.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2011 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Update 10/20/10: YouTube video with sub-titles can be seen here.

Update 10/10/10: Unofficial translation follows Brazilian news broadcast of “Childhood in Danger” by Rede Record. It reports that the FBI has been in Brazil investigating the sexual exploitation of underage Indian girls by North Americans. It also reports that the FBI interviewed a victim in her village and provides video of her living conditions. She alleges that she lost her virginity and was left pregnant by one of two North Americans on a fishing trip to Brazil.

Editor’s Note and Adult Content Warning 10/8/2010: Portuguese to English translations done by myself using Yahoo Babel fish and Babylon. They are rough translations of what is in the subtitles. Be warned that the Brazilian news broadcast has sexually explicit pictures.

Thank you,

Sandy

Over two years ago I published “Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists.”

It imagined what it would be like to be a 13 year old Brazilian Indian girl, living with her poor family on their reservation. Then a North American named “Richard” shows up and asks for your help to sweep, do laundry and cook on his fishing boat.

You agree because your family needs the money for food.

When you get to the boat, you learn that your real job, along with other girls, is to drink whiskey and beer and have sex with the “North Americans” on a fishing trip. After they go back home, you are left pregnant, not knowing who the father is.

Three years later, in July of 2007, you find yourself with four of the same girls in the office of the Regional Superintendent of the Federal Police of the State of Amazonas with your mother, a federal police transcriber, an attorney hired to represent you and the Federal Police Chief, who is asking you to tell him what happened. The police take your deposition because they are investigating that minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the regions of Autazes became victims of sexual exploitation by North-American foreign tourists.

The girls testify that “Richard” went to the same village every year, luring girls to help him with housekeeping and cooking on his boat, the Amazon Santana.

Two days ago, this Brazilian news broadcast told the same story. “Companies That Sell packages of Tourism in the Amazon Promote Orgies” aired October 6 and is described as:

"Fashion in Europe, Japan and the USA is the ecological tourism. Who is buying the packages do not want the traditional uses, either adventure. One of the destinations is the Brazilian Amazon. Girls are employed to work on vessels of luxury and are sexually exploited by foreign tourists."

The broadcast includes video of the Amazon Santana and interviews with some of the girls, their attorney and a Brazilian Federal Police officer sitting with a box of evidence marked 410/2007. This is the same case number with the same evidence that led the Brazilian federal police to indict former fishing tour operator Richard Schair for rape, operating a prostitution network and using minors as prostitutes.

The news report begins with police sweeping the streets for underage prostitutes. Then we see pictures of tourists on “ecological” trips through the jungles.

Reporter Luiz Carlos Azen then takes us to Manaus with the Amazon Santana and Santana II anchored in the background. These are the same fishing boats used by Schair before he was indicted and denied habeas corpus. This means that upon entering Brazil, he’ll be arrested.

Azen narrates a performance by Amazon Indians after which a spokesman says on subtitle that the girls of the “program” come to the villages. A “program” is sexual services provided by these underage prostitutes.

We are then taken to the office of the superintendent of the Brazilian Federal Police for the Manaus region of the Amazon District and meet Dr. Washington Magalhaes, the attorney who represents the girls who went to the police.

Tears started running down my face as I saw, for the first time, the Indian girls that I have written for. They are shown sitting on a wooden floor with a laptop nearby. They may never know about me or my work or the battles that I and others have fought on their behalf but hearing their brave voices in their face-masked interviews makes it all worth it.

They answer Azen’s questions about having sex aboard the Amazon Santana with those who speak English.

“How many men did you make sex with on this ship, the Amazon Santana?” Azen asks.

“With two,” the girl answers.

“Would you recognize them?” he asks.

“With certainty,” she answers.

“That nationality was?” he asks.

“Not from here, Brazilians were not.”

“They spoke what language?” he asks.

“They said everything in English,” she answered.

The second girl states “It was for me to use a drug that they were using called marijuana. It compelled me to make sex in a private room in the same motor boat, in a berth.” (1)

“The name of the boat,” Azen asks.

“Amazon Santana,” she replies.

Azen then takes us on a quick tour of the Amazon Santana before showing still pictures that include members of the Royal Order of Jesters fishing and partying with the girls. One has a picture of a fisherman in a Jester t-shirt with another Jester sporting a white beard similar to a national Jester officer who lives in Las Vegas. The Jesters involvement is best explained here.

From the article:

“Federal court documents filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division, related to case number 07-21228, list 19 witnesses who are believed to be members of the Royal Order of Jesters (ROJ) AKA Shriners AKA Masons, who are expected to testify about fishing trips to Brazil and "their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers."

The witness list can be found here.

Back to the Brazilian news story.

We then meet Roberto Jesus Camara, the inspector in charge of Brazilian Federal Police investigation 410/2007. He and Azen discuss the case of American Richard W. Schair which includes violating the rights of the Brazilian Indigenous.

Azen then asks one of the girls “What is the name of your enticer/inveigher/seducer?”

“Richard” she answered.

“That nationality he was?” he asks.

“Wasn’t Brazilian, not. Was of the United States.”

Azen then discusses the indigenous violations with Dr. Washington and we see a map that shows exclusive Indian reservations and government preserves, protected by law against such trespassing.

Next, Azen takes us to what appears to be a shed but is instead the home of the girl who was left pregnant at age 13 after one of Schair’s fishing trips. We see worldly belongings on a bed and an empty refrigerator.

“Do you know the father of your son?” he asks.

“No,” she answers.

“Then there is a possibility that one of the two Americans is the father?” he asks.

“That possibility exists,” she answers.

“What would you like?” Azen concludes.

“So that they pay,” she answers.

RECORD

Broadcast and unofficial translation follows.

"Childhood in Danger: Companies that Sell Tour Packages in the Amazon Promote Orgies"

10/06/2010

Ecological tourism is the style in Europe, Japan and the U.S.. The purchasers of packages do not want traditional destinations, they want adventure. One of these destinations is the Brazilian Amazon. Girls are contracted to work on luxury boats and are exploited sexually by foreign tourists.

Video

0:00 A police case in the U.S. and Brazil, companies that sell tourism packages of adventure in the Amazon, promote orgies during the sport fishing trips.

00:14 Girls contracted to work on luxury boats are sexually exploited by foreign tourists. That is what reporters Luis Carlos Agnes, Aumari Ribeiro, Jr. and Lumis Umica show in the special segment “Childhood in Danger.”

0:27 The operation in a suburb of Manaus the capitol of Amazonas, is to find minor prostitutes. On this night “counselor tutilar” or Minor Authority were able to locate two, one 15 and one 17.

0:48 Azen: What do you find when you start to investigate the lives of these girls?

Police: The financial situation where they take food home, the money home and they sell themselves. The parents many times know that they are doing this, certainly the majority of the parents have the knowledge that the daughter is putting something in the house and they know that it is in exchange for their body.

1:17 Now the authorities are starting to collect proof that the problem is aggravated by foreign tourists.

1:39 On arrival they see the splendid side of the city, the inheritance from when the city grew because of the rubber barons. But the majority of the tourists also want to explore the jungle and the bounty of the waters.

2:01 The style is now in Japan, Europe and the U.S. is a type of tourism called “ecological tourism” who purchases the package no longer wants to know about the traditional destination, London, Paris, New York, they want adventure.

2:12 One of the preferred destinations is this here the Brazilian Amazon.

2:16 We are navigating on the waters of the Rio Negro river and these boats that you see there are part of this industry of tourism. That attracts people full of money who come from the exterior and who many times trip over the laws of Brazil.

2:32 Now we are on our way to Autazes, 150Km (92 miles) from Manaus. It is the destination of the trips that take the foreigner to the most isolated corners of the Amazon. Where fishing is bountiful.

2:47 It's not the only attraction for tourists, in the middle of the route they experiment with the easy ability to see up-close certain Indian groups.

3:00 In Sao Joao do Tupe they assist this ceremony of thanks for the bountiful plenty that comes from the land and the water.

3:11 But the son of the chief complains that the interests of those who come from the outside is not for the traditions or the beauty of the jungle. They come in the company of girl prostitutes, here in the tribe. So this bothers me some because it looks like we are playing, do you understand?

3:28 What Reginaldo wants to say is that the sexual tourism that has spread along the river communities.

3:35 The port of Autazes is where boats tie up looking for women to service the boats. The offers attract the girls who are faced with the hard economic situation.

3:47 Now the Brazilian authorities were forced to act because of accusation that came from the U.S.

3:56 Washington Magalhes Attorney. They were recruited with promises of work for one week which is what an excursion lasts, work aboard and such, under the promises of $100.00 daily in the end had to submit to sexual favors, exploitation of every order, orgies, images collected by the police themselves or taken by them in CD show that there were actually orgies.

4:23 The attorney who presented the witnesses to the Brazilian Federal Police, he represents 7 river girls, all were minors when the case happened in 2004. “In the case of my clients these/this initial meeting, briefing, reception was in from of the port of Autazes and there they ordered their employees, there are depositions that state this, to recruit actually.”

04:46 Nine witnesses agreed to be interviewed without showing their faces, they are afraid of being retaliated against for denouncing this crime.

5:05 Our producer showed on a computer pictures of some of the accused and they recognize the men that are on the boat. One states that she was taken by force to one of the cabins. “They just forced, understand? But I did not do, no because I cried, I squirmed, yelled and he went and opened the door. And later because he was not able he accused me of stealing from him.”

5:30 This other youngster was 16 years of age says that she was invited to participate in a ride and they got there and saw they are really good looking really and what happened was that they arrived they said that if we did not mind that we would go for a ride, and from there go to the boat for the ride. Was when one touched my hand, others on hands of the other girls and we went away.

5:57 Do you remember with how many men you had to have sex on this ship, Amazon Santana?

Just 2

Would you recognize them?

Certainly.

What nationality were they?

I don't know.

Were they Brazilian?

No.

What language did they speak?

They all spoke English.

06:24 The girl we are going to call “J” was 12 years old when she embarked.

He said that I was to use a drug that they were using called marijuana. One forced me to have sex with him. It was in a room reserved on the actual boat, a suite.

And the name of the boat was?

Amazon Santana.

06:46 The case is also being investigated by the FBI, the American police, because it involves U.S. citizens. Here in Brazil the Federal Police made a search of those 2 boats involved, this over here Amazon Santana and Santana I. That where the crimes would have happened involving the tourists and the minor Brazilians. They are luxurious yachts with various cabins. The packages sell for $4,500.00 in the U.S. without the airfare.

7:25 In the investigation the Federal Police obtained pictures like these and proved that they were taken aboard by crewmembers and the girls.

7:39 “Delegado Roberto Camara” Inspector Camara. The instruction of the investigation was based primarily on the statements of the victims, surveillance of some of these trips, seeing women on the boats utilized by the agency.

The investigation which has already been sent to the “Ministerio Publico Federal” or “Federal Attorney,” there were indicted the owner of the agency in Brazil and the man who sold the trips in the U.S., the American Richard
Wayne Schair, who is accused of raping the girl “J.”

8:23 Azen asks Do you remember the name of your coaxer/seducer?

Richard

What was his nationality?

He was not Brazilian, no. Was from the U.S.

8:36 The investigation shows how the route of sexual fishing operated from 2000 to 2007, at least 20 girls were victims.

Of the clients of the attorney Washington, 5 were Indians.

The investigation has been examining and contemplates the depositions that show, for example, agent of the Indian agency (FUNAI) facilitated the entrance of these
excursions, facilitated paid or not, the fact that it is illegal and irregular because they were in prohibited areas. You can only enter in Indian areas with the consent of the Indian agents.

9:21 Even today in the U.S. companies that sell fishing packages in the Amazon promote exclusive access into Indian areas. In this case the reservations of Tapera, Xeurine, Marmelos Jufari, all in the Amazon.

9:38 In a fishing season that last from August through March, the Federal Police calculates that these companies can make almost $2,000,000.00, a fortune, that almost all stays in the U.S. and that here in Brazil leaves a trail of crimes and abuses.

9:57 Attracted to provide services, in the end, cleaning, domestic services, cleaning the boat, cooking, laundry, in the end they were required to service and offered $100.00 per night & left with R$30.00 or R$40.00 ($15.00-$20.00), the most that they were gifted was R$50.00 ($25.00).

10:19 The FBI agents who also investigate the case were in Autazes in the house of this young lady of Indian origin. They found the same poverty level that we are witnessing, a fridge practically empty, they heard dramatic testimony. She states that at 17 she accepted an offer to work on the yacht Amazon Santana. She was convinced by 2 foreigners to have sexual relations. On the trip lost her virginity, and believes that became pregnant of one of them.

Do you know who is the father of your son?

No.

Is there the possibility that one of the Americans is the father?

Exists.

What would you like to happen now?

That they pay for what they have done.

11:07 They are poor children, children that may have the difficulty of studying, education is precarious and there arrives a foreigner with $$$. Makes it easy. Today tourism must be configured as tourism.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2010 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

(1) Schair currently acts as a real estate salesman near Atlanta, Georgia. Information on his previous marijuana convictions can be found here and here.

Updated June 21, 2011 with new articles in Door #3, Door #4 and Door #5.

UPdated March 1, 2011: Door #2 reposted.

UPdated on January 2, 2011: Wikileaks document described in Internal Shriner Report Confirms Corruption? can be found here.

Door #2 has been temporarily taken offline.

Updated on November 18, 2010

Door #1 with "Shriner Retaliation w/a Jester Twist"

Updated Door #5 Jesters and Child Sex Tourism in Brazil on 10/8/2010.

Thank you,

Sandy

UPdated on 9/28/2010 with a map of ROJ courts nationwide. An intereactive version can be found here. Clicking on the marker will provide the name and contact info for each court mapped. It's only half way done but is useful to show regional concentrations.

Thank you,

Sandy

Imagine five doors, like those in "Let's Make a Deal," but in these cases, there are no fabulous prizes.

No one wins.

We hear sirens and see flashing lights as the doors open.

There are no models.

There are instead regulators and law enforcers who, in dark sunglasses, black suits and crisp uniforms, point at piles and piles of evidence.

The following articles are organized into five categories that detail and document why a handful of presumably innocent Shriner leaders and those they do business with should be investigated under the RICO statutes.

It would be almost excusable if these were stand alone incidents and, once discovered, were dilligently cleaned up. Instead these crimes and otherwise corrupt irregularities have occurred in a climate of corruption, fueled by fear and retaliation and led by leaders who either participate, promote or protect, above all else.

Most Shriners are kept in the dark about all of this as they dedicate their retirement years to supporting their network of 22 hospitals that now takes insurance to provide medical care for burned and crippled children. Most Shriners have been brainwashed into blind obedience or are punished, retaliated against and/or sued if they question those leaders who have hidden behind these poor kids to operate a nationwide network of prostitution and profit from their positions of public trust, all at taxpayer expense.

Behind door #1 is Shriners' corruption.

Behind door #2 is how the Shriners used burned children like guinea pigs in a clinical research study so bad it was shut down by the FDA.

Behind door #3 is the Shriners’ secret sex group, the Royal Order of Jesters.

Behind door #4 are details about how three Jesters were busted in a FBI human trafficking sting for taking illegal alien prostitutes from state to state for their weekend parties. Those caught include a former New York State Supreme Court judge, his law clerk, a retired police captain and a retired sheriff.

Behind door #5 are details about how 19 Jesters went to Brazil, asking to be called “Masons” and for girls over 13. The guy who took them has been indicted by the Brazilian Federal Police for rape, prostitution and corruption of minors

Categories follow.

Door #1 Shriners Corruption:

Shriner Retaliation w/a Jester Twist

The Shriners & "Management by Mirth"

Findings 2008: Shriners' Corruption, Jesters' Prostitution

East West Shrine Game Loses Nearly $2 Million Over Four Years, Operating Illegally?

Shriners Retaliate, McGonigal Fired?

Editorial: Shriners Hustle Justin Timberlake, the PGA Tour and NASCAR's David Ragan?

Internal Shriner Report Confirms Corruption?

Mortgage Madness?

Treasurers Meeting Minutes Vanish, Gambling Proceeds Unaccounted For?

The Minimum of Disclosure to the IRS

Above the law? Shriner Treasurers' Minutes

Conflicts of Interest?

Did Shriners Retaliate Against Whistleblower?

Shriners In Hot Water Again?

Door #2 OHRP/FDA Investigations into suspended clinical research study at SHC Cincinnati:

PermaDerm (tm) Timeline, Shriner Skin Study Audit Findings

FDA/SHC News & Unanswered Questions

SHC Study Suspended, FDA Excludes Doctors' Research

FDA Report Details Hundreds of Violations in Shriners' Burn Treatment Study as Product Heads To Market

FDA Warning Letter Sent to SHC Cincinnati Still Unresolved

Bad Medicine?

Shriners Hospital Violated FDA Regs

Door #3 Royal Order of Jesters:

Added 6/21/2011 Jesters Named,  Commentorial: Royal Order of Jesters, Namaste Magazine Cover Story: "Masons Facilitate Prostitution at U.S. Taxpayer Expense" by Sandy Frost

Updated: Copyright Infringement Challenge Settled, Jesters Hide Prostitutes' Expenses, Blackmail Themselves into Secrecy

Jesters in High Places

Shriners Swarm Vegas, Jester Girl Code of Conduct Revealed

Nevada Assembly Formally Welcomed Shriners & Jesters

Tax Returns Reveal Jesters Controlled by "Secret Order of Brothers in Blood," Jester Officer Links National Court to Fishing Tour Operator Indicted in Brazil Child Sex Case

Jester Confesses to Wife He Organized Prostitutes

Royal Order of Jester (ROJ) Resource & Poll

Ex-Jesters confirm "Sam Houston" E-mail

Jesters Exposed

Door #4 Jesters busted in FBI human trafficking sting:

Added June 21, 2011 Fourth Jester Convicted, Former Judge Tills Out of Prison in Three Weeks, Fourth Jester Sentenced

Feds Define Jesters

Retired Deputy Charged in Jester Sex Trafficking Investigation

Editorial: Filings Fly Prior to Tills Sentencing for Jester Prostitution

Shriner/Jester Court Updates, Brazilian Indictment & My Statement to the Buffalo News

Tills' Sentencing Rescheduled in Jester Prostitution Case

Jester Prostitution Updates, Stebick Sentenced

Judge Tills Pleads Guilty, Admits Coordinating Prostitutes with Jester National Representatives

Felony Conspiracy Plea Confirms Investigation into Masonic Sub-group, Royal Order of Jesters

Trowbridge Sentencing Delayed as Jester Prostitution Investigation Links to Sex Trafficking

Judge Central Figure in FBI Probe, the S.O.B.I.B. and the Jesters' Half Million Dollar Weekend Parties

Feds 1, Jesters 0: Court Papers Revealed

Judge Resigns, Police Captain to Plead Guilty as FBI Investigates Royal Order of Jesters for Prostitution

Door #5 Jesters and Child Sex Tourism in Brazil

Updated June 21, 2011  Brazil Child Sex Tourism Resource with Timeline, Brazil Prosecutes Schair & Co. for Running House of Prostitution, Brazilian Girls Sue Richard Schair for Sex Trafficking

"Brazilian News Investigates Child Sex Tourism & Case of Richard Schair, Includes Pictures of Girls with Jesters."

ABC News Confirms FBI Investigating Jesters for Child Sex Tourism

Newsitorial: Schair's Failed Application for Habeas Corpus Confirms Indictment, Implicates Jesters

Richard W. Schair v Newsvine Dismissed as Brazilian Judge Accepts Rape & Underage Prostitution Case Against Him

Editorial: Schair v Newsvine Illustrates Importance of Reporter Shield and Child Protection Bills Before Congress

Brazilian Judge Rejects Jester Fishing Tour Operator's Request for Habeas Corpus
Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists

Brazilian Fishing Trip Depositions: "Masons" Pictured Having Sex with Teen Prostitutes?

"Jesters" To Testify about Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from “by Sandy Frost” must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2010 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Most of my articles are down so I can finish my second book, “The Vampires of Charity, Nonprofit Blood Suckers Gone Wild,” subtitled "Exercises in Online Investigative Journalism."

I thought it was bad enough to hide behind little burned and crippled kids and:

• Get caught transporting illegal alien prostitutes in a FBI human trafficking sting.
• Act all Machiavellian in an attempt to rehire a fundraiser who kept $43 million out of $47 million raised for the kids.
• Go fishing in Brazil for girls over 13.

The focus here, for the past four years, has been on the Shriners and Jesters as “nonprofit groups.” There are certain levels of nonprofit transparency, accountability and disclosure that pre-empt oversight by law enforcement.

I know that the nonprofit part is really, really boring. It’s nearly impossible to lively-up tax returns unless I’m reporting how the Jesters reportedly spent nearly $600,000 on one of their weekend parties.

Journalistically, I write for the 138 million U.S. taxpayers who’ve been “hoodwinked” into subsidizing these crimes.

See, we make up for the taxes these nonprofit groups don’t pay. Property tax. Income tax. These “tax exempt” groups can take in charitable donations as well as take advantage of things like discount postal rates and public service announcements. They are supposed to provide a service or benefit to society and, in exchange, don’t pay taxes.

There are two types of nonprofit groups here; charitable and fraternal. The Shriners charity is their network of 22 hospitals that now take insurance for otherwise “free” medical care for burned and crippled children. The Shriners fraternal are the red fezzed guys who drive wild in parades as they “have fun while helping the kids.” There are about 350,000 Shriners who support the hospitals.

The Jesters tried to convince the Marion County assessor their new headquarters was a “charitable” museum. When he denied the tax exemption, the Jesters’ executive director convinced the tax appeals board that they were an appendant group of Masonry, so they got the property tax exemption. Curiously, this doesn’t match what’s on the Jesters’ 501c3 tax returns that still state that their charitable purpose is a “museum.”

Stay with me here.

The “fraternal” nonprofit classification provides for groups that govern and organize the members into headquarters, temples and clubs for the Shriners and “courts” for the Jesters. There are 191 Shriner temples and about 122 Jester courts, each tied to a nearby temple.

The Jesters tell the IRS that their exempt purpose is to spread mirth and merriment.

Must be secret code for “partying with prostitutes.”

Memberships go like this.

One must first be a third degree Master Mason before joining groups like the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners. One must be a secretly invited Shriner before being initiated into the Royal Order of Jesters, currently under federal investigation for Mann Act violations.

Initiation is supposed to be some sort of sex act performed in front of your brothers.

Sounds like rich old guys getting all pimped out for their grade school circle jerks.

Eww.

All at tax payer expense.

I’m also publishing this because a Jester wife wrote that she wanted a place to post what she and other Jester wives know. Here’s what I wrote back to her:

“I can't imagine the shame, humiliation or pain of finding out.

Or the unimaginable fear that the FBI might be after your husband. Your retirement dollars gone in fines, attorney fees and who knows what else.

I mean, here you are, any Jester wife, probably into a great retirement life style then worst case scenario. Everything upside down. I can't imagine the emotional meltdown or backlash at someone so selfish. I don't understand the mindset and if you can provide any background, I'd appreciate it.”

If anyone has any substantiated allegations about the Shriners and/or Jesters, please email me at sandyleefrost@yahoo.com. Documentation is required.

So, the comment section is open. Please make sure you comply with Newsvine’s Code of Honor.

Back to work and thanks for being here,

Sandy

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com. Copyright (c) 2010 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

BeaShrinerNow.com fails to mention the main attraction of their secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters!
If the Shriners promoted their sub-group's involvement with prostitution, they'd probably get more members!
The Shriners continue to stick their heads in the sand, hoping the Jester prostitution scandals will go away, Things are going to get much more worse before they get better. I'm working on a story about the leader of a Jester court who not only coordinates the parties from his house and work, his court's tax forms are mailed to his local Shriner temple.
Maybe they didn't see the ABC News report that the FBI and ICE are investigating the Jesters for prostitution and child sex tourism.
I wonder who came up with this bright idea for PR and how much it cost the donors?
Sandy

Updated on 4/6/2010:

There are now links to the same depositions referred to by ABC News so you can read what five Brazilian girls told the federal police as well as links to the original Schair v Marsteller defamation complaint that produced the witness list that called for 19 Jesters to testify about sex w/minor prostitutes. There are also links to depositions from fishing guides who claim to have seen all of this. As a public service, here is a link to a file folder with examples of documents that I spent a week translating from Portuguese, the Schair v Newsvine.com complaint that he withdrew after it was moved to federal court, Exhibit B - Plaintiff's Original Complaint, Schair v Marsteller, Notice of Removal of Action granting Schair's motion to withdraw his libel complaint against Newsvine.com from federal court. Also linked is a story about how an internal Shriner investigation revealed a fund raising scam where Vantage Marketing raised $46 million for the children and kept about $43 million. Top leaders were investigated for lobbying to rehire this same fundraiser to the point of firing those so opposed and for admitting to taking free trips from the fundraiser.

Thank you,

Sandy

Adult Content Warning:

The following includes graphic references to prostitution, child sex tourism and nonprofit tax fraud. Do not read if adult language and sexual references offend you.

Thank you,

Sandy Frost

“ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer” has confirmed that the FBI and ICE are continuing their investigation into fishing tour operators who facilitate “child sex tourism” for their high paying customers. This report includes a blurred picture of a member of the Royal Order of Jesters partying with a young Brazilian girl on his lap, confirming that the Jesters and the former fishing tour operator who organized their Brazilian fishing trips have been, at the very least, questioned by the FBI. This is the same former fishing tour operator who was indicted last year by the Brazilian federal police for prostitution, rape and violating Indian protection laws.

Over two years ago, “Jesters to Testify about Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?” described the unsuccessful defamation lawsuit filed by Richard Schair against competitor Philip Marsteller. Both offered Peacock Bass fishing trips along the Amazon. Marsteller began observing fishing boats with both North American fishermen and young Brazilian girls aboard, began learning about the prostitution of underage Indian girls and began blowing the whistle on what he describes as “a cancer on this industry.”

The case caught my attention because the defense called 19 Jesters, as witnesses who were expected to testify about their first hand knowledge of sex with prostitutes, some minor, while on fishing trips to Brazil. Photographic and depositional evidence motivated the plaintiff to pay the defendant $15,000 to settle out of court.

ABC News went undercover at a Dallas Safari Club convention and secretly filmed a nervous outfitter as he implied that he could hook the “customer” up with fishing trips and “girls.”

One fishing outfitter currently promotes Brazilian fishing trips aboard the Amazon Santana; the same Amazon Santana described in depositions that five Brazilian Indian girls provided to the federal police as they investigated the sexual exploitation of minors along the Amazon for North American tourists. These girls told the police that a man named “Richard” illegally lured them off their reservations to work on his fishing boat, the Amazon Santana, to find that they were expected to get drunk and have sex with the fishermen. The girls needed the money to help their families, initially agreed to work on the fishing boats after “Richard” promised to pay them a set amount and then told the police that he never paid them what he promised.

There is a natural news transition here from covering the supply side of how child sex tourism works to further investigating those who go on these trips year after year. The timing is right because the feds are not going to come up empty handed after spending two years investigating the Jesters for prostitution, sex trafficking and child sex tourism.

Thanks to Dan Herbeck and Aaron Besecker, the Buffalo News first reported three Jesters had been caught in a FBI human trafficking sting, including a former NY State Supreme Court Judge, his law clerk and a retired police captain. Page 21 of this plea agreement describes how the judge got a reduced sentence for providing information about the Jesters’ involvement with prostitution, sex trafficking, the sexual abuse of minors and international travel for those purposes. This page shows that the former judge was arranging a “Book of the Play” trip to Costa Rica, sponsored by the Buffalo Jester Court #27.

After investigating the Shriners for nearly four years, it’s pretty safe to say that corruption is everywhere and that the Jesters' lust for prostitutes is just a part of it. Apparently, some leaders think it’s OK to use their unsuspecting Shriner brothers as a front, creating the warm and fuzzy image that they’re just a bunch of Grandfatherly do-gooders who work hard to raise money to support their network of 22 hospitals that provide free care to burned and crippled children. The corrupt act as if they are above the law, probably because their bylaws state that “Shrine law does not include the law of the land.”

This is no excuse for treating these Elders, especially the veterans, with such disrespect, especially after they have dedicated their golden years to wearing their red fezzes with pride while working so hard to help the kids.

Instead of sharing their vast and valuable life experiences to build a fabulous fraternity of unparalleled charity, these faithful Shriners, these successful business men, government leaders and dedicated family men, are sued into silence for asking questions like “Where does all the money go?” and “Why are your tax returns so messed up?” The members who truly want to embrace the most basic concept of “making good men better” are instead threatened, retaliated against and punished by their corrupt leaders for trying to do so.

What’s worse is the horrific possibility that little burned kids have been used as guinea pigs in clinical research studies for a burn treatment heading to market while still under an unresolved warning letter issued by the FDA.

But that’s another story.

"Bad Medicine" advances the randomly coincidental possibility of insider trading.

ABC News did a good job of providing interviews, pictures and video that show how fishing tour operators provide prostitutes.

I’ve heard that there are videos of Jesters from national “books,” used to blackmail the newly initiated into silence. It’s an “If you squeal, we’ll show this video of you doing this prostitute to your wife” kind of deal. These videos are probably in the custody of those on the Jester’s background investigation committee, tasked with obtaining self-incriminating confessions from prospective Jesters as they further seal vows of silence and protection. Such oaths are part Jester memberships, the first being that of Master Mason who can then join groups like the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners. The Jesters are made up of those secretly invited from Shriner leadership.

Not only have Jesters been pictured partying with young Brazilian girls, their activities were further described in federal court depositions. From his Tuesday, April 15, 2008 deposition, current PACER document 83-3, former fishing guide Admilson Garcia Da Silva was asked:

“Q: Did you ever witness any of the Wet-A-Line customers engaging in sex acts with these women that were on the Wet-A-Line boats? (PP30)

A: Yes

Q: What did you see?

A: I saw five, five of them, five and five men and two of the women were minors.

Q: I'm sorry. You said you saw five men and five women and two of the women were minors. Is that what you said.

A: That's right.

Q: And what did you see the men and women doing with each other?

A: There was one woman having sex with a man and the other - the other woman only gave them a blow job. (PP 34)”

What would I give to be a fly on the wall as some genius Jester attorney tries to explain to an IRS agent that their exempt purpose of “spreading the gospel of merriment and mirth” includes writing off blow jobs as tax deductions. Payments for the prostitute’s rooms are hidden in finance statements under lump sum payments to hotels for Jester weekend parties.

Seriously, now, what type of nonprofit group mandates that members embrace blackmail to prevent them from ratting out a bunch of guys who think that operating a nationwide network of prostitution and going on fishing trips to party with underage Brazilian girls are nothing more than write offs?

This is the juxtaposition between nonprofit groups who are supposed to provide a benefit to society while operating in secret. A public group should be just that, hiding nothing while embracing the highest standards of nonprofit transparency, accountability and disclosure. After investigating the Shriners and the Jesters, it’s clear that if they just followed the rules, there would be nothing to report.

The Jesters are a self-described men’s luxury organization that, according to this tax return, spent nearly $600,000 on one of their weekend parties. All Jesters, even as Shriners and Master Masons, are all sworn to protect each other, especially those in law enforcement, the judiciary and other positions of authority, though it didn’t work out too well for those Jesters busted in that FBI human trafficking sting out of Buffalo. Details of how they got caught, are in this FBI application for arrest warrants.

I’ve spent the past month trying to get answers from various Louisiana officials about a law enforcement official who is also a Jester, but no one will respond. Maybe they’re too busy dealing with the corrupt cop Katrina case where two New Orleans police admitted to conspiring a cover up of how they, and others, shot six and killed two civilians, including one with special needs, post Katrina. Or maybe the PR people are tied up with the case of the Louisiana federal judge impeached by Congress for corruption.

Here’s the situation.

Governor Bobby Jindal appointed a top law enforcement official as representative to a think-tank that focuses on sharing all types of information regardless of venue or jurisdiction with an emphasis on Homeland Security. My question has to do with the Governor’s appointment process because there is really no way he could have known that this law enforcement official is also part of a group being investigated by the FBI for prostitution, human trafficking and child sex tourism.

The individual in question was not only appointed by Governor Jindal to SEARCH.org, he’s the head of the state’s sentencing commission and, as such, represents Louisiana on the National Association of Sentencing Commission and is also an advisor to the state’s law enforcement commission.

The question is:

Does the Governor’s appointment process provide the prospective appointee the opportunity for self disclosure to prevent conflict of interest and the appearance of impropriety?

It stands to reason that if this individual disclosed his Jester membership, the governor would never have appointed to him to a position with unlimited access to information that could be used to protect his brothers.

In the mean time, I hope that ABC News can get a hold of these Jester sex tapes so they can next report how members of the Royal Order of Jesters have conspired to hijack our nonprofit tax system so they can party with prostitutes at taxpayer expense.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com. Copyright (c) 2010 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Charles A. Soderman, 31, of Marathon, Fla., was sentenced Tuesday to 78 months in federal prison after he was found guilty by a federal jury in September.

According to a news release from the U.S Attorney's Office, U.S. District Judge Frederick J. Martone also ordered that Soderman be on a lifetime supervised release and register as a sex offender.

According to the release, on March 9, Soderman flew from Miami to Yuma and then traveled to the Mexican border in an attempt to have sex with a male child as young as age 6. The arrest was part of an undercover operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to halt sex tourism into Mexico as part of ICE's national program, Operation Predator.

From the article:

"Sexual predators cannot hide from ICE simply by traveling across borders to exploit, violate, and abuse children," said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for ICE John Morton. "Working closely with our partners overseas, we will continue to identify people who travel for illicit purposes, and we will pursue justice for abused children no matter where they live."

Mathias traveled to the Philippines in April 2007 and December 2007 and engaged in sexual conduct with the minors on those trips and recorded those acts. He also made the minors sign a contract in December 2007 requiring them to be his sex slaves.

While acknowledging his crimes, he claimed that Internet chat postings in which he bragged about abusing other boys as young as 4 were the equivalent of playing a role and did not reflect his true personality.
"I'm not that person," he said. "I'm not that monster."
Corliss' trips allegedly were arranged by John Wrenshall, a Canada native who immigrated to Thailand and has been charged in an 18-count federal indictment. Two Alabama men who accompanied Corliss, Mitchell Jackson and Burgess Lee Burgess, have already pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison.

Sweden creates a working model to fight child sex tourism.

These guys admitted to going overseas to have sex with kids and their sentences might get reduced for testifying against the guy who organized the trips. Makes you wonder what's going on behind the scenes as this could happen to former fishing tour operator, Richard Schair. Remember, he was indicted by the Brazilian federal police for using underage Indian girls as prostitutes to lure customers, like members of the Royal Order of Jesters, to his fishing business.

According to the DOJ, Mathias was charged in an indictment filed on Oct. 27, 2009, with one count of conspiring to engage in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place and traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct; six counts of offering to buy a child in order to depict the child in child pornography; six counts of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity; three counts of traveling in foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct; and four counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.

I was puttering around the other night and got the urge to find the Jesters most recent tax returns.

I found them on Guidestar and armed with a yellow highlighter, sticky notes and legal pad, began scanning the categories, dollars and answers reported.

My brain started screaming "WTF?" until I got up and started pacing around as I couldn't believe what I was reading.

You'd fall asleep.

I was nearly running in place.

Over three years ago, I was contacted by a Shriner who'd been working with a former IRS agent. He asked me to investigate his own because expert analysis of Shriner tax returns revealed "discrepancies."

This all started with allegations of the misuse of charitable donations, retaliation and tax fraud.

We're WAY beyond that now.

So, the Shriners sued these guys, my sources, for defamation after one claimed the charity was being investigated by the state of Pennsylvania. The Shriners, among other things, named me as a secondary party of interest and used "production of documents" in an attempt to get their paws on otherwise protected communications between me and the whistleblowers to see if they were telling me what to write and/or if they were writing articles for me.

What an insult.

Then, I began wondering "What are the Shriners so desperate to hide?"

The lawsuit was settled out of court and today, you're reading about the Shriners' secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters and prostitution.

I've been at this since April, 2006, digging into all sorts of documents as well as countless tax returns and have reached a bizarre conclusion that ends, for the first time, at a dead end.

Well, except for an unfounded rumor.

Based on officers named on tax returns as well as in a secret directory, my bizarre conclusion is that:

The Shriners are controlled by their secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters. And Jester tax returns reveal that the Royal Order of Jesters is controlled by their secret sub-group, the Secret Order of Brothers in Blood or S.O.B.I.B.

I have no idea what this means except for the possibility that the Shriners are controlled by a bunch of guys who belong to a nationwide group described by a U.S. Attorney as having members who get prostitutes for their weekend meetings.

Or if the unfounded rumors are true, the Jesters are controlled by a bunch of guys who have a thing for menstrual blood. Or girls. Or maybe both. But really, I have no idea as this is just a wild rumor.

Interestingly, the Jesters report on their latest tax return that they spent over $13,000 on "Rituals."

What we do know is that three Jesters were convicted after getting caught in an FBI human trafficking sting for taking illegal alien prostitutes to their weekend parties.

One of those caught, a former judge, will soon be heading to federal prison for 18 months. He pleaded guilty to violating the Mann Act and got a reduced sentence for cooperating with an investigation into the Jesters for the sexual exploitation of minors and travel out of the country for those purposes.

He's a S.O.B.I.B. too.

We also know that the former fishing tour operator who took 19 Jesters fishing on the Amazon was indicted by the Brazilian federal police last April for allegedly providing underage prostitutes for his North American fishing clients.

Per "Newsitorial: Schair's Failed Application for Habeas Corpus Confirms Indictment, Implicates Jesters" :

"A failed application for habeas corpus has made public a court file that details the evidence for which former fishing tour operator Richard W. Schair was indicted by the Brazilian federal police as they investigated the sexual exploitation of minor Indian girls living along the Amazon. The file includes a client manifest that names three members of the Shriners secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters (ROJ)."

Schair had sued a competitor for defamation for alleging his involvement with prostitution. A witness list for the defense names 19 Jesters who were expected to testify about their first hand knowledge of fishing trips to Brazil and sex with underage prostitutes. Eye witness depositions in the case testify that the Jesters asked to be called "Masons" and asked for girls over 13.

One must first be a Master Mason to join groups like the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners.

One must be an invited Shriner to join the Royal Order of Jesters.

And at this point, I have no idea about how a Jester joins the S.O.B.I.B. or what they do at their meetings other than meet as "Brothers in Blood."

As evidence mounted against him, Schair paid the defendant $15K to settle out of court.

One guy on the witness list, Samuel "Scutter" Newton of Las Vegas, Nevada links this case to the Jester National Court, as he's listed on their 2007 tax return as an officer.

A comparison of the Jester's national officers to a secret directory reveals that eight out of nine national officers are also members of the S.O.B.I.B., including Newton, who is named on both.

All the officers listed on the Jesters' 2006 tax return are also in the S.O.B.I.B. and all but two listed on the 2005 tax return are in the S.O.B.I.B. including:

William Siders

Robert M. Haynes

John T. Stafford

James M. Lake PRD

Taylor E. Best

Gary Martin

Dennis R. Schueler

Raymond Grannis

Paul A. Stradman

John T. Stradtman

Robert C. Davis

Alex Rogers - Business Administrator

Now, back to the tax returns.

Nonprofit groups file tax returns like everyone else because they're corporations, just nonprofit. That means they don't make any money and no one is supposed to benefit. These groups get these tax breaks because they're supposed to benefit society like helping the needy or finding homes for animals.

The Jester's exempt purpose is:

"Promoting fellowship and fraternalism and extending assistance and good cheer to others."
"Management by Mirth" reports that:

* Eleven out of twelve of Shriner Hospitals for Children (SHC) trustees are Jesters.

* Fourteen out of twenty one of those listed on the SHC 2006 tax returns are Jesters.

* Nine out of fourteen of those listed on the 2006 fraternal tax return are Jesters.

This could help explain the hospital's financial woes that nearly led to closures. Which, for those faithful Shriners who have dedicated their lives to supporting the hospitals, was worst case scenario. The last Shriner national convention saw a vote to keep the hospitals open as well as throw out former SHC CEO, Ralph Semb.

An internal investigation investigated Semb and Imperial Treasurer Gene Bracewell and, among other things, recommended that they be reprimanded for lobbying on behalf of a fundraiser who kept $43 millin out of $47 million raised for the hospitals.

Last I knew, both were Jesters and Semb's pictured here in the S.O.B.I.B. directory.

Now, the Shriners are made up of two nonprofit components, a 501c10 fraternity made up of members and a 501c3 charity of 22 hospitals that provide free medical care to burned and crippled children.

Same for the Jesters, who somehow convinced the IRS to grant them a 501c3 charitable classification for operating a "museum" out of their new headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Marion county assessor rejected the Jesters application for a property tax exemption because they didn't buy it but on appeal, the exemption was granted because executive director Alex Rogers convinced the tax board that the Royal Order of Jesters was an appendant group of Masonry.

So, what kind of a museum lists it's worth as $1.4 million but has no employees, phone or computers; nor does it pay for utilities?

The museum's directors all are in the S.O.B.I.B. including:

Hugh Libby

Ray Thagard

George Burt

Ray Grannis

James White

Henry Everett

Here's the S.O.B.I.B. Toast:

"A Few Good l\len and A Few Good Times"

To the Chap who seeks

Those of his kind

Who treasure the drink

And savor the wine.

An Evangel of Mirth

Time and again

Found in the company

Of a Few Good Men.

A Toast to the One

Who reveres the food.

Cursed by his wife in "surly" mood

For quite often he's mocked

By those who malign

That Fellow who cherishes

A Few Good Times.

So here's to our Order

And those we call Brother.

To the bond that binds us

One to the other.

For there are "Traveling" groups of admirable intent

With glossy mottos and rhymes

But as for us, it's the simple notion

Of a Few Good Men, and a Few Good Times.

A copy of the S.O.B.I.B directory, including members' pictures and contact information, can be found here.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com. Copyright (c) 2009 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

A federal grand jury sitting in Bridgeport, Conn., has returned an indictment charging a former Fairfield County, Conn., resident with sexually abusing several boys in Haiti for approximately a decade. Douglas Perlitz, 39, a resident of Colorado, has been charged with seven counts of traveling outside of the United States with the intent to engage in sexual conduct with individuals under the age of 18, and three counts of engaging in sexual conduct in foreign places with persons under the age of 18.

Murder victim found to be child sex tourism business operator.

Disclaimer and Adult Content Warning: This is called a "newsitorial" because investigative journalism doesn’t need to be dry, dull and boooring. Reporting the news with voice will make it easier to understand and follow along as I’ve been tracing out this tangled web of Shriner corruption since April 2006. Plus, I don’t want Newsvine to get sued for defamation/libel again, though last time the plaintiff tucked tail and ran after his complaint was moved to federal court. And I can’t tell you how many day’s I’ve spent translating legal documents from Portuguese to English using Yahoo Babel Fish. Finally, legal documents refer to the sexual exploitation of underage Indian girls so if you consider this type of material offensive or disturbing, consider yourself warned.

Thank you,

Sandy Frost
Starbuck’s Washington
9/9/09

A failed application for habeas corpus has made public a court file that details the evidence for which former fishing tour operator Richard W. Schair was indicted by the Brazilian federal police as they investigated the sexual exploitation of minor Indian girls living along the Amazon. The file includes a client manifest that names three members of the Shriners secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters (ROJ).

Exclusive coverage of this and the conviction of three other Jesters who were caught in a FBI human trafficking sting can be found here.

Schair's application was an attempt to avoid prosecution as he asked a Brazilian judge to throw out the case against him.

His application included customer lists that named clients who’d submitted affidavits claiming they never witnessed any girls or prostitution while on his Wet-a-Line fishing trips.

One of these lists (photo 1) includes three members of the Royal Order of Jesters, guests of Schair’s from August 31 - September 9, 2005. They are Donald W. Anderson, R.W. Keers and R.R. Kirby, all members of the ROJ Albuquerque court # 24.

They provided no such affadavits.

These statements were solicited in an attempt to discredit depositions provided by five Indian girls who told the Brazilian federal police that a North American named "Richard" illegally lured them off their reservations into prostitution with tourists aboard his fishing boats. One girl testified that she'd been left pregnant at age 13 after such a trip.

The Jesters involvement with Schair was first reported here. Schair had sued a competitor, Philip Marsteller, for alleging he was involved in prostitution. A witness list for the defense named 19 Jesters who were expected to testify about their fishing trips to Brazil and:

"their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers."

Schair's application for habeas corpus in part blamed Marsteller for his legal troubles but the judge didn’t buy it. Her first decision to deny alludes to Schair's pleas that he not endure further financial and psychological hardship, including the scrutiny of his parents. She continues that though Schair claimed his application was urgent, she failed to see why because the police report she had asked for spelled out why he'd been indicted. She decided Schair's application lacked urgency and the evidence proved it lacked merit so she denied it.

The police report (photos 2 and 3) explains that they'd been investigating how Schair allegedly used underage prostitutes to attract tourists to his fishing business in Brazil.

The report continues that the materially criminal information included police files, declarations, audiovisual materials and registered documents that support penalties and sanctions against Schair for:

• having sexual relations with a minor under 14

• enticing minors under age 18

• attracting the girls to facilitate prostitution

• keeping boats as destinations for prostitution

• promoting the recruitment, transport of and lodging of girls on the boats to practice prostitution, among other things

The judge's five page final denial cites these violations in addition to those of Brazil's Statute of the Indian, using words like sexual violence and Indians.

Indigenous rights were first legislated in 1811, nine years after Brazil became independent of Portugal. According to "Indigenous Rights in Democratic Brazil" by Maria Guadalupe Moog Rodrigues published in Human Rights Quarterly 24, the Portuguese Crown had authorized a "total war" against indigenous peoples to wipe them out and claim their resource rich lands. The new Brazilian law was a step toward protecting Indian's rights but really considered them too stupid to make their own decisions, thus legislating that the Indian's material and personal rights be protected under the "Justice of Orphans" and be administered by the government.

In 1919, the Brazilian Civil Code included "Indians" and considered them "relatively incapable" of exercising their rights as they were lumped together with minors and the mentally ill. The 1973 Indigenous Peoples' Statute exerted more control over their property, income and land, to include mineral rights. This changed in 1988 with a new Brazilian constitution as they abandoned military regime in favor of democracy.

Today, indigenous rights groups continue to fight for citizenship rights that protect all of Brazil's first peoples.

So, in the end, what does this all mean?

Richard W. Schair is in a lot of trouble, especially if the extradition treaty between Brazil and the United States is enforced. His attempt to clear his name in Brazil blew up in his face. His attempt to proclaim his innocence made public evidence that, indeed, he'd been indicted and, if the police report and judge's denials stand up in court, he'd probably be found guilty as charged for luring underage Indian girls into prostitution for his customers in addition to having sex with one under the age of 14.

As this was unfolding in Brazil, Schair attempted to clear his name in the United States by suing Newsvine for defamation and libel. His complaint focused on my articles, especially the one that reported he’d been indicted in Brazil.

This was his second such lawsuit after Schair sued a competitor for alleging that he was involved with prostitution. Mounting evidence substantiated the defendant’s claims so Schair settled out of court by paying him $15K.

Likewise, Schair withdrew his lawsuit against Newsvine after his complaint was moved to federal court.

None of this bodes well for the Royal Order of Jesters, especially since the last of three who pleaded guilty to violating the Mann Act was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. The three, a former New York state Supreme Court judge, his law clerk and a retired police captain, were caught in a FBI human trafficking sting out of Buffalo, NY for taking illegal aliens to weekend parties in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Florida so their Jester brothers could have sex with them. The judge’s plea agreement states that he worked with national court officers to coordinate prostitutes for a national meeting in Ontario, Canada.

The Jester's constitution and bylaws state that members must first obtain a letter of approval from the national court before taking trips overseas, so logically, somewhere exists such a document sanctioning these fishing trips to Brazil.

Then there are other issues such the violation of Indian rights and nonprofit abuse, since the Jesters, the Shriners and their Masonic parent groups are all classified by the IRS as tax exempt or nonprofit.

Above all else, these guys are Master Masons, sworn to defend and protect each other in the name of charity, love and brotherhood except in the cases of murder and treason. One of the depositions from Schair’s first lawsuit was from a fishing guide who stated that the Jesters asked to be called Masons and asked for girls over 13.

Things could get a little messy once federal investigators identify Jesters who are supposed to enforce the law instead of using their positions of influence to protect those who break it.

I suspect that in this case, the cover up will be worse than the crime since these guys think they are above the law.

In fact, Shriner bylaws state that their law does not include the law of the land.

At this point, it’s just a waiting game to see if there is a convergence between the investigation, prosecution and conviction of those Jesters busted in Buffalo for the prostitution of illegal aliens and those Jesters associated with Schair, especially since the denial of his habeas corpus application makes possible his extradition to Brazil for the prosecution of prostituting of underage Indian girls to attract more business.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com. Copyright (c) 2009 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Former Judge Ronald Tills is being sentenced tomorrow for pleading guilty to violating the Mann Act. He was caught with two others in a FBI human trafficking sting for taking illegal alien prostitutes to weekend meetings of the Royal Order of Jesters so their Master Mason brothers could have sex.

The Jesters, like their parent organizations, the Shriners and Masons, are nonprofit groups, so it's like partying with prostitutes at taxpayer expense.

In his defense, pre-sentencing memoranda and letters of support have been submitted and are available on the United States federal court record system AKA PACER.

A few things bear discussion here but let's first review what happened.

The FBI had been watching four massage parlors near Buffalo, New York that were fronts for prostitution except that the girls working there were Asian illegal aliens. As agents watched and listened to phone conversations, they heard then Judge Ronald Tills calling the boss lady for appointments with the girls and to giving advice on how to keep them from talking because one had discovered that if she was arrested, she could become a legal resident.
Not only did Tills frequent the prostitutes, he began taking them to weekend meetings of the Royal Order of Jesters, a secret sub-group of the Shriners.

Yes, the Shriners.

They're best known for their red fezzes and driving goofy little cars in parades as they raise money to support their network of 22 hospitals that provide free medical care to burned and crippled children.

Most people can't wrap their heads around the fact that this secret group, the Jesters, descends from Freemasonry, a group of men who try to make themselves better while preaching brotherly love, tolerance and family values.

So, Judge Tills was busted with two other Jesters who have already been sentenced to probation, fined and must now register as sex offenders.

He's being sentenced tomorrow, Friday, August 7 and most likely will spend about two years in the slammer.

Either way, if he's in prison or somehow sentenced to probation like the other two, he's pretty much screwed.

Or maybe the better way to put it is marked for death.

Why?

As a judge, he sentenced many of the guys he might be hanging out with if he's sent to prison. His pre-sentencing memorandum states that he's had quadruple bypass surgery, has high blood pressure and is in poor health overall.

No one will need to shank him.

All they'll have to do is scare him to death.

I've been investigating the Shriners for over three years now and one of the most shocking things I've learned is that their bylaws state that Shrine law does not include the law of the land. And, like the Masons, if their secrets are revealed, bad things will happen.

Masonic secrecy vows state "I swear... binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my throat cut from ear to ear, my tongue torn out by its roots..."

The Masons swear to protect each other and even lie except in the cases of murder and treason. Other than that, anything goes. If you break them, they will cut you in half and burn your intestines and scatter you to the wind or something equally warm and fuzzy.

The Shriners will pierce your eyeball with a three bladed knife and flay your feet and send you out to walk the burning sands.

Judge Tills has cooperated with the government's investigation into the Royal Order of Jesters for sex trafficking and child sex tourism, much like the articles that have been written about Richard Schair, the former fishing tour operator who's close to being prosecuted in Brazil for rape, operating a prostitution network and corruption of minors. Schair came to my attention because he filed a defamation lawsuit against a competitor who produced a witness list in his defense that named 19 members of the Royal Order of Jesters who, as Schair's customers, were expected to testify about their first hand knowledge of sex with minor prostitutes.

Tills' pre-sentencing memorandum states that when he joined the Royal Order of Jesters, "the group's practice of inviting women, called 'Jester girls,' to the meetings for sexual activities was already a long-standing tradition. Every few years, a letter was sent out advising members that women should not be brought to Jester functions, but everyone knew that the letters were window dressing and not to be taken seriously. Indeed, women always were at Jester functions. The behavior was not isolated to the Buffalo group of Jesters. In fact, it was reported to have occurred at Jester meetings across the country. The motto taught to newcomers 'What you hear here, what you see here, stays here when you leave here' evidences the sort of activity expected at Jester meetings."

According to the memorandum, the judge recognized that what he saw at the time as friendship and camaraderie in a national organization really was morally bankrupt and often criminal. The judge arranged for women to travel to the various Jester meetings not to make money for himself or even for the organization but only because it was part of his "job description" as the Director of the Buffalo Chapter of the Jesters.

Judge Tills is the first to testify this extensively against this group and for doing so, is risking his life.

His attorneys probably should have asked for witness protection because there are 24,000 Jesters wishing he'd never been born.

Or if you look at it another way, Tills may have helped uncover the biggest front for prostitution ever, with over 20,000 potential "Johns" neatly recorded in membership rosters filed away at national headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. If these Jesters didn't participate in or arrange for the prostitution, they at least knew about it and, as such, are accessories who should have reported these crimes.

Instead, these Master Masons have protected each other.

Tills cooperation has opened up the floodgates and if the FBI continues investigating, they will find Jesters as deputy directors of law enforcement commissions, high ranking elected officials and even among their own.

One would think that there would be a huge outcry among the leaders of Freemasonry for the Jesters bringing such shame and bad PR to their doors. But the problem is that many of them attend the same weekend prostitution parties and even arrange for the girls to be there, just like Tills admitted to.

There is a good part in all of this and that is he's getting help for his alcoholism.

This next Saturday, I will celebrate 27 years of sobriety.

I know that we do things we're not proud of while drunk.

One of the most interesting things from Tills' memorandum is a letter from a service coordinator who works with Alcoholics Anonymous.

This is an unusual break from tradition but speaks highly of Tills dedication to living sober one day at a time. It's guys like this, who hit rock bottom, who can help other alcoholics recover more than anyone else.

More than doctors and chemical dependency counselors, it's the reaching out to another alcoholic, sitting down with them and a cup of coffee and letting them know they're not bad, just sick, and by going to meetings and living lives of service and gratitude, there is hope for recovery.

The United States position is that Tills didn't take prostitutes across state lines once or twice, like the other two he was caught with, but that he did it for years and should spend a couple years thinking about it in prison.

But what about his cooperation to help investigators uncover a nationwide network of prostitution that is part of the biggest nonprofit fraud of our time?

Even the U.S. Attorney's office describes the Royal Order of Jesters as an organization that "maintained chapters throughout the United States, including in Western New York, and it was the custom of these chapters to host periodic meetings, usually on weekends, for their members. At most of these meetings, some members of the organization would be tasked to arrange for the presence of women at the meetings, for the specific purpose of utilizing the women to engage in sexual intercourse and other sexual activity with the organization's members in exchange for money."

Judge Tills has risked his life and the lives of his loved ones by standing up to a group of men who want to see him dead for betraying their dirty little secret.

Remember, the Jesters are invited from the ranks of Shriner leaders who ruthlessly retaliate against those who expose the fact that they have long abused their positions of public trust for personal gain.

Yes, Judge Tills should indeed pay his debt to society.

But society will be better off if he's made an example of by suffering in public as the one who exposed the Royal Order of Jesters instead of spending the rest of his life locked away to suffer in silence.

.
All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com. Copyright (c) 2009 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Richard Schair's motion to dismiss was granted last Friday after defendant Newsvine moved his
libel and defamation complaint against the MSNBC online subsidiary to federal court.

And last Monday, August 3, the Brazilian federal judge overseeing that country's own case against him accepted it from the federal prosecutor's office. This is a step closer to Schair being prosecuted in South America after the Brazilian federal police charged him with rape, operating a house of prostitution and the corruption of minors.

The Brazilian federal police began investigating the sexual exploitation of minor girls by North American foreign tourists in early 2007. Part of this investigation included the depositions of five "Jane Does" who testified that a North American named "Richard" illegally entered their Indian reservation and hired them to to cook and clean on his fishing boat. The girls, who were 13 to 16 at the time, discovered that they were to instead drink whiskey and have sex with his clients.

On June 26, 2009, Schair sued Newsvine in Hall County, Georgia for libel and defamation, complaining that my investigation of a similar lawsuit he filed against a competitor had somehow damaged him.

Coverage of that lawsuit began in March 2008 after reporting that Schair, a former fishing tour operator, sued competitor Philip Marsteller for alleging Schair's involvement with drugs and prostitution.

This became part of my three-year investigation into Shriner corruption as a witness list for the defense identified 19 members of their secret sub group, the Royal Order of Jesters (ROJ).

The defense took depositions from two of Schair's former fishing guides who substantiated Marsteller's allegations. They also described photos of Jesters having sex with underage prostitutes.

Prior to this, the same two witnesses had been encouraged by both the Brazilian federal police and officials at the U.S. embassy in Brasilia to report these crimes as well as testify about them in the United States.

In December 2008, Schair paid Marsteller $15,000 to settle out of court.

Precisely two years after the date of being charged, online entries in the Brazilian federal court system indicate that both the prosecutor's office and the judge overseeing this case have been working closely to prosecute a North American for these crimes. The system has also been tracking entries related to Schair's recent request for habeas corpus, including a link to previously sealed records of his 2007 charges, making them available to the public for the very first time. The latest entries note the judge's final decision to deny Schair's application because it has no merit, clearing the way for his immediate arrest upon entering Brazil.

It has yet to be determined if Schair's clients, including the Jesters, are being investigated by Brazilian authorities.

The FBI, however, is currently investigating the Royal Order of Jesters for sex trafficking and child sex tourism after catching three of them in a human trafficking sting over a year and a half ago.

All three pleaded guilty to violating the Mann Act for taking and/or conspiring to take illegal alien prostitutes across state lines to weekend Jester parties. They include a former New York state Supreme Court judge, his law clerk and a retired police captain. The last two were essentially put on probation, fined and ordered to register as sex offenders. The judge will be sentenced this Friday for admitting, among other things, that he worked with top Jester officers to coordinate prostitutes for a national ROJ meeting in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

The judge's July 29, 2009 pre-sentencing memorandum states that when he joined the Royal Order of Jesters, "the group's practice of inviting women, called 'Jester girls,' to the meetings for sexual activities was already a long-standing tradition. Every few years, a letter was sent out advising members that women should not be brought to Jester functions, but everyone knew that the letters were window dressing and not to be taken seriously. Indeed, women always were at Jester functions. The behavior was not isolated to the Buffalo group of Jesters. In fact, it was reported to have occurred at Jester meetings across the country. The motto taught to newcomers 'What you hear here, what you see here, stays here when you leave here' evidences the sort of activity expected at Jester meetings."

According to the memorandum, the judge recognized that what he saw at the time as friendship and camaraderie in a national organization really was morally bankrupt and often criminal. The judge arranged for women to travel to the various Jester meetings not to make money for himself or even for the organization but only because it was part of his "job description" as the Director of the Buffalo Chapter of the Jesters.

The Royal Order of Jesters is a clandestine sub-group of the Shriners.

The Shriners are one of many sub-groups of Freemasonry.

Once a man is accepted into his local Masonic lodge and completes three degrees, he then becomes a Master Mason who can then join other "appendant" or sub-groups like the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners.

The Shriners are best known for their red Fezzes, driving goofy little cars in parades and raising money to support their network of 22 hospitals that provides free medical care to burned and crippled children.

One must first be an invited Shriner before joining the Royal Order of Jesters. In other words, all Jesters are invited Shriners who must first be Master Masons, so, all Jesters are Master Masons.

To further clarify things, the following timeline tracks Richard Schair's perfect storm.

May 11, 2007 - Schair sues Philip Marsteller for defamation and libel after alleging his involvement with drugs and prostitution, complaint here.

July 11, 2007 - Five Indian girls provide depositions to the Brazilian federal police alleging that "Richard" illegally lured them off their reservation to work as underage prostitutes for his North American fishing clients.

August 8, 2007 - Brazilian Federal Police, Amazon division inquest #410/2007 leads to filing legal proceedings against Richard Wayne Schair, charging him with rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network.

February 15, 2008 - "Jesters Exposed" published. This is the first article ever written about the Shriners clandestine sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters

March 6, 2008 - "Jesters' To Testify about Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?" published three weeks later. This reports that 19 Jesters named on a witness list for the defense were expected to testify about "their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers" in the case Schair v Marsteller.

May 25, 2008 - "Brazilian Fishing Trip Depositions: 'Masons' Pictured Having Sex with Teen Prostitutes?" published. This describes depositions that include how the Jesters asked to be called "Masons" and for girls over 13.

June 2, 2008 - "Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists" published. This describes what five "Jane Does" told the Brazilian federal police, including one who testified that she was left pregnant at age 13.

December 9, 2008 - Schair pays Marsteller to settle out of court as mounting evidence supports his allegations that Schair is involved with drugs and prostitution.

June 19, 2009 - Schair submits an application for habeas corpus to prevent being arrested upon entering Brazil.

June 23, 2009 - Brazilian federal judge Maria Lucia Gomes De Souza denies Schair’s application.

June 26, 2009 - Schair files libel/defamation complaint against Newsvine in Hall County Superior Court, Georgia.

June 29, 2009 - "Brazilian Judge Rejects Jester Fishing Tour Operator's Request for Habeas Corpus" published.

July 14, 2009 - "Editorial: Schair v Newsvine Illustrates Importance of Reporter Shield and Child Protection Bills Before Congress" published. I wrote "The big picture here is that Richard Schair is attempting to intimidate other media from covering the breaking news out of Brazil that his request for habeas corpus was denied. Now he could and probably would be arrested by the federal police upon entering Brazil for the charges of rape, corruption of minors and operating a prostitution network."

July 24, 2009 - Newsvine files to transfer Schair's lawsuit to federal court in Gainesville, Georgia.

July 27, 2009 - Brazilian judge issues final denial of Schair's application for habeas corpus because it lacks merit.

July 28, 2009 - Schair's attorney Aaron Clark files motion in U.S. federal court to dismiss complaint against Newsvine.

July 29, 2009 - Schair v Newsvine complaint dismissed in federal court.

August 3, 2009 - Brazilian judge approves the case against Richard Wayne Schair as submitted by prosecutors on behalf of the Brazilian federal police, paving the way for arrest warrants and possible extradition.

It now appears that Brazilian authorities are serious about prosecuting those charged with child sex crimes but is the United States?

Here's an article about a similar case except instead of illegally luring 13 to 16 year old girls off their Indian reservations, this individual got them from orphanages for his wealthy clients.

He'll be spending up to 8 years in Club Fed for doing so while facing a civil suit for "helping to finance an online child-sex ring and develop its English-language Web site to attract wealthy international customers."

The questions now are:

"Will U.S. authorities work as hard as their Brazilian counterparts to successfully put together and prosecute cases against Richard Schair and the Royal Order of Jesters for prostitution, sex trafficking and child sex tourism without being influenced or pressured to do otherwise?"

"Will a civil suit be brought against Richard Schair and/or the Royal Order of Jesters to find justice for and compensate those living lives forever lost?"

"Will the IRS suspend the Royal Order of Jesters nonprofit status and call upon other agencies to investigate them for authorizing such trips as well as for being a front for a national prostitution network?"

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com. Copyright (c) 2009 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

This former potentate does not appear to be a member of the Royal Order of Jesters, currently under federal investigation for child sex tourism.

ICE began the undercover sex tourism operation in Yuma in 1997. Since that time, agents have arrested 43 suspects, including Rogers. This investigation is part of Operation Predator, an ongoing ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Here are updates in two Shriner and Jester court cases, news that the owner of the fishing tour business who took members of the Royal Order of Jesters (ROJ) fishing on the Amazon has closed shop and has been indicted by Brazilian authorities as well as my reaction to a ROJ spokesman disavowing knowledge of activities for which two Jesters are to be sentenced after both pleaded guilty to violating the Mann Act.

These seemingly random events could point to the possible convergence of independent investigations involving the Shriners secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters and prostitution.

First, memberships go like this.

The Shriners and the Royal Order of Jesters are appendant groups of Freemasonry. One must first be a Master Mason before being able to join sub-groups like the Scottish Rite, Knights Templar and the Shriners. However, one must first be an invited Shriner before joining the Royal Order of Jesters, a self-described "luxury organization for only those who can qualify and who can afford it."

There are about 23,500 Jesters organized into "courts" that correspond to the 191 Shriner temples located across North America.

The Jester statement of denial was part of "Probe of Jesters' carousing goes national, Case against 3 men from area wraps up," by Buffalo News reporter Dan Herbeck. It was published yesterday and can be read here.

Herbeck reminded us that retired police captain John Trowbridge is scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow as he was caught with former New York state Supreme Court justice Ronald Tills and his law clerk Michael Stebick in a FBI human trafficking sting out of Buffalo, New York. The three admitted that they conspired to and/or got prostitutes to weekend Jester parties in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Florida and Ontario, Canada.

Stebick was sentenced late last year, details here.

The Buffalo News also reported that the ROJ court in Big Sandy, Kentucky, was "put on probation because of incidents uncovered in the same federal probe."

Tills was scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, May, 7 but instead, a status hearing will be held to reschedule sentencing.

The other court case involves the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) v the Shriners Hospitals for Children as the UTMB is requesting an injunction to prevent the Shriners from closing their Galveston burn hospital because they allegedly failed to give the UTMB adequate notice to relocate all the research projects. The April 29 hearing was rescheduled to June 17. “Shriners Close Galveston Hospital, Sued by UTMB” can be read here.

According to an announcement on the Peacock Bass Fishing website forum, Richard Schair will be closing his fishing tour company, Wet-A-Line Tours, which is the same fishing company that took members of the Royal Order of Jesters on fishing trips to the Amazon.

Schair and others were recently indicted by Brazilian authorities who have been investigating “that minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the regions of Autazes became victims of sexual exploitation by North-American foreign tourists.”

Schair had sued a rival fishing tour operator for defamation in May, 2007 after it was alleged that he illegally entered Brazilian Indian reservations to recruit girls, some underage, into prostitution for his clients.

A witness list for the defense named 19 Jesters who were expected to testify about "their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers."

The U.S. District Court witness list also explained that each:

"was a customer of the plaintiffs who fished with the plaintiffs in Brazil during approximately late August/September 2007. Based on the Wet-A-Line Tours, L.L.C. website, he is believed to be a member of the Royal Order of Jesters as were all other participants on this trip. He is expected to testify that there were twenty Jesters who paid for their trip and that he was one of the nineteen that ultimately participated. He is expected to testify that two boats were supplied by Plaintiffs, one for the Jesters and one for twenty or so girls who accompanied the Jesters. He is expected to testify that the 'activities' of the Jesters that week and the nature and extent of services provided by and/or arranged by Plaintiffs or Plaintiffs representatives. He is also expected to authenticate the many hours of videotape and still photographs taken by Defendants of the Jesters' 'activities' during the 'fishing' trip. He is expected to identify by way of photographs and association the members of the Jesters group, the identity by name or by description of the girls aboard, the ages of the girls aboard and the exact nature of the activities viewable in the video tape."

Those witnesses believed to be Jesters include William Dewane Meeks, Ferrel Harrison Adams, Jr., Robert Rex Lee, M.D., Robert Rex Lee, II, Thomas Raymond Lee, Don Anderson, Douglas Allan Boynton, Norman Lee Broschous, Robert George Duncan, Phillip Carl Spellens, Claude William Grimes, Carl Wayne Mixon, Sr., Walker Jenkins, Samuel Emmett Newton, Jr., Roy Edward Pennington, Roy Edward Pennington Jr., Edward Beynroth Schwimg, Edward William Sparks, Harry Howlett Waldron.

It is not clear if there are any connections between Tills' sentencing being rescheduled and Schair's indictment however the transcript of Tills' courtroom plea appearance reports that he was providing "proactive cooperation with respect to the unlawful transportation of individuals for prostitution or other sexual activity prohibited by law, and that includes sex trafficking, sexual exploitation of minors or any international travel for that purpose."

Court documents in the Schair case indicate that the Brazilian federal police were investigating allegations of sexual abuse brought by five victims who, in their depositions, described how a man named "Richard" lured them into "cleaning" on his fishing boats to discover that they were expected to drink whiskey and have sex with North American tourists.

You can read more about the Jesters Brazilian fishing trips here:

Jesters to Testify about Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?

Brazilian Fishing Trip Depositions, Masons pictured having sex with teen prostitutes?”

Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists

Finally, here is my reaction to a statement by Rob Leonard, a spokesman for the national Jesters organization who said that the illegal activities involving the Buffalo chapter and prostitutes are highly unusual incidents, involving conduct that would never be condoned by Jesters leaders. He also said the national leaders of the organization have made it very clear to members throughout the country that this kind of conduct is unacceptable.

Here is my reaction:

"I've investigated nonprofit corruption for over six years, three of which have been spent looking into the Shriners and am also the first author to expose their dark side. I've been investigating the Royal Order of Jesters (ROJ) for two, so that’s five years. After I was named as a secondary party of interest in a defamation lawsuit filed by the Shriners against the two whistleblowers who first alerted me to this, I wondered what it was that the Shriners were so desperate to hide.

I published the first ever article about the ROJ just over a year ago and the unexpected response was like hand to hand combat.

I say to Rob Leonard and the Royal Order of Jesters 'Prove it' because the paper trail leading through the Michael J. Dillon U. S. Court House in Buffalo indicates otherwise.

So, where is this Jester directive?

Who wrote it?

When was it sent?

What did it say, because a directive sent to the ROJ membership last January indicates they're updating their emailing list so they can continue keeping track of their 'Books around the Realm' and that 'the only reason for this medium to exist is to promote spreading the Gospel of Mirth by encouraging our members to travel.'

It was sent at the direction of Gary N. Martin, a head Jester who is also on the Board of Governors for the Mexico Shriner hospital. (Update: The contact name and phone number on the Jester e-mail have been verified and are that of a California anesthesiology and medical practice consultant.)

This illustrates why those concerned about hospital closures should factor in the possibility of mismanagement as the majority of those on both Shriner boards are also Jesters. This should reinforce the importance of that internal investigation into allegations of unethical conduct and corruption by two top Shriner leaders who are also Jesters.

Plea agreements include facts agreed upon by both the defendant and the U.S. government. In Judge Tills' case, the transcript of his plea agreement hearing before Judge Skretny reports that he's considering reducing Tills' sentence for pleading guilty to violating the Mann Act from ten years down to possibly a year and a half for providing proactive cooperation in the government's investigation in to sex trafficking and the sexual exploitation of minors and international travel for those purposes.

This tells me that the Feds are also investigating the Jesters for child sex tourism.

Both Tills and the U.S. government further agreed to the fact that he coordinated prostitutes for a national meeting up in Canada with the cooperation of ROJ national officers. Additionally, court documents have basically described the Royal Order of Jesters as a men’s organization with nationwide chapters, for which some members get prostitutes for their weekend meetings.

This is contrary to what Rob Leonard said.

I’ve studied all associated court documents since you first broke this story and let me say that I have compassion for those three Jesters caught in the FBI human trafficking sting because it looks like ROJ national is throwing them under the bus.

Those comments by Jester leaders indicate they’re either truth challenged or are ignorant of the facts.

Do I think the Royal Order of Jesters should lose their tax exempt status?

From all indications, the IRS needs to launch a CSI-type investigation to make that determination. Additionally, the Senate Finance Committee should hold hearings into issues of nonprofit compliance with the Royal Order of Jesters as a test case because, according to sources, they’ve known about this for over a year now.

The worst thing is that it hurts of all those hardworking Shriners who have dedicated their lives to helping the kids. They should never have been so misled, abused and disrespected.”

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2009 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Editor's Note:
This resource was created as a public service for those wanting to know more about the Shriners' secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters. The intention is to provide more information in advance of the April 29 UTMB v Shriners hearing in Galveston, Texas and the May 6 and 7 sentencings of those two Jesters caught by the FBI in a human trafficking sting out of Buffalo, NY.
Thank you,
Sandy Frost
Starbucks, WA

The buzz at this year's Shriner Fourth of July convention is going to be how their endowment lost $3 billion in less than a year, on top of losing $1 million a day since 2001, as everyone was blindsided by the news that the joint boards are considering closing six of their hospitals "because of the economy."

If anyone asks Shriner leaders "Where did all the money go?" they will be hushed up or threatened or told to leave or brought up on "charges" before an internal kangaroo court or sued for defamation or otherwise retaliated against.

There is a bigger problem, however, that the Shriners should address. It is one that leaders will never acknowledge and one that members will never be allowed to discuss and that is the Shriners secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters and their prostitution/sex crime scandals.

Though the Jesters are holding their annual meeting at the same time as the Shriners convention in San Antonio, they will be persona non grata and swept under the rug.

Why?

Because the majority those who control the Shriners joint boards are also Jesters. Why would they implicate themselves and invite more scrutiny when the media is already asking about hospital closures? What if anyone factored mismanagement, corruption and a lack of ethics into the "blame the economy" equation to hypothesize a corporate model that either allowed or facilitated these staggering losses?

So what does the Shriner/Jester family tree look like?

The Shriners and the Royal Order of Jesters are appendant groups of Freemasonry. One must first be a Master Mason before being able to join sub-groups like the Scottish Rite, Knights Templar and the Shriners. However, one must first be an invited Shriner before joining the Royal Order of Jesters, a self-described "luxury organization for only those who can qualify and who can afford it."

There are about 23,500 Jesters organized into "courts" that correspond to the 191 Shriner temples located across North America.

Below is a list of Jester related articles, beginning with "Jesters Exposed," the first article ever written about the ROJ.

It was published on February 15, 2008 and was mostly about nonprofit tax technicalities and how the nonprofit group's leaders ordered that the internet be scrubbed of ROJ information to "minimize to the extent possible, our public exposure or its access to Jesters information" because it had been alleged that their weekend meetings were nothing more than prostitution parties where they drank and played high stakes poker at taxpayer expense.

A few days after that, I learned about how 19 Jesters were named on a witness list for the defense in a defamation action between two fishing tour operators who took groups to fish the Amazon in Brazil. "'Jesters' To Testify about Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?" was published about three weeks later, on March 6, 2008, and reported how these Jesters were expected to testify about "their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or the alleged illegal entry of one of the tour operators into Indian reservations by the plaintiff and his customers."

Three days later, on March 9, 2008, The Buffalo News reported "Former Judge Tills resigns amid FBI prostitution investigation."

Reporters Dan Herbeck and Aaron Besecker wrote:

"A retired State Supreme Court justice resigned his post as a hearing officer as federal agents investigate his alleged role in taking a local massage parlor worker across state lines for purposes of prostitution. FBI and U.S. Border Patrol agents are investigating allegations that retired Judge Ronald H. Tills, his former law clerk and a retired police captain took the female massage parlor employee in a motor home to a gathering of members of a nationwide group called the Royal Order of Jesters."

Turns out the judge, his law clerk and the retired police captain got caught in a FBI human trafficking sting and pleaded guilty to taking, or conspiring to take, illegal alien prostitutes to Jester parties in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Florida as well as a national meeting held in Ontario, Canada. The law clerk was sentenced last December to four months home confinement, fined $5,000, ordered to 250 hours of community service and put on two years probation.

The former judge and retired police captain are scheduled to be sentenced May 6 and 7 for violating the Mann Act.

Below is a chronological list of Jester articles, with links to those documents being described including Jester tax returns that show how they spent nearly $600,000 on one of their weekend parties, a revised constitution that shows the interdependence between the Shriners and Jesters, a list of meetings, ceremonies like "The Book of the Play," depositions and plea agreements.

http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/_news/2008/02/15/1304754-jesters-exposed”">Jesters Exposed Fri Feb 15, 2008 9:35 PM EST

This is the first article ever written about the Shriner secret sub-group, the Royal Order of Jesters or ROJ. It reports:

• ROJ 2005 tax returns AKA the 990s show that the Jesters fraternal brought in over $1.3 million dollars with assets totaling over $1.8 million dollars.

• ROJ 2005 tax returns show that Jesters charitable brought in over $420,000 with assets totaling $835,000, for a combined worth of about $2.65 million dollars and that charitable contributions went toward building their new $1.2 million 5,000 square foot HQ/museum in Indianapolis, Indiana.

• In 2006, ROJ executive director Alex Rogers, who is also an attorney and past potentate, submitted an application for property tax exemption to the Marion County Assessor that was initially denied because tax authorities were not convinced that the Jesters qualified as a charity, based on the museum claims, under Indiana law.

• Rogers appealed the decision and convinced the Indiana Tax Assessment Board of Appeals that the Jesters are an appendant body of Masonry. Both parties entered into a Settlement Agreement in January, 2007 that stipulated a 100% fraternal tax exemption for the year 2005, otherwise the Jesters would have had to cough up about $12,000 in property taxes.

• Two ROJ executive directors appear to be practicing law out of Jester HQ in Indiana and Texas. IRS nonprofit laws state that no one shall benefit personally from a nonprofit group.

• “Royal Stage Manager” Dennis Schueler sent a letter to Jester webmaster Frank Baillie, informing him that the Jesters had “directed the abolition of all Jester-related bulletin boards and internet sites. The primary reason behind such action was the desire of the Board to minimize to the extent possible, our public exposure or its access to Jesters information.”

• ROJ functions have always been listed on the Imperial Council’s annual session agenda.

• Shriners’ corporate communications director, Alicia Aargiz-Lyons failed to respond to phone messages and emailed questions about the Royal Order of Jesters.

"Jesters" To Testify about Illegal Drugs, Child Prostitution?
Thu Mar 6, 2008 1:35 PM EST

This article is about how 19 Jesters were named on a witness list for the defense in a federal defamation lawsuit and associated court documents. It reports:

• Federal court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division regarding a defamation lawsuit between two fishing tour operators, Richard Schair and Phillip Marsteller, includes a defense witness list that names 19 witnesses who are members of the ROJ and are expected to testify about fishing trips to Brazil and “their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers.”

• The ROJ was investigated by the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas in 2005 after they received a complaint alleging Jester parties revolved around sex with prostitutes, illegal gambling and alcohol. It ended with no “prosecutions.”

• The Wichita Jester Court #24 reported to the IRS that they spent $122,102 in 2006 for the exempt purpose of “recreation, entertainment and companionship.”

• The Long Beach Jester Court #161 reported to the IRS that they spent $82,543 in 2006 as “benefits paid to members.”

• Five girls gave statements to Brazilian federal police officers last year as they were investigating “minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the region of the Municipality of Autazes/AM who became victims of sexual exploitation by North American foreign tourists.”

• These depositions described how the girls were, at the time of the alleged minor prostitution, aged 13, 14, 16.

• One of the 16 year olds stated that her 14 year old sister was also recruited.

• All the girls state they were lured onto the fishing boat by someone named "Richard."

• These depositions describe the crime otherwise known as “child sex tourism.”

Judge Central Figure in FBI Probe, the S.O.B.I.B. and the Jesters' Half Million Dollar Weekend Parties
Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:30 PM PDT

This article describes how Shriner/Jester and former New York Supreme Court Judge Tills has become the focus of the FBI’s investigation, exposes a clandestine Jester sub-group called the S.O.B.I.B. and details shocking data found on Jester tax returns. It reports:

• Tills is listed as a member of an inside Jesters group called the "S.O.B.I.B." The acronym allegedly stands for something like "Secret Order of Brother/s in Blood."

• Ralph Semb, chairman of the board of trustees for the Shriners Hospitals for Children, is both a Jester and a member of the S.O.B.I.B.

• The International Royal Order of Jesters, Inc. and the National Court of the Royal Order of Jesters fail to list the S.O.B.I.B. on line 80b of their 2003, 2004 and 2005 tax returns. Line 80a asks "Is the organization related (other than by association with a statewide or nationwide organization) through common membership, governing bodies, trustees, officers, etc., to any other exempt or non exempt organizations?" Line 80b asks “If 'Yes,' enter the name of the organization."

• The Jesters further fail to correctly answer questions about their exempt purpose.

• Tax returns report that in 2003, the Jesters' weekend ritual “The Book of the Play” (BOP) expenses were $226,268, with income of $400,548. In 2004, they spent $545,806 on the BOP, with income of $584,661. In 2005, they spent $307,345 with income of $454,783.

• Three years of ROJ tax returns report that director's expense as $31,116, $24,778 and $31,865 respectively, though these expenses are not reported in Part II.

• Three years of ROJ tax returns list $0 for Program Services.

• Three years of ROJ tax returns report gross receipts of $1,208,146, $1,394,551 and $1,310, 539.

• A Thursday, December 20, 2007 request for the ROJ 2006 990 and Form 1023 remains unanswered. (The Form 1023 is a group's application for tax exempt status. IRS regulations state that the organization must provide the requested document/s within 30 days from the date it received the request.)

Brazilian Fishing Trip Depositions: "Masons" Pictured Having Sex with Teen Prostitutes?
Sun May 25, 2008 3:55 PM PDT

This is the second article requiring an “Adult Warning.” What began as a defamation lawsuit between two fishing tour operators has led to the possibility that “Masons” participated in child sex tourism and minor prostitution. It reports:

· Two fishing guides, previously employed by the plaintiff, were deposed by the Brazilian federal police to describe what they witnessed as part of their same investigation into the international crime of “child sex tourism.”

· These guides spent three days in Miami with attorneys from both sides, interpreters, a videographer and both parties as they testified about what they witnessed in pictures of “Masons” allegedly having sex with teen prostitutes on “Wet-a-Line” fishing boats, some underage.

· Brazilian teens lured into prostitution told fishing tour guides that they had “sex of all kinds” with those on “Wet-A-Line” tours.

· Tour guides described going by fishing boats as the girls engaged in oral sex with the fishermen.

· Tour guides identified groups of American men who went on these tours year after year to party, drink, watch strip contests, have sex and take drugs.

· Tour guides said that girls as young as 9, 13, and 14 were used as prostitutes on the fishing boats.

· Tour guides identified those who returned each year as “Masons.”

· “Masons” were pictured with two underage prostitutes at a party on the fishing boat.

· The “Masons” asked for girls over 13.

Child Sex Tourism: Brazilian Teens Testify About Being Lured into Minor Prostitution for American Tourists
Mon Jun 2, 2008 5:58 PM EDT

This is the third of three articles related to how 19 Jesters were called as to testify for the defense in a federal lawsuit about their alleged firsthand knowledge of minor prostitution while fishing trips to Brazil. It reports:

· Child sex tourism is in the news.

· Five girl’s depositions were taken by the Brazilian Federal Police that allege how same man named

· “Richard” went to the same village every year, luring girls to help him with housekeeping and cooking on his boat.

· Upon arriving at the boat, the girls discover they were to drink whiskey and have sex with the fishermen.

· The girls report that they are victims of sexual abuse perpetuated by a group of North American tourists.

· One 13 year old reported that was left pregnant.

· These Indian families live way below poverty.

· “Richard” failed to pay the girls what was promised.

Jester Confesses to Wife He Organized Prostitutes
Mon Aug 25, 2008 4:10 PM EDT

This is an interview with a wife who discovered that as her husband became more and more involved with the Jesters, he was getting prostitutes to Jester functions. It reports:

· The ROJ is a strictly stag, luxury organization for no purpose other than to “spread mirth.”

· Wives are allowed at only two events a year.

· The husband said that the Jesters have a “pool” of girls.

· Certain Jesters request their favorite girls.

· Each court's director assigns the job of inviting the girls.

· The Jesters have a doctor who checks the girls “papers.”

· Every court has a member who organizes the girls for their BOP.

· The U.S. Attorney's office describes the Royal Order of Jesters as organization that “maintained chapters throughout the United States, including in Western New York, and it was the custom of these chapters to host periodic meetings, usually on weekends, for their members. At most of these meetings, some members of the organization would be tasked to arrange for the presence of women at the meetings, for the specific purpose of utilizing the women to engage in sexual intercourse and other sexual activity with the organization's members in exchange for money."

Judge Tills Pleads Guilty, Admits Coordinating Prostitutes with Jester National Representatives
Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:14 PM EDT

This article is based on a Department of Justice press release that reports “Terrance P. Flynn, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York, announced today that RONALD H. TILLS, 73, a former State Supreme Court Judge from Hamburg, New York, pleaded guilty to Information charging him with knowingly transporting a female in interstate commerce with the intent that the female engage in prostitution (Mann Act).” It reports:

• The 9/11 terrorist attack did not deter Judge Tills from getting prostitutes to a weekend Jester party because air traffic was delayed or suspended.

• Judge Tills arranged for the transportation of prostitutes from the Buffalo airport to the Jesters’ national meeting then being held in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

• Tills agreed with representatives of the Jesters’ National Court that members of the Buffalo Court #22 would get the women from the Buffalo airport to the hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, where the national Jesters meeting was being held.

• Judge Tills paid one of these prostitutes to engage in sexual acts with him at a massage parlor.

• Tills and Trowbridge knowingly transported a different illegal alien from New York to a Jester meeting in Pennsylvania to engage in sexual intercourse and other sexual activity

• Judge Tills arranged for a woman from Buffalo to attend a Jester party in Florida to engage in sexual intercourse and other sexual activity and be paid for it.

• Judge Tills arranged for several women from New York, Ohio and Texas to attend a Jester meeting in Brantford, Ontario, Canada to engage in sexual intercourse and other sexual activity and be paid for it.

• Judge Tills held high offices in the Masonic Grand Lodge of New York and the Ismailia Shriners.

• ROJ bylaws show that they are closely related to the Shriners, with national events being held together as well as ROJ courts dependent on where Shriner temples are located.

Jester Prostitution Updates, Stebick Sentenced
Sun Dec 7, 2008 7:11 PM EST

This is the last story of the year and the headline sums it up. It reports:

· Michael Stebick, 61 was put on probation for two years, ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and directed to provide 250 hours of community service.

· According to sentencing Judge Skretny, the victim in the case was put up in a hotel by the Jesters, with a sign stating '$70-an-hour' posted outside her room.

· Pictures show Jesters fishing, drinking and cuddling with Brazilian girls.

· John Trowbridge’s sentencing November 4 date was been again rescheduled for May 6, 2009.

· The owner of the “massage parlors,” Len Wah Chong, was sentenced on November 19 to six years in federal prison for enslaving as many as 11 illegal alien prostitutes. She pleaded guilty early last April to "Sex Trafficking of Persons by Force, Fraud and Coercion." She forfeited two properties, $70K in cash and jewelry seized and now must pay $350,000 in restitution to those she kept as sex slaves.

· The Richard W. Schair and Wet-a-Line Tours LLC v Phillip Marsteller and Amazon Tours, Inc. defamation lawsuit was settled out of court on Friday, December, 5.

· Defendant Marsteller was honored on Monday, September 15, 2008 at a ceremony held at the Church Center of the UN. He, on behalf of his Peacock Bass fishing business Amazon Tours, Inc., took a public stand against child sex tourism by signing "The Code" AKA Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism. The event was sponsored by ECPAT, which stands for "End Child Prostitution Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes."

· On Wednesday, December 3, 2008, Imperial Potentate Douglas Maxwell, Chairman of the SHC Board of Trustees Ralph Semb and Corporate Director of Public Relations Alicia Aargiz-Lyons were emailed the following questions "What is your reaction to the latest news articles about those members of the Royal Order of Jesters pleading guilty in Buffalo to violating the Mann Act?” and “Those Jesters allegedly involved with child sex tourism?" To date, no response.

Results: The plaintiff in the defamation lawsuit between two fishing tour operators settled out of court with the defendant.

Tills' Sentencing Rescheduled in Jester Prostitution Case
Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:17 PM PST

This article reports that:

· Judge Tills’ sentencing was rescheduled from January 12, 2009 to May 7, 2009.

· Questions about these matters repeatedly phoned and emailed to the Masonic Grand Lodge of New York remain unanswered.

· On Wednesday, December 3, 2008, Imperial Potentate Douglas Maxwell, Chairman of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Board of Trustees and member of the Royal Order of Jesters, Ralph Semb and Corporate Director of Public Relations Alicia Aargiz-Lyons were asked “What is your reaction to the latest news articles about those members of the Royal Order of Jesters pleading guilty in Buffalo to violating the Mann Act?" To date, all three have failed to respond.

The Shriners & "Management by Mirth"
Sat Mar 14, 2009 5:31 PM PDT

This editorial points out that the majority of those on the Shriners joint boards are also members of the Royal Order of Jesters and reports:

· Eleven out of twelve on the SHC board of trustees are Jesters.

· Nine out of fourteen of those listed on the 2006 fraternal tax return are Jesters.

· By the end of 2008, four key executives had "resigned" because they opposed recontracting with a fundraiser as not being in the hospital's best interests and may have personally benefitted some board members.

· With the hospital's executive vice president, director of corporate development, controller and senior attorney gone, those Jesters in charge were free to run things without much, if any, corporate oversight.

· The corporate model of "Management by Mirth" could prove fatal because it's based on undisclosed conflicts of interest. It's based on deception because the Shriners have hidden this affiliation with the Royal Order of Jesters from the IRS by not listing them as an affiliated group on their tax returns.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from "by Sandy Frost" must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2008 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

This article addresses what I experienced as I read the depositions of those Brazilian Indian girls that described being lured into child sex tourism. What really did it was reading how one 13 year old was left pregnant by North American fishing tourists with no idea who the father was.
Basically, I hit the wall with my own PTSD reactions that were later compounded by reading court documents that described how those Jesters caught in the FBI human trafficking sting were facilitating sex slavery and human trafficking as they took illegal aliens from state to state like party favors so their "brothers" could have sex with them at their weekend bashes.

Two French men were convicted Wednesday on charges of soliciting, accepting and carrying out sexual acts with minors aged younger than age 15. Prosecutors argued in the trial that the two men together had victimized about 50 girls aged around 10 years old in Thailand and Cambodia.

Seven U.S. defendants charged for their activity in a global child pornography trafficking enterprise were convicted today in the Northern District of Florida following a six-day jury trial.

The federal jury convicted the defendants of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise; conspiracy to advertise, transport, ship, receive and possess child pornography; advertising child pornography, transporting child pornography, receiving child pornography and obstruction of justice.

UNICEF, in partnership with ECPAT Switzerland, has helped to establish the world's first centralized system for reporting on sex tourists.

The Swiss Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) has introduced a website containing a new form that will be used to collect information about suspected perpetrators. Swiss tourists are also being encouraged by tour operators to speak up if they see anything suspicious when they travel abroad.

The UNICEF Centre rehabilitates sexually exploited girls by providing them with vocational training and medical care, including HIV testing and psychological support. Nadia is pursuing vocational training to become a hairdresser. Nadia, now 15, was 13 when she first got involved.

Poor and vulnerable children are getting lured into the multi-million dollar sex tourism trade. It's emerging as one of the biggest problems that developing countries are facing.

A case in point is Rio de Janeiro, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations. But hidden behind the gorgoeus landscape there, is the ugly truth of children being used to lure tourists.

Tour operators, who book online offer a range of services to suit every individual's need including sex with young people, often in their teens and even younger ones.

Madagascar fights child sex tourism.

Amazon Tours owner Philip Marsteller recently signed an agreement with ECPAT to fight child sex tourism. He is the defendant in a libel/slander lawsuit who identified 19 Jesters (who are also Shriners and Masons) on a witness list to ask them about their first hand knowlege of sex with minors while on a sanctioned fishing trip to Brazil.

Led by ECPAT International, the UN Children's Fund and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the meeting's attendees discussed – for the upcoming World Congress III against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents* in Brazil – a set of time-bound goals and targets to mitigate the issues of child prostitution, trafficking, cyber crimes and abuse in travel and tourism.

Warning: Extremely disturbing graphic content.

Editor’s Note: This is the third of three articles related to how 19 members of the Royal Order of Jesters were called as to testify for the defense in a federal lawsuit about their alleged firsthand knowledge of minor prostitution while on a fishing trip, apparently one of many, to Brazil. The Royal Order of Jesters is a non profit group made up of 24,000 invited Shrine leaders, who must first be Master Masons. Included in the court documents are statements from five Brazilian Indian girls who allege they were “victims of sexual abuse perpetuated by a group of foreign tourists, North Americans.” The girls' statements are available to the public through the federal court information system, PACER. There is no direct link between these girls and the Jesters. Let me repeat that. There is no direct link between these girls and the Jesters, however two Brazilian fishing tour guides testified in their depositions in the same case that they saw “Masons” having sex with teen prostitutes. Additionally, all the girls testified that they were recruited every year by the same man, an American named “Richard,” during the same time of year that he took the Jesters on their fishing trips to Brazil. Creative liberties were taken to tell this story through the eyes of the girls.

The Associated Press reported last Friday, May 30, 2008, that:

“A retired Marine captain was convicted Thursday of having sex with pre-teen girls while working as a teacher in Cambodia. A federal jury found Michael Joseph Pepe guilty of seven counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places. The federal law targets people who go overseas for so-called child sex tourism. During trial, six girls who were between 9 and 12 at the time of the abuse testified that Pepe drugged, bound, beat and raped them. Pepe was arrested in Phnom Penh in 2006 by Cambodian police investigating the sexual abuse allegations. Pepe, 54, of Oxnard, faces up to 210 years in prison when he is sentenced in September.”

Unfortunately, child sex tourism is in the news.

Here are details of how it works, from those alleging they have been so victimized.

Imagine that you are a poor 13 year old Brazilian girl living with your poor family on your poor people’s land; the Indigenous Area AKA your reservation. A North American illegally enters the Indigenous Area, asking for your help on his tourist fishing boat, namely sweeping, laundry and cooking. You agree because your family needs the money. Your mother and step-father are scared because they have heard the stories about what has happened to “the others.” Against all hope, they wave and watch as you and nine other girls go off with this American stranger.

When you get to the boat, you learn that your real job is to drink whiskey and beer and have sex with the foreigners who are in your country on a fishing trip. After the foreigners have sex with you and go back home, you are left pregnant, not knowing who fathered your baby.

Three years later, you find yourself sitting in the office of the Regional Superintendent of the Federal Police of the State of Amazonas with your mother, a federal police transcriber, an attorney hired to represent you and the Federal Police Chief, who is asking you to tell him what happened. The police want to know because they are investigating that minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the regions of Autazes became victims of sexual exploitation by North-American foreign tourists.

This girl’s deposition and the depositions of four others were taken by the Brazilian Federal Police on June 13, 2007. The Police Chief also hears the others tell him how the same stranger went to the same village every year, luring girls to help him with housekeeping and cooking on his boat .

Instead, the American hires the under-age girls during the tourist’s fishing season. The girls are not paid what was promised for “programs” that consist of oral sex, strip and dance contests on the boat with the American fishermen. The girls allege in their depositions that they were told they’d be paid one rate, but were paid much less of what had been promised.

The second girl tells the Federal Police Chief that she is coming forward “spontaneously” to report that she was the victim of sexual abuse perpetuated by a group of foreigner tourists, North Americans, who, when she was 14, in August of 2005, came to her village to entice her to provide her cleaning services on a boat. She said yes because she needed the money.

When she boarded the vessel with her 16 year old sister and other girls, she learned that she would have to have sex with the foreigners, besides having to pose nude in pictures. She spent a week on the boat, having sex with two foreign tourists, who also paid her for sex. She tells the Federal Police Chief that every year, the same American takes the same tourists to those prostitution programs because many other girls have also been taken to such programs. Every year during the tourist’s fishing season, in August and September, the boat enters the indigenous Area and that the Americans hire the girls, always promising that it is for domestic labor.

The third girl is 18. She is also sitting in the office of the Regional Superintendent of the Federal Police of the State of Amazonas. Also present are her attorney, the Federal Police Chief and transcriber. She has an incomplete elementary education, is of indigenous culture and is a member of an ethnic tribe. She is also reporting that she was the victim of sexual abuse perpetuated by a group of foreigners, North Americans, who, when she was 16, in September, 2005, enticed her to participate in sexual programs.

At the time she was spending her week in school, she was asked to provide domestic services on a boat of tourists. After she gets there, the foreigners take pictures of her and the other girls and invited them to work on the boat, promising to pay two hundred or three hundred Reais for two to three days of work. This translates to about $120 - $180, USD. She accepted the offer because her mother was very ill and needed the money for health treatment in the city of Manaus.

Like the others, when she boarded the vessel, she learned she would have sex and to drink whiskey and beer with the foreigners. The first time she spent two days and two nights on the boat, she had to have sex with three foreigners. On the second time, she spent two days and one night with one foreigner.

She tells the Police Chief how there were about fifteen to eighteen other girls taken on board for the sexual programs. She also describes how the same American and his boat comes every year during August and September during the tourists’ fishing season to the Indigenous Area and that the Americans hire the girls, always promising that it is for domestic labor. She supposes that some of the girls know that the program is about sex and some other girls don’t. Last year, in 2006, she was called by the same American but refused to work those programs.

The fourth girl is in the same office with the same people on the same day to answer questions asked by the same federal police. She says she is appearing spontaneously to report that she was also a victim of sexual abuse perpetuated by a group of foreign tourists. At the time, she was 16 and was accompanied by her sister who was 14 years old. Like the others, she testifies that she was hired to perform domestic labor but after boarding the boat, learned that in reality she would have to have sex with the foreigners.

On that occasion, she spent two days on the boat, she had to have sex with one foreign tourist who went by the nickname “CARECA” (bald). She was promised to be paid $100 Reais, but received only $35 Reais. Translated, she was promised about $60 USD but was paid only $20. She says that approximately ten girls were taken on board for sexual programs and that every year, the same American, takes the same tourists to those prostitution programs, because she knows that many other girls have also been taken to such programs. As far as she knows, the same boat enters the Indigenous Area and that the Americans hire the girls, always promising that it is for domestic activities during the months of August and September, during tourism fishing season.

The fifth girl testifies that she was first contacted in the year 2000 by the same American who organizes tourist excursions inside the indigenous areas of Autazes and from that year on, she began to participate in the sexual programs with foreign tourists, always on the same American’s boat. She said that the same American appeared every year in the region to conduct his excursions and, consequently, the prostitution programs.

This girl then explained how the same American used her to contact other girls of the villages as well as from the city of Autazes. She said he promised to pay her one amount, not only for having sex with the foreigners, but pay her based on the number of girls she recruited, but he never paid what he promised. She stated that in 2006, she again participated in “Richard’s” programs but that she only spent one night on board because she had a problem with him because “he was drunk and could not perform sexually” with her.

When she demanded that she be paid, he locked her in his cabin. After much crying, “Richard” paid her half of the $100 Reais he promised. This translates to being promised $60 USD but only being paid about $30 USD. She also stated that sometimes “Richard” rents the bar and fast-food venue “Dois Irmaos,” which means “Two Brothers,” in the city of Autazes, where she works, to take the girls there to perform striptease.

This is the end of the girls’ depositions, which can be found here.

"The Facts About Child Sex Tourism" is available from the U.S. Department of State here.

"Child Sex Tourism" is available from the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice here.

A group fighting the commercial sexual exploitation of children, ECPAT, has a website here. This site also provides information on the third World Congress Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, to be held November 25, 28 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

According to the conference organizers:

"The sexual exploitation of children and adolescents is a global reality and the problem is growing. Eliminating this horrific practice, and protecting children and adolescents from it, is a challenge all countries in the world must meet together. Following Stockholm 1996 and Yokohama 2001, Brazil will host the World Congress III Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in Rio de Janeiro...Over the last decades ECPAT International has been a lead partner in mobilising and supporting the processes and follow up action of the previous two World Congresses, ensuring that these events served as a mechanism to secure commitment and strengthen global action against the violation of children’s rights."

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from “by Sandy Frost” must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2008 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

A retired Marine captain from Oxnard has been convicted by a federal jury in Los Angeles of traveling to Cambodia to have sex with underage girls.

Concluding a three-week trial, a federal jury today convicted a retired Marine Corps captain who traveled to Cambodia for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with minors.

Michael Joseph Pepe, 54, a resident of Oxnard, faces up to 210 years in federal prison as a result of the guilty verdicts on seven felony counts.

Adult Disclaimer: This story contains sexually-oriented adult content which may include written references to nude adults, adults engaging in sexual acts, and other materials of a sexually-explicit nature. Permission to read this article is strictly limited only to consenting adults who affirm that they are over 18 years old, that you intend to read the sexually explicit material in the privacy of your own home and that you are familiar with your local community standards and that the sexually-explicit materials which you have chosen to read from this Website are well within the contemporary community standards of acceptance and tolerance of your community for sexually-explicit materials of that nature.

Editor’s Note: This is the second Adult Disclaimer used in this series. The first prefaced “Above the law? Shriner Treasurers' Minutes, Part 10,” published on November 16, 2006 and can be read here.

What began as a federal libel/slander lawsuit between two Brazilian fishing tour operators has led to the possibility that “Masons” on such a fishing trip participated in child sex tourism and minor prostitution. The term “Mason” is used here because that is how two Brazilian fishing guides, called as witnesses for the defense, referred to members of the Royal Order of Jesters identified in their recent depositions.

This is the second of two articles explaining what court records have thus far revealed in this legal battle, described here.

The first article, “Jesters to Testify about Illegal Drugs and Minor Prostitution?” explains how 19 members of the Royal Order of Jesters, who went on a sanctioned fishing trip to Brazil, were also called as witnesses for the defense. The witness list can be read here.

The article also referred to statements from “Jane Does” 1 – 4, one of whom testified to Brazilian federal police that she was 13 and allegedly left pregnant after such a trip. The girls’ statements can be read here.

These same four girls, two who were 16 at the time, with the others being 13 and 14 years old, have also been called as witnesses for the defense.

Brazilian authorities took the same girls’ statements as part of their investigation into a criminal report that “since the year 2000, minor Indian and other girls living near the rivers in the region of the Municipality of Autazes/AM became victims of sexual exploitation by North-American foreign tourists.”

Two fishing guides, who previously worked for the plaintiff, were deposed by the Brazilian federal police to describe what they witnessed as part of this same investigation into the international crime of “child sex tourism.” These guides, both brothers, recently spent three days in Miami with attorneys from both sides, interpreters, a videographer and both parties as they testified about what they witnessed as well as identified those in pictures of “Masons” allegedly having sex with teen prostitutes, some underage.

These groups are related. Once a man becomes a Master Mason, he can then join other groups such as the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners. Once a Master Mason joins the Shriners, he may be invited to join the Royal Order of Jesters, a secret sub-group whose sole purpose is to “spread the gospel of mirth and merriment.”

The red-fez wearing Shriners are best known for “having fun & helping kids” while the Shriners Hospitals are best known for providing free medical care to burned and crippled children. This investigation is not about those faithful Shriners who have devoted decades to support the hospitals and put smiles on the faces of the burned and crippled children. This investigation is about the Shriners’ lack of non profit disclosure, accountability and transparency in addition to asking why the Shriners intimidate, silence and sue those who ask about crimes instead of prosecuting those who commit the crimes.

Having said that, this is not the only prostitution scandal involving the Royal Order of Jesters. The Buffalo News is continuing to report how three Jesters were caught by the FBI in an illegal-alien prostitution sting, including a retired New York supreme court judge, his law clerk and a retired police captain who pleaded guilty to one felony count of taking prostitutes across state lines to Jesters’ parties.

Back to these depositions. They were recently made public through the PACER system that provides information and documentation about federal court cases.

Relevant parts of these depositions will provided here, edited for clarity, however they also provide a glimpse into legal tactics resembling hand-to-hand combat that could well be found in a John Grisham novel.

The first deposition, 61 pages, was provided by Adilson Garcia da Silva on Sunday, April 13, 2008. He describes how he became a fishing guide, his work history, how marijuana was allegedly obtained for the plaintiffs’ clients then began describing how girls, from age 13 on up, were lured into prostitution from Brazilian Indian reservations for the fishing trips’ clients. The girls, he said, were hired to provide “programs” that consisted of “oral sex, strip and dance contests.”

The attorney for the defense is “Question”. Adilson is “Answer.”

Question: Did any of the girls tell you that they engaged in sex with Wet-a-Line clients?

Answer: Yes

Question: Did they describe to you specifically what type of sex that they had with the Wet-a-Line customers?

Answer: All types.

Question: Did the girls tell you that they were involved in different types of sex acts with Wet-a-Line customers?

Answer: Yes

Question: Did you ever witness any Wet-a-Line customer having sex, whether it was traditional sex or oral sex, from one of these prostitutes?

Answer: Yes

Question: If you could describe for us some of the types of things that you were told by, either saw or told by these prostitutes as to what specifically was occurring on these Wet-a-Line boats?

Answer: I would see it on the boat that they were practicing oral sex. We would be fishing and sometimes we’d go by and they were practicing oral sex.

Question: Did the girls -- did you ever see or hear anything from the girls, these prostitutes, that they came to you or did they come to you and say that they did anything unusual with any of the customers?

Answer: Well, a sex that I had never seen, was to shove a ball in the behind and I, you know, they would say that and I heard it.

Question: Was there a certain set or group of people customer-wise that participated in these sex acts with customer, excuse me, with the prostitutes, or was it just general customers that came aboard the boat?

Answer: No, they were groups who came exclusively to do that type of thing.

Question: And were those groups mainly American men?

Answer: Yes

Question: Can you describe for us -- I mean I know you indicated earlier that at some point in time the Amazon Santana, I believe you referred to it as, and the Santana I were joined together for the women and the men to get together. What would a typical night be when the boats would join together?

Answer: You know, party, drinking, strip, sex, drugs, everything.

Question: Do you know the ages of some of the girls that were on the boats with these customers, Wet-a-Line customers, at the time that you worked for Wet-a-Line?

Answer: Yes

Question: What were some of the ages of the women?

Answer: They would always say they were of age, but they were never of age.

Question: Did you know for a fact that they were not of age?

Answer: Some, yes. Some were not of age.

Question: When you say of age, are you referring to 18 or is it a different age?

Answer: Yes, from 18 up, it is of age.

Question: And is it your understanding that there were girls that were under 18 that were hired to be on these boats as prostitutes.

Answer: Yes

Question: What is the youngest age that you’re aware of girls being prostitutes on the Wet-A-Line boats?

Answer: They said they were 18, but some of them were 16, 17.

Question: What is the youngest age that you’re aware of a girl being on the boat as a prostitute?

Answer: My brother would pick up a group of girls in Autazes and would take by boat to an American. One was 13, one was 14, and there was one who was even 9 years old.

Question: Were the girls that were brought on the boats, were they given alcohol?

Answer: They would drink.

Question: Okay. Sir, I have provided to you what has been marked as Composite Exhibit B, Defendants’ Composite Exhibit B. If you can take a look at the photographs, please?

Answer: I have already looked at them.

Question: Okay. Are these photographs true and correct copies of pictures that you have taken in the past?

Answer: Yes

Question: The first picture, which is Bates labeled, on the top, 00655 for identification purposes. Do you recognize the girl in this photo?

Answer: Yes

Question: Who is she?

Answer: This is Malu, or so called M-A-L-U.

Question: When were these pictures that are in Composite Exhibit B, when were all of these pictures taken?

Answer: This one was last year.

Question: When last year?

Answer: I don’t know the month. I don’t know exactly the month but I think it was September.

Question: Of 2007?

Answer: Yes

Question: And was anyone else around you when you took these pictures, other than the two people that are identified in the picture?

Answer: There were.

Question: Who else was around you when you took this picture?

Answer: Two American fishermen and two girls, prostitutes.

Question: Was Malu hired as a prostitute at the time that you took this picture?

Answer: Yes

Question: Was -- what looks to be a gentleman next to Malu, do you know who that person is?

Answer: Yes I know.

Question: Was a he a customer of Wet-A-Line?

Answer: He was, he was a fisherman, a Wet-A-Line’s fisherman.

Question: How old was Malu at the time you took this picture?

Answer: She was 17.

Question: And were these girls hired to be on board this boat, on this day that you took this picture, to be prostitutes?

Answer: Yes

Question: The next picture, 00663. Can you identify any of the individuals in this picture?

Answer: Yes

Question: Where did you take this picture?

Answer: It was on the upper part of the boat at the beginning of dinner.

Question: A Wet-A-Line---

Answer: In the beginning of the party.

Question: Was it on a Wet-A-Line boat?

Answer: Yes

Question: Do you know who the males are that are identified in the picture?

Answer: These are the ones that they all called him Bob.

Question: Did they call both of these males Bob?

Answer: Yes. One would call this one Bob, and the other one also called the other one Bob, and I didn’t know who Bob was.

Question: Were they Wet-A-Line customers?

Answer: Yes

Question: Who were the females in the pictures, in this picture, excuse me.

Answer: These are the same ones that were in the other pictures, Malu and Kelly.

Question: And were these girls hired to be on board of this boat, on this day that you took this picture, to be prostitutes?

Answer: Yes

Question: How often did you see these two Bobs on the Wet-a-Line boats?

Answer: They came every year. Every year they would come. The last time was now, last year.

Question: When last year?

Answer: It was September, the month of September.

Question: Is that when you took this picture?

Answer: It was.

Question: Turning to the next picture, 00664, can you identify any of the individuals in the picture?

Answer: I don’t know their names, but they were the boat’s clients.

Question: Do you know if they came with a certain organization?

Answer: The manager said that they were Masons. I didn’t know what Masons were. To me, it was like a religion, like a belief.

Question: Was it your understanding that there were certain Masons that came on these tours?

Answer: Right.

Question: Do you know what a Mason is?

Answer: I didn’t know what it was, but now I know that it’s an organization of people that are all over the world.

Question: Do you know if all these individuals in this picture were identified to you as being Masons?

Answer: Yes, it was a group.

Question: Were the two people in the prior picture a part of the Mason group?

Answer: It was the same group. For sure it was the same group.

Question: The next picture, 00668, did you take this picture?

Answer: Yes

Question: Do you know any of the individuals in this picture?

Answer: This one here, I know only by name, and he’s an American. I forgot his name. I forgot, but I know him by name.

Question: Is this Don Anderson?

Answer: That’s right. That’s the name. Don Anderson. He was the leader of the group, the chief of the group.

Question: Do you know the two females in this picture?

Answer: They were the ones who would be accompanying them from the same group.

Question: Why did you say that the gentleman listed in this picture was the leader? What made you think that he was the leader of the group?

Answer: Because the manager would tell us that he was, you know, the chief, the leader.

Question: Did these girls at the end of this night indicate to you that they were with this gentleman?

Answer: Yes

Deposition of Admilson Garcia da Silva, Tuesday April 15, 2008.

The attorney for the defense is “Question”. Admilson is “Answer.”

Question: Did you ever witness any of the Wet-A-Line customers engaging in sex acts with these women that were on the Wet-A-Line boats?

Answer: Yes

Question: What did you see?

Answer: I saw five, five of them, five women and five men, and two of the women were minors.

Question: I’m sorry. You said you saw five men and five women and two of the women were minors. Is that what you said?

Answer: That’s right.

Question: And what did you see the men and women doing with each other?

Answer: There was one woman having sex with a man and the other -- the other women only gave them a blow job.

Question: Sir, I had asked you before we took a break what you saw the women engaging in with the men and if you could describe for us what you saw -- in this particular instance that you’re referring to what you saw at that time on the Wet-A-Line boats.

Answer: Exactly. So there were five men with five women, two of them were minors. And they did all types of, you know, sexual acts. And I took pictures but I -- I took pictures but I don’t have them here.

Question: Did you take pictures of what was happening with these men and women at the time you saw them performing sex with each other?

Answer: Yes

Question: How did you know the ages of the females that were on the boat at the time?

Answer: They told me.

Question: Did the girls appear very young to you?

Answer: Yes, they were girls. They were young girls. Because girls for us is very young.

Question: Now you have children that I believe you said are in the age range, or two of them are 14 and 12, correct?

Answer: The boy is 14, and the girl is 12.

Question: The girls that were hired for services on Wet-A-Line tours, did some of the girls look in the age range of your own daughter who is 12 years old?

Answer: Yes, they were small girls.

Deposition of Adilson Garcia da Silva, Tuesday, April 15, 2008.

Question: Was there ever a certain age group that you were asked to retain the services of meeting, a certain age group of females that you were ever asked to retain the services of while working at Wet-A-Line tours for specific – for a specific group of customers?

Answer: Yes. They always wanted young ones.

Question: Was there ever a specific age group that you were asked to hire for a specific group of customers?

Answer: They would ask from 13 on up.

Question: Was there a specific group of customers, of Wet-A-Line customers, that you were aware of that wanted a certain age group of women?

Answer: Yes, there was.

Question: Which group was that?

Answer: It was more so the group of masons that would ask for that.

Question: And was that the group of people that are identified in the pictures that you have provided in this case?

Answer: Yes

Adilson’s depositions can be found here and here.

Admilson’s deposition can be found here.

All copies of material reprinted or duplicated from “by Sandy Frost” must include the following credit line: From http://sandyfrost.newsvine.com/ Copyright © 2008 by Sandy Frost. Used by permission.

Sexual predators and child sex tourism in Jamaica.

Man accused of having sex overseas with girls as young as 9 held without bail.

Editor’s Note: Apology to those who are reading this editorial and already know the complex organizationals. I am explaining these relationships for those who don’t. – Sandy Frost, Starbucks, Washington

The Shriners seem to have launched a massive PR campaign, as well as settled a defamation lawsuit they filed against two whistleblowers, right before the ninth worldwide conference of Masonic Grand Lodges that is taking place from May 7 to 10 in Washington, DC. Over 800 Masonic leaders will be joining the Grand Masters from over 100 countries for three days of sessions, receptions and ceremonies for the first time in our nation’s capitol.

Before getting into this analysis, let’s look at how these groups are related.

First, a man applies for membership at a local Masonic lodge, also known as the Blue Lodge. Once accepted, he must pass tests and complete rituals to advance through three degrees to become a Master Mason.

In North America, Masonic lodges are grouped by state and are governed by one Grand Lodge. There is no Grand Lodge of America; rather the Grand Master of each state’s Masonic Grand Lodge has supreme authority over all Masons in that state. Some international grand lodges oversee a country or a region. There are about three million Masons in North America and about two million worldwide.

In North America, a Master Mason can branch out and join other “appendant” groups such as the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar or the Shriners.

Once a Master Mason becomes a Shriner, he joins the Red-Fez wearing fraternity of 350,000 or so who meet in 191 North American temples. Though they are Master Masons, some seem to disconnect from and turn their back on Freemasonry to become “Shriners first,” who then dedicate their lives to overseeing and supporting their $13 billion network of 22 hospitals that provides free medical care to burned or crippled children at tax payer expense.

Both the Shriner hospitals and fraternity are non profit groups that are overseen by their own board of directors, with some board members sitting on both boards at the same time for unlimited terms. This is more commonly called a “conflict of interest.”

This joint board of directors calls the shots for both the Shriners hospitals and the fraternity.
The Imperial Potentate is the leader of the fraternity, a Shriner who has risen up through the ranks, including the fraternities’ governing body, the “Imperial Divan,” to serve a one year term as he governs the 191 temples who, in turn, govern the 2,000 clubs under them.

In February, 2008, the joint boards published their newsletter, “Between Sessions,” that tells the world about the great job they are doing.

The Shriners Hospitals for Children recently released “Biomedical Research Highlights, Volume 2:1, March 2008.”

In April, 2008, Imperial Potentate Bernard Lemieux issued a statement about the most recent joint board meeting, highlighting a consultant’s plan to “more efficiently structure Shriners Headquarters” and how the board approved a new Strategic Action Plan (SAP).

On May 1, 2008, court documents were recorded after the Shriners settled a lawsuit instead of pursuing two whistleblowers for “defamation.”

Why would the Shriners be working so hard on putting out the good word and getting rid of the defamation lawsuit before the world’s Grand Masters meet in DC?

Are they are trying to wave their hands like Obi-Wan Kenobi and tell the Grand Masters “These are not the headlines that you’re looking for.”

Headlines?

Who said anything about headlines?

Before we go there, let’s look at the Shriners chain of command.

The ambitious Shriner can work his way up until he may be invited to join a secret Shrine sub-group called the Royal Order of Jesters, another non profit group with both charitable and fraternal components. The Jesters claim that their fraternal exempt organization purpose is to “spread of the gospel of merriment and mirth.” They also claim they deserve charitable status because they built a “museum” inside their new $1.2 million dollar head quarters in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Recent articles about the Royal Order of Jesters began on February 15, 2008, when I published “Jesters Exposed.”

It asked:

“Have the Jesters hustled the feds by convincing them that raising millions for partying is a legitimate exempt purpose because the IRS has had no problem classifying them as both a nonprofit fraternity and charity?”

This article described how the Jesters’ executive director, Alex Rogers, submitted an application for property exemption for the new headquarters and how it was initially denied by the Marion County Assessor because they were not convinced that the Jesters qualified as a charity, based on the museum claims, under Indiana law. The Jesters appealed to the state board of tax appeals and were granted the property tax exemption after convincing the state that they were an appendant body of Masonry.

My next article, “Jesters to Testify about Illegal Drugs, Illegal Child Prostitution,” ran on March 6, 2008.

This article described how 19 Jesters were called as witnesses in a federal libel/slander lawsuit to testify about “their first hand knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair (plaintiff) and/or his customers” while on a ROJ sanctioned fishing trip to Brazil. This article describes the testimony of underage girls provided to Brazilian authorities who are currently investigating the possibility that the girls were involved in child sex tourism. One of the girls claimed she was 13 at the time and was left pregnant.

Three days later, on March 9, the Buffalo News ran:

“Ex-judge target in interstate sex case.”

Reporter Dan Herbeck wrote:

“A retired State Supreme Court justice resigned his post as a hearing officer as federal agents investigate his alleged role in taking a local massage parlor worker across state lines for purposes of prostitution. FBI and U.S. Border Patrol agents are investigating allegations that retired Judge Ronald H. Tills, his former law clerk and a retired police captain took the female massage parlor employee in a motor home to a gathering of members of a nationwide group called the Royal Order of Jesters…”

“Ex-officer admits facilitating prostitution” ran on March 21, 2008 and Herbeck wrote:

“A retired Lockport police captain pleaded guilty Thursday to transporting women over state lines on two occasions to work as prostitutes at gatherings of a fraternal club. John Trowbridge, 60, also admitted to a federal judge that he paid the women for sexual favors at a Wheatfield massage parlor. His felony guilty plea could result in as much as 18 months in prison for him as well as serious legal trouble for a former state judge and a former state law clerk who are under investigation.”

“Judge Tills traveled with woman he jailed on prostitution charge, Former state justice is a central figure in probe of activities of Buffalo Jesters,” ran on April 6, 2008 and Herbeck wrote:

“A woman who faced drug and prostitution charges in State Supreme Court Justice Ronald H. Tills’ courtroom later accompanied him on an out-of-state trip for a fraternal organization called the Jesters. Investigators are trying to determine whether the woman offered her services as a prostitute at the convention or whether she was just a guest of the judge, who has since retired… Tills, 73, is a central figure in a federal probe into the activities of the Buffalo chapter of the Jesters, a nationwide club that says its goal is to spread ‘mirth and merriment’.”

My latest article, “Judge Central Figure in FBI Probe, the S.O.B.I.B. and the Jesters' Half Million Dollar Weekend Parties,” ran on April 12, 2008.

It reported how Judge Tills has become the focus of an investigation by the FBI, the US Attorney’s office and a human trafficking task force and that he, along with Alex Rogers and Ralph Semb, chairman of the board of trustees for the Shriners Hospitals for Children, are members of a Jester’s sub-group, the SOBIB. The acronym supposedly stands for “Secret/Sacred Order of Brothers in Blood.” Tax returns show that the Jesters fail to report this sub-group on their tax returns and that in 2004, the International Royal Order of Jesters spent $545,806 on one of their weekend celebrations of “merriment and mirth,” otherwise known as the “Book of the Play.”

So, you might be asking, have the Shriners denounced any of the Jesters involved in these prostitution/child sex tourism/felony scandals?

No.

Have the Shriners tried to disassociate themselves from the Jesters?

No.

Have the Shriners made examples of those Jesters bringing disgrace upon the brotherhood by either trying them for “conduct unbecoming a Shriner” or throwing them out?

No.

Not a word.

It’s as if their silence condones it.

Or maybe they are hoping that if they keep quiet, this whole Jesters’ thing will just blow over.

After all, seven out of twelve who currently sit on the Shriners Hospitals for Children Board of Trustees are also members of the Royal Order of Jesters, including current potentate Bernard LeMieux, chairman Ralph Semb, Charles Claypool, Timothy E. Morris, Raoul L. Frevel, Nicholas Thomas and Gene Bracewell.

I mean, how could these guys blow the whistle on their own “boys gone wild” group while trying to tell everyone how good they are and what a great job they are doing? Instead of drawing a line in the sand, the joint boards are spinning the benefits of a major reorganization, selling themselves in a new “Between Sessions” newsletter and touting their “Biomedical Research Highlights.”

And what about the Shriners' defamation lawsuit?

The last thing they wanted is for Shriner whistleblower Vernon Hill and/or current IRS agent Paul Dolnier to show up at the Grand Masters conference and hand out copies of the defamation complaint filed against them in retaliation for asking questions like “Where does all the money go?” and “What is wrong with your tax returns?” as well as for implying that the Shriners were being investigated after Dolnier met with Pennsylvania officials for half a day as he explained irregularities he’d found through his professional analysis of their tax returns.

The last thing the Shriners wanted was for a jury to hear all about and for reporters to explain how they retaliate against those who want to report crimes instead of prosecuting those who commit the crimes.

The last thing the Shriners wanted was for the world to know how they demanded all communications between Vernon Hill, Paul Dolnier and me in an effort to circumvent federal and state reporter shield laws that have recognized a journalists’ privilege to protect “the identity of sources and unpublished information collected or prepared during newsgathering.”

All we know is that the case has been dismissed since the clerk of the Hillsborough County circuit court posted the settlement notice online on May 1, 2008, six days before the Grand Masters conference.

Back to the reorganization announcement.

It seems really out of whack.

Why would a non profit group hire a company that “provides innovative solutions in the areas of human capital strategy, program design and management, and in the areas of risk and capital management, reinsurance intermediary services and actuarial consulting” instead of turning to non profit consultants, the IRS or their parent group, the Masons, for guidance?

According to the announcement, the consultants recommended a 7% spending cap that was accepted when the joint boards unanimously approved a strategic action plan.

Why did the Shriners spend charitable donations on another expensive study when, according to the minutes of their February 27 – March 1, 2005 Shrine Treasurers Association seminar, the treasurers heard about a Price Waterhouse study that also recommended a similiar 7% spending cap to support hospitals that were operating at only 1/3 capacity?

The treasurers also heard about an option combining both a 7% spending cap and the acceptance of third party pay. It was rejected because “if we take third party pay under NIH funding for our research program we’re going to have to jump through the hoops of all the federal regulations pertaining to affirmative action. And we’re going to have to comply with state laws that you wouldn’t believe.”

What type of a “culture” would be adversely affected by following federal regulations pertaining to affirmative action and by complying with state laws?

And why would the joint board spend only one day reviewing something as important as reorganization, though the consultants worked for over a year on it? What was it that needed reorganization? In other words, what was so broken that it needed fixing?

The announcement failed to mention any inclusionary activities such as focus groups or surveys of either the families served by the hospitals or the Shriner membership. Did the Imperial Divan consult the members for their input on the reorganization or did they just decide to keep the consultants secret and decide what was best for everyone without asking them?

The joint board published their most recent newsletter “Between Sessions” in February, 2008, that tried to describe all their good deeds but instead painted a confusing picture of how they are spending millions on facilities, new construction and IT projects that look good on paper but may be a huge waste if the fraternity becomes extinct due to plummeting membership. Articles also described how:

•Consultants were hired to figure out how to recruit and retain 16 physicians needed at 12 Shriners hospitals.

•The Research Advisory Board needed to be reorganized.

•The medical research department needed to be streamlined.

•The grant management review process needed to become more efficient.

•Each scientist’s performance would be evaluated to see if they were spending their funding productively.

•The PR department was being reorganized.

And what about the 46 page Biomedcial Research Highlight publication?

The information presented in this document should be part of Part III of the exempt organization tax return, the 990.

The tax return states:

“All organizations must describe their exempt purpose achievements in a clear and concise manner. State the number of clients served, publications issued, etc. Discuss achievements that are not measureable.”

The Shriners use the same boiler plate answer year after year, while plugging in different numbers. They usually sum up their activities as:

"a.Treatment of pediatric burn victims admissions: 2,779, outpatient clinic visits: 213,277 at 2 burns hospitals.

b.Treatment of orthopedic patients admissions: 19,462 outpatient clinic visits: 213,257 at 16 orthopedic hospitals (including one dual use hospital)."

That’s it.

Why would the Shriners hide the details of research projects, publications, patents or millions given for research grants from the IRS, yet release such a glowing report two months before the Grand Masters meet?

Maybe it’s because if this information was disclosed on their tax returns, they’d also have to disclose the fact that the Cincinnati Shriners hospital received two warning letters from the FDA and ten letters from the Office of Human Research Protection after both agencies found that those conducting clinical studies had violated human subject protections, disregarded protocols and failed to keep adequate medical records?

So what does any of this have to do with the world’s Grand Masters?

I came across a paper written by India’s Grand Master that was presented at the 7th world conference of Masonic Grand Lodges held in Santiago, Chile. Arun Chintopanth spoke about “Freemasonry, Universalism and World Society at the Beginning of the XXI Century” one particular phrase he used caught my eye.

It’s the “breakdown of spiritual order.”

From where I sit, it appears that the Shriners have been hijacked by those who have violated their Masonic vows; hijacked by those wanting to run their non profit hospitals like a money making business; hijacked by those who abuse their positions of public trust for private gain; hijacked by those who may have suffered a personal “breakdown of spiritual order” by acting as if “Shrine law is above the law of the land” to the point that they get busted by the FBI in a prostitution sting and have been called as witnesses to testify about their alleged involvement in child sex tourism.

A statement issued by the Grand Lodges of Scotland, England and Ireland in 1938 states:

“Everyone who enters Freemasonry is, at the outset, strictly forbidden to countenance any act which may have a tendency to subvert the peace and good order of society, he must pay due obedience to the law of any state in which he resides…..”

It's time for those Shriners AKA Jesters involved with these crimes to answer to someone.

Someone like the Grand Masters who are currently meeting in Washington DC.

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