This is an editorial in response to comments from “Mavis” left after “Fourth Jester Sentenced.”

Dear Mavis,

Thank you for sharing your rage and passion because the Jesters do nothing but hurt people, exploit women and girls and rip the rest of us off with their devious little tax schemes.

I felt the same way after reading the depositions of those five Brazilian Indian girls who told the Federal Police that they’d been lured off their reservations into prostitution by a former fishing tour operator for sex with his North American clients. I then went on to read about the state of Indigenous rights in Brazil, that the Indians were put on “reservations” as wards because they were viewed as too dumb and too uncivilized to take care of themselves. Today, their resources are stolen with little or no compensation.

I knew then that I had to give voice to these girls. You can watch them on this Brazilian news video. It reports that the FBI interviewed them, including one who was left pregnant after one such trip at age 13. Let’s hope to hear about our own federal investigation sooner than later because the situation is definitely heating up.

According to the Brazilian Federal Court system, a decision was made on April 11, 2011 in the case of Richard Schair, charged and indicted by the Brazilian Federal Police with corruption of minors under 18, attracting the girls and facilitating the prostitution of the same, maintaining locations (boats Santana’s) destined for the prostitution, taking advantage of the prostitution and using it for support in part by using said services to attract clients and promoting the recruitment, transport to the cities of Autazes and Barcelos, and lodging on the boats for the girls that go there to practice prostitution, among other conducts. It has yet to be revealed what that decision is, but the judge in charge had a chance to dismiss the case in June, 2009 after Schair submitted a failed habeas corpus request asking for just that.

ECPAT-USA has a new Protect Children in Tourism project in Brazil. From the site:

ECPAT groups throughout Brazil met together to discuss the work plan for ECPAT Brazil for the year. Participants were the 23 of the 27 affiliated organizations from the Northeast, Southeast and Central Western Regions, including World Childhood Foundation. Groups were informed about the planned actions of ECPAT Brazil for the next two years including the Project in partnership with ECPAT USA.

One of those who had been expected to testify about his knowledge of sex with minor prostitutes while on a fishing trip to Brazil is a national Jester officer. The plea agreements of the former Judge and Erie County Sheriff state that they worked with national Jester officials to get prostitutes over the Canadian border to a national Jester meeting in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

This does not bode well for those Jesters who are currently trying to reverse a decision against their property tax exemption application and avoid paying over $50,000 in property taxes. The national Jester office hired attorneys to advance their claims of being a Masonic fraternity to gain the tax exemption, though the Jesters somehow convinced the IRS that “museum” qualified them as a “charity.”

The problem is that the Marion County Assessor didn’t believe the building was a museum and denied the exemption. The matter is before state tax authorities as they try to figure out who is telling the truth because the assessor’s decision contradicts the IRS decision to grant the Jesters charity status as a “museum.”

What will happen after state investigators Google “Royal Order of Jesters” and identify court and tax documents linking prostitution and child sex tourism to that same building?

Questions emailed to the Masonic Grand Master of Indianapolis, Kenneth Willis, Jr., remain unanswered, including his recognition of the Jesters as a Masonic group? Does he support their fraternal claims so they get the property tax exemption? Is he aware of any Masonic activities held in the Jesters' HQ building?

Maybe I shouldn’t have emailed it last April 1.

Back to those Jesters who party with prostitutes at tax payer expense, like your husband.

He’s certainly no different than other Jesters whose status as Master Mason and Shriner puts them next to “hypocrisy” in the dictionary. Who vows love, charity and brotherhood and gets caught driving an illegal alien prostitute to a Jester party or is pictured partying with underage prostitutes in Brazil?

The things you are going through, Mavis, are the certainly among the worst.

Your golden years ruined because your husband wants to be a pimp instead of a husband. But if he had been one of those Jesters who went fishing for girls over 13 in Brazil, he’d be facing calls for death and castration.

This discussion about American pedophiles in the Amazon has been going on since March 13, 2008. Words like “monsters,” “pigs,” “mf+ckers,” and “a-holes” describe those who prey on Brazil’s children. One posted:

According to the indigenous Guaraní culture that inhabited from the South to the Midwest the parent or responsible for a son or daughter who were abused or assaulted by another Indian or person had the right to decide whether such an aggressor would be castrated or suffer the same aggression committed.

Another wrote:

What would you do if you discover that a Stallion abused if your little girl of 11 or 12 aninhos? Certainly this kind of criminal, mentally ill, in my opinion had to be arrested and immediately, castrated, cut all off to serve as examples.

And, finally, about the Lesinski sentencing? He basically screwed his brothers by fighting the first charge of violating the Mann Act by pleading guilty to knowing about a felony and not reporting it. This sets precedent for and provides prosecutors with the template to go after these guys nationwide.

Hang in there, Mavis, and thank you for being a voice for Jester wives.

Sandy

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The June 7 criminal complaint in the case of United States of America v. Michael Lesinski paints a clear picture of “Mirth and Merriment,” Royal Order of Jesters style.

That’s how they describe their activities to the IRS, you know.

The Jesters tell the IRS that their tax exempt mission is “promoting fellowship and fraternalism and extending good cheer to others” and that they hold annual events “devoted to fraternalism and spreading the gospel of mirth and good cheer.”

Apparently, this is code for renting a limo to get about a dozen “Jester Girls” from the Buffalo, New York airport to work as prostitutes at a Jester national meeting held in Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada.

Lesinski is charged with “knowingly, willfully and unlawfully combining, conspiring and agreeing together with others, including Ronald Tills, to commit an offense against the United States, that is to knowingly transport women in interstate and foreign commerce, with the intent that said women engage in prostitution, in violation of Title 18 (Mann Act) and that at least one overt act was committed in furtherance of the conspiracy, in that the defendant, Michael Lesinski, on April 18, 2005, did rent limousines in order to transport said women from the Buffalo airport to Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, with the intent that the women engage in prostitution.”

The Royal Order of Jesters is an appendant body of Masonry. Once one becomes a Master Mason, they can join other groups such as the Scottish Rite, Knights Templar and Shriners. The Shriners are best known for their red fezzes and supporting a network of 21 hospitals that provide free medical care to burned and crippled children. One must first be a secretly invited Shriner before joining the Jesters.

This all started when Dan Herbeck and Aaron Besecker of the Buffalo News reported on March 9, 2008 that three Jesters were under investigation after getting caught in an FBI human trafficking sting. All three confessed and pleaded guilty to either conspiring to or violating the Mann Act after they were caught driving an illegal alien Asian woman from a Buffalo massage parlor under surveillance for prostitution to a weekend meeting of the Royal Order of Jesters in eastern Kentucky.

Lesinski’s complaint begins by listing agencies that make up the New York Human Trafficking Task Force and Alliance that are investigating the Jesters. These include the FBI, Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, and deputies from the Erie County Sheriff’s Office. It then lists the criminal statute allegedly violated, that being the Mann Act.

Next, and for the first time, the Royal Order of Jesters are defined in their own self-titled section.

It begins:

“The Royal Order of Jesters (“ROJ”) is a worldwide fraternal organization whose membership is limited to individuals invited to join by other members. The motto of the ROJ is ‘mirth is king.’ The ROJ has local chapters or ‘courts.’ On occasion, a local court or group of local courts in the same geographical area sponsor social gatherings known as ‘books of the play’ or ‘books.’ The sponsoring courts organize the ‘books’ and arrange for food, lodging, and entertainment at the ‘books.’ The ROJ also sponsors a yearly national ‘book,’ the equivalent of a national convention. In April, 2005, the Jester’s national book was held in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.”

“As set forth below, a typical feature of a ‘book of the play’ is the presence of prostitutes (‘Jester Girls’) who engage in commercial sex acts with members of the ROJ. Arrangements for the prostitutes are generally made by the organizer of the ‘books,’ or the region hosting the national ‘book.’ On occasion, individual Jesters make arrangements to transport prostitutes to ‘books.’”

According to the complaint, investigators began interviewing several Jesters in January and February of 2008. Jester John Trowbridge, a retired captain with the Lockport, New York, Police Department, told investigators about how he attended a number of “books” throughout the United States and Canada that provided prostitutes for those members in attendance.

Trowbridge described a number of occasions where members of the Buffalo Court, including Ronald Tills, then a New York State Supreme Court Judge, and his law clerk, Michael Stebick, made arrangements for Jester Girls to attend “books.” Tills was in charge of getting the prostitutes to the Jesters’ national “book.”

According to his plea agreement, in or about spring, 2006, Tills admitted to coordinating the prostitute’s travel with national Jester officers.

Trowbridge also described how Tills was in charge of getting the Jester Girls to the national meeting and that the judge asked Lesinski to take care of it.

Lesinski, at the time, was a deputy sheriff with the Erie County Sheriff’s Department.

Trowbridge then disclosed that Lesinski rented a limousine to transport about a dozen prostitutes from Buffalo to Canada.

The Jesters’ 2005 tax return lists $70, 049 for transportation. The complaint includes a receipt from Lakeview Limousine that indicates a deposit of $980 was paid for by check, with a total cost of $1,175.

The complaint then includes co-conspirator Michael Stebick’s description of how Jester ‘books’ are typically held in hotel hospitality rooms where members can pick from a list of Jester Girl prostitutes. It continues that in April, 2008, Trowbridge provided investigators with contact information for the 13 prostitutes as he’d spoken with each of them as they gathered at the Buffalo airport though there were other prostitutes he’d not spoken with.

In June 2008 Tills told investigators that there were about 30 women at the national book and “described a network of members who had the ability to supply such women.” It was then that he identified Lesinski’s renting of two limousines that took the prostitutes to Canada.

According to “Sex Traffic Rises, Along With Scramble for Solutions” by We-news correspondent Rich Daly:

“These (2010 United States Human Trafficking Report) statistics come out as Rep. Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican and co-chair of the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus, is co-sponsoring a bill to establish an international registry of known sex offenders to help foreign and U.S. law enforcement agencies crack down on underage sex tourism also linked to trafficking.

‘This is modern day slavery and it's a winnable war,’ Smith said in an interview with Women's eNews.

The Smith bill, called the International Megan's Law, was approved by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on April 28 and could come up for a House vote in the next few weeks, Smith said.”

Representative Smith’s bill can be found here. In summary, H.R. 1623:

• Requires registered sex offenders to notify appropriate jurisdictions of their intent to travel not later than 21 days before their departure or arrival in the United States. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to 10 years for failure to report such travel.
• Requires diplomatic or consular missions in each foreign country to establish and maintain a countrywide sex offender registry for sex offenders from the United States who temporarily or permanently reside in such country.
• Directs the Commissioner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to issue directives for the assessment of sex offenders whose travel is reported to determine whether such offenders are high risk sex offenders.
• Directs the President to establish the International Sex Offender Travel Center to monitor the travel of high risk sex offenders.
• Authorizes the Secretary of State to rescind the passports of individuals awaiting trial for a sex offense against a minor or a permanent resident who has been convicted of such an offense.
• Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make convicted sex offenders inadmissible to the United States.

If passed as written, these new international sex offender laws would rescind the passports of any Jesters on trial for things like child sex tourism and require any other registered sex offenders to report their intention to leave the country at least 21 days before doing so.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Update:

A second Jester has come forward.

His answers are now included.

Sandy Frost
December 9, 2008
Starbucks, WA

Editor's Note: Not that gambling wildly, getting snot slinging drunk and doing prostitutes are bad things. I mean, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? But to do so as a non profit group is, well, nothing more than a hardcore hustle. Last spring, three Jesters were caught by the FBI and pleaded guilty to violating the Mann Act. Their plea agreements describe how other Jesters’ organize prostitutes for their weekend binges. In another case, nineteen others are linked to child sex tourism. Here is an interview with two former Jesters that confirms the original email that started it all. FYI, questions about the Royal Order of Jesters sent to the Grand Lodge of New York and the Shriners the past year remain stonewalled.

Thank you,

Sandy Frost

Starbucks, Washington

In December, 2002, Jester National Officer Dennis R. Schueler, wrote to Jester webmaster Frank Bailie:

"The purpose of this letter is to inform you that at a recent Board of Directors meeting of the Royal Order of Jesters, a resolution was passed which 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 Jester information.

Royal Director Bill Ross appointed me to investigate all such sites and to request the webmaster to terminate them forthwith."

Then, in April, 2005, it became apparent why they wanted to be invisible.

The "Sam Houston" email was published online and instantly became the sole source of information about the Shriners' dirty little secret, the Royal Order of Jesters.

It had been sent to Texas Masons as well as the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas, begging him to investigate the Royal Order of Jesters for prostitution and other "unMasonic" activities. The investigation found nothing as none of those questioned would incriminate themselves or betray their Shriner/Jester brothers.

Fortunately, two former Jesters have come forward to verify what "Sam Houston" wrote.

But first, memberships go like this.

One must first be a Master Mason who can then join groups like the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templar and the Shriners. A Shriner must be secretly invited into the Royal Order of Jesters.

Some say that the Jesters wield undue influence over the Shriners.

Seven out of twelve of the Shriners Hospitals Board of Trustees are also Jesters, including Chairman Ralph Semb,
Gene Bracewell, W. Brandt Bede M.D., Charles A. Claypool, Raul L. Frevel, Sr., Bernard J. Lemieux M.D., and Gary Dunwoody.

Jesters on the Shriner Imperial Divan include Imperial Treasurer Gene Bracewell, Alan W. Madsen, current Imperial High Priest and Prophet and Director of the Royal Order of Jesters Court #109 in Charlotte, N.C., Jack Jones, current Imperial Recorder and Jerry Gantt, current Imperial Second Ceremonial Master, chairman emeritus of the Houston Shriners Hospital Board of Governors and past director of Houston Court #136 Royal Order of Jesters.

Like the Shriners, the Royal Order of Jesters has two non profit components. The 501c10 fraternity includes about 24,000 members organized nationwide into about 200 "courts." The 501c3 charity was organized to house a "museum" at a new million dollar headquarters building in Indianapolis, Indiana.

So, how close are the Shriners and Jesters?

Like brothers.

The Royal Order of Jesters bylaws state:

• The Annual Meeting of the National Court of the Royal Order of Jesters shall be held on the day preceding the annual meeting of the Imperial Council, A.A.O.N.M.S., at the city chosen for such meeting, or at such time or place chosen and voted by the National Court.

• A subordinate court may be established by the National Court in a jurisdiction where a temple of A.A.O.N.M.S. is located and where a Subordinate Court does not exist upon petition there for by not less than (13) Nobles of the Mystic Shrine all of whom shall be actual residents of and who maintain their domiciles in the jurisdiction of said temple of A.A.O.N.M.S.

• Upon action of the Imperial Council A.A.O.N.M.S. issuing a dispensation for a new temple A.A.O.N.M.S., the National Court may, upon application of the required number of Nobles of the A.A.O.N.M.S. for a new Subordinate Court and the recommendation of the Charters and Dispensations Committee, and the approval of the Royal Director and Royal Impresario, issue a dispensation for a Subordinate Court of Royal Order of Jesters.

The FBI and Human Trafficking Task Force are currently investigating the Royal Order of Jesters after catching three members in a human trafficking sting.

They confessed to taking prostitutes over state lines to their weekend stag parties and to a Jester national meeting in Canada. These include a former New York Supreme Court judge, a retired police captain and former Erie County prosecutor. Nineteen other Jesters were called to testify in a federal libel/slander lawsuit about their first hand knowledge of drugs and sex with minors AKA child sex tourism while on sanctioned fishing trips to Brazil.

Next are questions and answers with Jester A and Jester B.

Then, the "Sam Houston" email.

Jester A: I do not know where to even begin. I have found it difficult putting this into words

What did you see at the parties?

Jester A: Drinking, Gambling, Pigeon Shoots, Prostitution, Sexual Hazing. I could write pages on these subjects.

Jester B: The girls walking around in nothing but their G-strings, advertising so they can take a Jester to their own room. Oral sex contests. High stakes poker. Lots and lots of drinking. Porn movies running 24/7 in the hospitality room.

Who did you see at the parties, or know of, in terms of being "pillars of the community?"

Jester A: Country music stars, Politicians, lawyers, doctors, Sheriffs, Elected officials.

Jester B: Federal judges, a governor, Masonic Grand Masters, state representatives, community leaders, an Imperial Potentate sucking on a prostitute.

What do you think of the recent news coverage about those Jesters who pleaded guilty in Buffalo to taking prostitutes across state lines to their weekend parties?

Jester A: What do you want me to say? This was common practice for the books or parties.

Jester B: If these guys don't change, they will end up like Judge Tills and the others caught by the FBI. The busts in Buffalo are just the tip of the iceberg.

What do you think should happen to the Royal Order of Jesters? Non profit status suspended? Have the group disbanded?

Jester A: Officials and leaders need to be prosecuted and the Royal Order of Jesters disbanded.

Jester B: Both. The group needs to be disbanded because tax payers should not be forced to bear the tax burden as these Jester groups take advantage of their tax exempt status.

How extensive is the Jesters' network?

Jester A: Every state and every major city.

Jester B: It’s very active on the east coast.

Why in the world would the Shriners support such an organization?

Jester A: Shrine pleas ignorance, most fraternal and hospital leaders in the Shrine are Jesters.

Jester B: It's this sense that they’re special and can do whatever they want. Those who are sworn to uphold the law turn their heads if they learn of it or even participate. The Jesters control the Shrine, so no one wants to blow the whistle on himself. It’s kind of like teenage boys in a "circle jerk." You all do it because it’s supposed to be exciting and no one is supposed to tell.

Have you reported these activities to law enforcement? If so, what happened?

Jester A: Yes, Nothing because the police/sheriffs were paid to be security at the events.

Jester B: No.

Have you reported these activities to any Masonic officials? If so, what happened.

Jester A: Yes, I was prosecuted and not one Jester was prosecuted.

Jester B: No.

What would you tell the FBI and the Human Trafficking Task Force if you could?

Jester A: Hard to know where to begin this has been going on for years.

Jester B: Keep investigating, especially those who might be involved with child sex tourism. Now that is so sick, to think any of these guys might be, well, you know.

What would you tell the IRS about charitable donations being spent on prostitution if you could?

Jester A: Follow the money for research, studies within the Shrine. See where these lead to. Imperial Officers only do business with Jesters.

Jester B: The IRS needs to see if the Courts' used their money to pay for the girls or their rooms or their transportation. This could be a nationwide abuse of the non profit tax system used to support interstate prostitution. And see if the members took tax deductions for their "donations."

What would you tell the other Jesters if you could?

Jester A: Enough is Enough, End this. We can have legal meetings without all of this

Jester B: Quit lying to your wives. And uphold your Masonic vows. A Mason is pledged to be a "better man," not a drunk, gambling womanizer who's fooling the IRS.

What would you tell the Jesters wives if you could?

Jester A: You do even want to know what is really going on at these meeting or parties.

Jester B: Marriage counseling. And it’s not your fault that your husband is doing these things.

Feel free to tell the world about this organization and your thoughts about what should happen next?

Jester A: Jesters are deeply rooted into the Shrine and Masons. You have to go after all of them for this to end. Mason and Shriners are Jesters so they allow this to happen. Those who speak out are vanished from the groups.

Jester B: It's not the organization I thought it was when I joined. I thought it was for the leaders in the Shrine. I never visualized that things like this were going on because of our Masonic oath that says we’re not to have intercourse with anyone but our wives and that is what it boils down to. I thought it was an up and up organization but I found out that it was not. The government needs to get a hold of this organization and straighten it out.

From: "Texas Mason"

To: mason_stoppers@yahoo.com

Subject: Shriners: Royal Order of Jesters

Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005

Please post this anonymously! Please do not include my email address in your posting of this message. Masons and Shriners are pissed off about this email in Texas.

This was an email sent out about 3 weeks ago to all Texas Masons by a Mason going by the name of Sam Houston. He charges that a secret group within the Shriners called the Royal Order of Jesters is involved in an illegal prostitution and illegal gambling ring. He chose a very fitting name since Sam Houston was the first Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Texas. Here is the email that was sent:

"OH LORD MY GOD IS THERE NO HELP FOR THE WIDOW'S SON!"

"OH LORD MY GOD IS THERE NO HELP FOR THE WIDOW'S SON!"

"OH LORD MY GOD IS THERE NO HELP FOR THE WIDOW'S SON!"

Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas, Right Worshipful Grand Officers, and Brethren:

I’m a Shriner in Texas. I have been a Shriner for many, many years.

I am also a Jester in the Royal Order of Jesters within the Shrine. I have not attended Blue Lodge in ages. I am going to leave my name anonymous for various reasons. I am married to a wonderful woman (the 2nd one in my life thanks to the Shriners) and I have children who have moved on to lives of their own. However, what I am about to portray to you could endanger my life and the life of my family.

I have told a few select brethren the story I am about to relay to you. I am not sure who they told, if they told anyone. More than likely, when you are done reading this email, you will surely be in disbelief of what has transpired in the past, what is transpiring today, and what is planned for the future within the Shriners organization to the disgrace of Ancient Free and Accepted Freemasonry.

When I started Masonry prior to the mid 70's, it was the best experience of my life. The brotherhood that I found was beyond belief. The Blue Lodge was truly the pinnacle of my Masonic experience. I became a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason that same year, although I never really participated in the organization. I became a Shriner somewhere in that time period. This is where my story really begins...

While in the Shrine I was very active. Taking my family with me on the weekends to events was a very exciting time in my life, and the life of my family. I was approached in the Shrine and was told that I was a good Shriner and that I was invited to join a secret society within the Shrine--The Royal Order of Jesters. This "secret society" was started back in the late teens of the 20th century. The motto was "Mirth is King" and was devoted to not brooding over sorrows, but to forget them as far as possible. This meant home life as well.

My brothers, I am a sinner. I have sinned against my family. I have sinned against myself. I have sinned against God.

The Holy Bible, Master Mason Edition, 1 Corinthians 5:11:

"But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist; with such an one no not to eat."

During the initiation of new Jesters I was offered the opportunity by another fellow brother to sleep with a whore, even though I had a wife and kids waiting for me to come home. I was not strong at the time and I violated every oath I had ever taken with my wife. This did not stop at initiation. These were a constant occurrence at our Jester functions and they are a common occurrence today. The initiation practices have not changed as well. Prostitutes were offered/made available at our functions and often brothers would have sex in front of other brothers.

Oral sex competitions between brothers were considered “fun” activities to build a strong brotherhood bond between members of the Royal Order of Jesters. Potentates and Chaplains, Attorneys and Judges, Past Masters and brothers all participating or watching with open eyes, but closed minds. I often felt ashamed of what I was doing, but the pleasure outweighed the guilt. I had fallen within a deep hole and my cable-tow had been severed.

Sex, illegal gambling and alcohol were and are the preferred order of business to ease the "pain" of brother Masons. Prostitutes are available at Jester functions for the brothers to have their way with.

There is also illegal gambling at our functions where Masonic brethren are playing high-stakes games with hard-earned cash. I have seen it all, brothers, and it is going on today, right under your noses, within your communities, and these men are calling themselves your Masonic brothers.

I am currently active in the Shriners and the Jesters. I am ashamed of what I have become and what the Shriners have become. I have seen threat after threat made against Masonic brothers who have not agreed or have spoken against the activities of our club. These activities are in every Royal Order of Jester’s club in the USA, and beyond our borders. You would be surprised if you knew who was Jester from your local Blue Lodges--outstanding, moral men--at least by their outwardly appearance. Our Most Worshipful Grand Chaplain of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas is a member of the Royal Order of Jesters, along with the Deputy Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas!!! I’m calling you out brothers. It is time for us to raise the bar of Masonry in Texas, even at the expense of our fraternity. Our Most Worshipful Grand Master Elmer Murphy of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas always talks about the character of a Master Mason and now he has the opportunity to present his true Masonic character when dealing with this issue given how close he is in relation to current active members in the Royal Order of Jesters.

The Jesters pride themselves in having control of all leadership positions at all of the Shrine Temples in the US and Canada as well as the Imperial Shrine leadership. Also, they have risen through the ranks in every body of Masonry including the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Rosicrucian’s, Red Cross of Constantine, Eastern Star and the Demolay organizations. There have been numerous past masters of the Grand Lodge of Texas who have been Jesters, including our most recent Grand Master Boyd Patterson, Reese Harrison Jr., and Michael Nanny. Find out who these other Masons are brothers within your local lodges and hold them accountable for their actions. I have invoked the cry of a Masonic brother in need of help!

I lost my first wife due to her finding out what went on at one of my outings. Don’t let this happen to your Masonic brothers or your friends. I am not sure if anyone in the Blue Lodge really knows this is going on, but to those of you receiving this email, you are now armed with the knowledge and it is the truth. I challenge you to prove me wrong.

I ask the Most Worshipful Grand Master Elmer Murphey of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas to conduct a full Masonic investigation into these allegations. I ask you, my brothers, to do the same within your local Blue Lodges. I am guilty. Hold me accountable, hold your Masonic brothers accountable, and hold our Most Worshipful Grand Master accountable!!!

I charge myself and every member of the Royal Order of Jesters in the State of Texas under the Laws of the Grand Lodge of Texas, Article XIII, Section VI, Paragraph 5, "Behavior at Home and In Your Neighborhood":

"You are to act as becomes a moral and wise man; ...and by avoiding gluttoness or drunkenness, that your families be not neglected or injured, nor you disabled from working."

I also invoke the request to the Most Worshipful Grand Master under Title V, Discipline, Chapter 1

Article 498 (531) "Accused's Lodges to Be Notified--notification to lodges of members who are members of the Royal Order of Jesters."

Article 499 (532) "Neglect by Lodge of Duty to Disclipline-District Deputy Grand Masters should obtain list of Jesters in their jurisdictions."

Article 499a "Powers of the Grand Master- Set this investigation in motion and work to re-establish our Masonic beliefs of ‘Making Good Men Better’."

Charges I believe should be filed against every member of the Royal Order of Jesters:

Article 506 "Certain Other Offenses":

2. "Actions which disgrace Masonry."

5. "To indulge in the intemperate use of intoxicating liquor, gambling or profane swearing."

8. "To willfully abandon his family."

13. "To cohabit with lewd women."

I encourage blue lodges in other states to conduct investigations of their own into these allegations as well.

I ask the Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas to suspend all Master Masons in the State of Texas who are members of the Royal Order of Jesters, which would cease their activities within the various Shrines across the state until a full investigation may be conducted.

This email is going out to every lodge in Texas that has a website, the Grand Lodge officers of every state, the York and Scottish Rites.

Please ask questions, talk about this in your Blue Lodge, and contact the Most Worshipful Grand Master Elmer Murphey and demand this be investigated by the Grand Lodge of Texas. This information will eventually go before the public eyes if it is not handled within our Masonic fraternity. Let every Master Mason who is in a position of leadership or anyone thinking of ascending to a position of authority be on notice that their activities in the Royal Order of Jesters and their adherence to the Masonic oaths and morality will be brought into the light.

Again I am pleading for an immediate statewide investigation and a purging of the Grand Lodge line, Scottish Rite, York Rite and the Shrine. I have collected 18 local chapter rosters as well as the national Kochina group rooster. I urge every Mason to forward this e-mail to as many brother Masons and Shriners as possible. I also challenge my fellow Jesters to come out in the light and explain their actions as well as their failure to comply with their oaths to their brother Masons and families.

I know this is hard for many of you to believe. Doubt me. Prove me wrong! This is my plea! Brothers, over the years I have traveled to numerous states and the same activities occur in NY, Florida, California, Wyoming, Texas, etc.

These are your Masonic brothers, just as I am, but we are not doing what is right nor are we following Masonic principles. Help me expose this atrocity within our fraternity brothers. I am helpless without your help and support.

Fraternally,

Your Brother

Sam Houston
Texas Mason

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.

Editor’s Note: This is the third of three stories that links the Royal Order of Jesters to prostitution. The first one, published here, reported how 19 members of the Royal Order of Jesters were called as defense witnesses in a federal lawsuit to testify about their first hand knowledge of illegal drugs and minor prostitution while on a fishing trip in Brazil. The second one, published by the Buffalo News three days later, reported that three Jesters, a former New York Supreme Court Judge, a former Erie County prosecutor and a retired police captain, were caught in a FBI prostitution/sex trafficking sting. Two of the three Jesters caught have pleaded guilty to one felony count each of violating the Mann Act after admitting they drove illegal alien prostitutes across state lines to Jester parties. The Jester wife will be referred to as JW. The Jester husband will be referred to as John.

Sandy Frost

Monday, August 25, 2008

Starbucks, WA

Imagine that you are a wife whose husband joined a social club and was happy with all the networking and activities it offered like golf, poker and recreational weekends. But, after a while, he begins acting way different as he starts travelling more and more. It’s as if you’re just left home while he lives it up because prior to him joining this club, you did everything together. Then, when he’s at one of his club’s weekends, you get a call from a girl on your home phone who is asking about who is going to drive her from the train station to the hotel.

Then the confrontation.

Then the discovery that yes, indeed, your husband is the guy who lines up the girls for the parties.

You know.

Gets the prostitutes to the hotels where the club members are staying.

The club is the Royal Order of Jesters.

Here is an interview with this wife.

Sandy: You are married to a member of the Royal of Jesters?

JW: Yes.

Sandy: How long?

JW: Married 35 years.

Sandy: Was there a pattern of behavior changes as your husband got more and more involved with the Jesters?

JW: When he first got involved with the Jesters, I thought it was the best thing for him. He met many, many men who became close friends. They have a saying, “There are no strangers in the Realm, just friends you haven't met.” He also started to collect Jester and Billiken memorabilia, some dating back to the early 1900's. He now has a very extensive collection of which he is very proud.

He didn't “travel” much at first. That is going to 3-4 day weekend “Books” in other cities.

Note: The Royal Order of Jesters’ parties are called “Books” that involve the members performing the “Book of the Play.” It can be read here. Apparently, the “Book of the Play” revolves around the murder of William Shakespeare. This, according to the Jesters’ website, is how they obtained IRS status as a “charity”:

“The Royal Order of Jester's museum is 5,000 square feet. Founded in July 2003, the museum's purpose is to do research and education relating to the history of the Royal Order of Jesters and Jesterdom focusing on humor, laughter, and mirth, with particular emphasis on the works of William Shakespeare.”

Now, back to the interview.

JW: He maybe attended two a year for the first two years, but by his seventh year, he had 14 trips planned. Finally, I said “enough, where do I fit in anymore?” In all of our married years, John never stopped at a bar after work with the guys. He took, maybe, one golf trip a year without me. We were a team and did everything together.

Everything he did now or anywhere we went was associated with the Jesters.

He was completely obsessed, though he couldn't see it. I noticed how he bragged about being a member. Jesters are not supposed to advertise themselves as being Jesters, as it is kind of a secret organization. But John would wear purple, carry purple emblemmed golf bags, license plates, and boast about it being a strictly stag, luxury organization for no purpose other than to spread mirth. The more I heard that, the more disgusted I became. I also noticed that he was not taking cell phone calls in front of me, or he would go outside to talk. He used to let me answer his phone.

Wives are allowed at only two events a year. One is the Christmas Party run by each local court and the other is the National Meeting. That is where I got to meet some of the friends. I would even meet the local Jesters after a day of recreation and sit at the bar with them. A lot of them knew me very well. I could tell that John was rising in the local ranks.

Sandy: Did you discover this information after lingering suspicions or after one specific incident?

JW: I had no lingering suspicions. I had heard about the girls by accident, about the second year that John was in. He certainly played it down, and told me he had nothing to do with them, they were kept separate, no contact at all. I believed him. I didn't ask any more questions. The Jesters oath is “What you hear here, what you see here, stays here when you leave here.” Every new member must take that oath. He was a bit open with me about some of the things that went on, I guess telling me just enough not to arouse any suspicions. So I definitely discovered our problem after a specific incident.

Sandy: Would you please describe that incident? In other words, what prompted you to search for information?

JW: It happened at the same time I realized how many trips he was taking. As a matter of fact he was at his court’s book, when I received a phone message:

“Hi John, this is Jane from St. Louis. I'm at the Union Station in downtown Chicago and wonder if you're sending a Jester to pick me up of if I should get the shuttle.”

I called him on his cell phone and told him he should train his Jester girls better so they don't call the wife. He of course didn't know what to say. This was on a Thursday. I thought he would come home right away, as the hotel was just 1/2 hour away. He didn't come home until Saturday night, although he did call me later to try to explain.

Sandy: Did you confront your husband?

JW: Yes.

Sandy: What happened after you confronted him?

JW: When I confronted him, he explained to me how it works. The Jesters have a “pool” of girls. Certain men have their favorites and make requests to have them at the books. It is up to each court's Director to assign the job of inviting the girls, a number based of the number of attendees. (1) In this case, eight girls were invited for between 180-200 men. He says that only about 20% of the men use the girls, but a friend said it's more like 70%. I really don't know. They get $100 an hour. In my calculations, to make it worthwhile, it would have to be more than 20%!

He was asked to do the job because he travelled so much and knew who the girls were and who the favorites were. I believe with all of my heart that he never had sexual relations with any of them. He emailed them, called them or asked them in person to come to this book. He also confessed that he had helped with the scheduling the previous year. They also have a doctor who checks the girls “papers.” John’s Jester court does not pay for plane or rooms. Some courts do pay for rooms. I didn't know all of this went into it. I just thought the guys who used the girls called them and they came on their own.

Sandy: Did he or anyone else threaten you?

JW: I have never been threatened and don't expect to be.

Sandy: Did you report this to law enforcement?

JW: I saw no need to report this, as it was, as I considered, a personal problem. Off duty cops act as guards for the secure floors, so they already know about it. I did however lose all respect for any of the Jesters I have met in the past.

Sandy: What was the most startling thing you found? What was the most startling thing you realized?

JW: What I found and realized is that the Jesters have something that I can't put my finger on. I'm almost thinking in our case that it was because it is a “luxury” organization. It's like at Halloween when you dress up and are something you would never be any other day. That is the closest I can analyze how he felt with the Jesters. They drink only top shelf, money is no object, stay at the best places, dress in tuxedos and get away with whatever.

My husband was a fun loving good husband before this. He didn't need the Jesters to create “mirth” in his life, yet it happened when he was 60 years old. It was like something was always missing from his life. I am not looking to myself, as I gave and did everything to him possible.

Sandy: What impact has this had on you personally?

JW: I did have three appointments with a psychologist. After blood tests, doctor's appointments, and some sleeping medication, he released me and said I am a strong woman. He wanted to prescribe anti depressants, but I refused. After these appointments, the doctor said that he thought that I could make the right decisions. I was so close to divorcing. If we had any money, I would have walked out. I am glad now that it did not get to that.

Sandy: What would you like to tell other Jester wives?

JW: I don't want to talk to other Jester wives. I talked to one, and she was as appalled as I was and also confronted her husband who has been a Jester for 25 years, telling her there are no women at any events. I want to put all of this behind me and move on from here. John and I are doing just that.

Sandy: From what you found, please describe what goes on at these Jester functions?

JW: Other than girls, there is a lot of high stakes poker, low stakes gin, and 24 hour hospitality rooms. The initiation involves “stunts” which I know include nudity, but I don't know much about it. John says they don't involve the girls...anymore!!! They also provide sightseeing, golf, etc. There is a lot of good stuff going on. They end with a black tie Royal Feast on Saturday night.

Sandy: From what you found, is this widespread? In other words, are there others who facilitate prostitution for other Jester functions?

JW: Every court lines up the girls to come to their books once a year. I never knew about any other functions that include them. There is not any other function that John’s court has. They have a monthly business meeting and a yearly book. That is it.

Sandy: Did your husband tell the Jesters that you had found this proof?

JW: Here is the crowning blow. John promised me that he would turn his “files” on the girls over to someone else. I found the girls’ business cards. After four months, I found that he still had it. I was furious. Now there is an edict from Jester HQ that no girls may be at any of the books. The guys were sweating it out not, that not only the wives would find out, but also the authorities.

Sandy: What would you like to see happen? Why?

JW: I am not sure what I want to happen. I think these men need to know that they are not special, even though they think they are. This group is not alone in doing things like this.

Sandy: Why do you want to go public with this information? In other words, why should the public know about what you found?

JW: I just thought before anymore relationships are ruined, it needs to stop. I did my part in stopping the girls coming to books...don't know how long that will last. I also did my part in getting my husband out of the grips of the organization. He harbors no ill feelings for anything I did and never felt embarrassed in front of the fellow Jesters because of it. We have worked together to get our relationship mended.

Sandy: Do you know how the money worked?

JW: I know nothing about the finances or handling of the money. I have told you now everything I know.

The Royal Order of Jesters is a secret sub group made up of invited Shriner leaders. There are about 24,000 Jesters who are organized into about 200 “courts” that are, in turn, organized in relation to Shrine temples. This sameness is spelled out in their bylaws, that can be read here. The Jesters applied to the IRS and were granted two non profit classifications, one fraternal and the other charitable. The charity was formed so the National Jester Court could build a new million dollar museum/headquarters, from which to oversee the fraternity.

The Shriners are classified the same, as the Shriners fraternal raises money for the charity, that is their network of 22 hospitals that provide free medical care to burned and crippled children. The current leaders of the Shriners fraternity and charity are also Jesters.

To be a Shriner, one must first be a Master Mason.

(1) According to court documents, the U.S. Attorney's office describes the Royal Order of Jesters as:

"This organization 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."

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.

Editor's note: Insert Adult Disclaimer here. Twenty years ago, the Orlando Sentinel reported that whistleblowers had alerted them to how a Shriner circus ticket scam was reported to police who failed to investigate allegedly because they were also Shriners. One of the main themes of this investigation is how some Shriners, those who are also sworn to uphold the law, turn a blind eye to crime though they learn of it or participate in it. It seems that this conduct may be the result of Shriner by-laws that state "Shrine law does not include the law of the land." Here is an update as to how the law of the land is being applied to a member of the Royal Order of Jesters, which is a secret sub-group made up of invited Shriner leaders. This Jester, retired police captain John Trowbridge, got caught by the FBI and pleaded guilty to one felony count of violating the Mann Act. The following is, in part, about his sentencing date. The rest of the article describes how a FBI application for a search warrant reveals how those Jesters caught by the FBI were involved with more than prostitution.

Sandy Frost
July 29, 2008
Starbucks, WA

Federal court documents reveal that there will be a delay in the sentencing of John Trowbridge. It had been scheduled for this Thursday, July 31 at 0900. The DOJ press release on Trowbridge's plea can be read here.

Item 33 of Trowbridge's plea agreement states:

"At the time of sentencing, the government will make the nature and extent of the defendant's compliance with this agreement known to the court. The government and its defendant will request that sentencing be adjourned until full satisfaction by the defendant of the terms of this agreement."

The "Government's Affidavit In Support of Motion to Adjourn Sentencing" can be read here.

It states that:

"While the defendant has assisted the Government fully and completely to date, he has not completed all of the terms of his contemplated cooperation at this time. At this point, Mr. Trowbridge's testimony in related proceedings is still possible and would be required by the Government. Accordingly, the Government respectfully requests the defendant's sentencing date be adjourned sine die with the Government."

Sine die means at an unspecified future date.

So, as long as Trowbridge cooperates with investigators about what he may or may not know about Jester involvement with these or any other crimes, nothing he says can be used against him. There is no word yet about the other Jesters caught by the FBI, former Judge Ron Tills and his law clerk, Michael Stebick.

Investigators and other members of the Western District of New York Human trafficking Task Force and Alliance have had to absorb the nuances of the "Mason," "Shriner," and "Jester" relationships, which can be confusing.

Once a man joins his local Masonic lodge, he can complete three levels to become a Master Mason who can then join other "appendant" groups, such as the Shriners. Within the Shriners is a secret sub-group called the Royal Order of Jesters, made up of invited Shriners. The Jesters have been linked not only to this prostitution scandal but to the possibility that 19 others may have first hand knowledge of child sex tourism after a fishing trip to Brazil.

According to a Department of Justice announcement, the task force was created in November, 2006 and "is a collaboration of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and non-government service organizations working together to identify, rescue and assist victims of human trafficking, human smuggling and other civil and human rights offenses in the 17 counties of the district, through aggressive investigation, prosecution, training, education and outreach to law enforcement, non government organizations, vulnerable and affected persons and the general public."

The following information is from a FBI complaint and application for a search warrant and will explain how the former judge and the retired police captain were not only caught visiting the prostitutes, but were actually helping Len Wah Chong operate her four brothels with illegal aliens.

The information in the complaint/application was gathered by the FBI "in cooperation with the US Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE and the Niagara County Sheriff's Department. It was gathered through interviews, physical surveillance, background investigations, consensually monitored meetings, wire intercepts and while examining financial records, pen registers and trap/trace data, and telephone subscriber/toll records pertaining to the investigation of the offenses described above."

This application was also filed to obtain arrest warrants for:

a. Keeping, maintaining, controlling, supporting or harboring an individual in any home or place.

b. For the purposes of prostitution conspired to keep and control female aliens for the purposes of prostitution, or any other immoral purpose.

c. Knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that said individual is an alien.

d. Failing to file the required statement concerning the individual within five business days of commencing such activity with the relevant immigration authorities.

This fifteen month investigation was initiated in September, 2006, by the FBI and US Border Patrol on a tip that one of the acupressure businesses was a front for prostitution. Per the document, "full sets" refers to sexual intercourse and "half-sets" can be used to refer to either oral sex or hand-jobs (that is, anything less than intercourse). Other terms used are "mouth" or "oral," both meaning oral sex.

Court ordered wire intercepts on three telephones revealed the following, to include references to other law enforcement officers as well as the judge and police captain. The following has been edited to include specific references to the "judge," the "police captain" as well as other law enforcement officers. A Department of Justice official confirmed that these are, in fact, Tills and Trowbridge.

On August 23, 2007, CHONG placed a telephone call to premises 1. CHONG told an unknown Asian female (UAF) that the "police captain" is on his way to Premises 1. She instructed the UAF to give him a 45 minute service and wanted to know whose turn it was in the rotation. The UAF told CHONG it was an Asian female whom CHONG referred to as "Lala's" turn. CHONG told the UAF the "police captain" does not count in the rotation. It should be noted that the "police captain" was coming from Premises 5.

On August 24, 2007, CHONG received a telephone call from Premises 1. An Asian female whom CHONG referred to as "Jenny" told her the propane tank is out of gas and they are unable to cook their food. It should be noted in human trafficking cases, victims are required to cook in the locations where they conduct the prostitution to limit their movement and thus maintain greater control over them.

On September 4, 2007, CHONG made a telephone call to Premises 6. CHONG spoke to an unidentified prostitute she called Coco and asked if Coco did the Judge's friend who is short, and is claiming he did not get good service from Coco after he paid the sixty dollar house fee plus a tip. Coco told CHONG the guy wanted a full set (sexual intercourse) for forty dollars.

On September 05, 2007, CHONG placed a telephone call to Premises 1. CHONG told an Asian female whom CHONG referred to as "Jenny" the "Police Captain" was on his way to Premises 1. CHONG told "Jenny" the "Police Captain" just visited her husband and his service will not be counted on the normal rotation.

On September 5, 2007, CHONG made a telephone call to Premises 3. CHONG spoke to a prostitute named Amy and told her that customers who are friends of the Judge called her to complain about Mary. Chong told Amy she was at Golden and that Judge told her Lockport is a high class spot, and that girls should not solicit for tips and if they do, he (the Judge) will not help her out. CHONG added that the Judge informed her Mary offended every customer. CHONG said she told the Judge she fired Mary and that the Judge agreed with CHONG's actions and commented that if she had not fired Mary, she would have made trouble.

On September 5, 2007, CHONG received a call to Premises 4. Feng Xian LI told CHONG she was considering bringing her son to the United States from China. Feng Xian LI said her divorce papers were filed but she is unsure if she can bring her son over. CHONG told Feng Xian LI to ask her regular customer, who is an INS officer, to help her bring her son to the U.S. Feng Xian LI said she should provide the INS officer a "full set" if she is going to ask him for assistance. CHONG stated she has a friend that knows this officer and he is scared about being caught since one of his friends was caught and fired.

On September 06, 2007, CHONG placed a telephone call to Premises 1. CHONG told an Asian female whom CHONG referred to as "Jenny" the "Judge" was on his way to Premises 1. CHONG told "Jenny" the "Judge" to charge him for one hour even though he wanted a one and half hour service.

On September 30, 2007, CHONG made a telephone call to Premises 6. CHONG spoke to an Asian prostitute named Lily and told her that the police left. CHONG told Lily that the police officer said he would like to try massage sometime. CHONG said the Judge and his friends he brought over wanted it for free and they were bad tippers.

On October 1, 2007, CHONG made a telephone call to Premises 1. CHONG spoke to XU and told her to listen carefully. CHONG said they are on action (or alert), the government won't give girls tips intentionally. CHONG told XU she just got back from seeing the Sheriff because he was looking for her. CHONG told XU that law enforcement is not intentionally giving tips to the girls to see their reactions.

On October 16, 2007, CHONG placed a telephone call to Premises 1. CHONG told a UAF the "Judge" called and could not make it to Premises 1 that day. CHONG told the UAF that Xiu LIN aka "Coco" went to New York City and told everyone if you get arrested in Buffalo, NY, you can get legal immigration status. CHONG told the UAF the "Judge" was also upset with LIN due to her conversations in New York City about obtaining legal immigration status after being arrested in Buffalo, NY. Chong stated the "Judge" advised her to have people from a church provide the girls with a letter in order to help their immigration status.

On October 18, 2007, CHONG placed a call from Premises 5 to Premises 1. CHONG told an Asian female whom she referred to as "Jenny" the "Judge" and his friends will be going to Premises 1. CHONG told "Jenny" some of them wanted sex and they were to be treated as good customers no matter what.

On October 21, 2007, CHONG placed a call to Premises 4. CHONG told Feng Xian LI the "Judge" is mad at Feng Xian LIN because she was talking too much lately concerning her situation. Xiu LIN is a victim/material witness in an ICE investigation which was taken down in March, 2007 in Buffalo , New York. CHONG stated that Xiu LIN told a lot of people that if you come to Buffalo, NY, you can get arrested and obtain legal immigration status. CHONG also stated another government agency is contacting the "Judge" now.

On November 3, 2007, CHONG made a telephone call to Premises 1. CHONG told XU that "Da Quan" called her and informed her that a shop in Buffalo got raided and one girl without legal status was detained and that the two who were released are Da Quan's friends. CHONG told XU when the Sheriff arrived later he reminded the girls to be cautious and not to ask for tips. CHONG told a lot of her customers are police officers and public officials.

This application led to Chong's arrest, with three others, on December 10, 2007. On April 17, 2008, she pleaded guilty to Sex Trafficking of Persons by Force, Fraud and Coercion and faces penalties including a minimum 15 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.

A copy of this application can be read 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.

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.

What the deputies did or how they are associated with the Jesters' taking prostitutes across state lines is still unclear, but investigators with the human trafficking task force are looking at the possibility the two went to Jesters' parties and "patronized prostitutes."

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 libel/slander complaint was filed on May 11, 2007 by Richard W. Schair and Wet-A-Line Tours, L.L.C., plaintiffs, who allege that they were libeled and slandered by Amazon Tours, Inc., defendant, owned by Philip Marstellar, President.

The complaint alleges that Amazon Tours, Inc.:

“has developed a great deal of animosity towards his business competitors including, in particular, Mr. Schair and Wet-A-line Tours, L.L.C. and that defendant’s animosity has manifested itself on many occasions, and most recently in the Miami International Airport where he made and/or published defamatory comments and false accusations about Richard W. Schair and Wet-A-line Tours, L.L.C. to the public and, upon information and belief, to government agents.”

The causes of action include slander, slander per se and tortuous interference with business relationship, for which Schair is seeking compensatory damages in excess of $75,000. The complaint alleges that Amazon Tours, Inc. told a group at the Miami International Airport that Schair was smuggling drugs and was using the yachts that the clients stay onboard in Brazil to move illegal drugs and that they should avoid booking any tours with the Wet-A-Line Tours, L.L.C. because of Schair’s “drug connections.” It also alleges that defendant “knowingly made a false and defamatory report to the Homeland Security Department for the purpose of injury to Schair by causing him embarrassment in front of his clients.”

In response, Amazon Tours, Inc. answered the complaint by stating that the business did not make false statements against Schair, that Schair is not entitled to any relief due to the “doctrine of unclean hands,” and demanded a jury trial. Amazon Tours, Inc. submitted a Defendants’ Pretrial Witness List on December 20, 2007 that lists the name, address and phone number of those so called and the subject of expected testimony. Of the 57 witnesses named, 19, or one third of them, are believed to be members of the Royal Order of Jesters.

The Royal Order of Jesters is a secret fraternal group made up of invited Shriners who, in turn, must be Master Masons. The ROJ and Shriners enjoy the benefits of being classified by the IRS as both non profit charity and fraternal groups.

The Jesters' motto is:

"I am a Jester. What I see here, What I hear here, Shall stay here, When I leave here."

The Royal Order of Jesters was investigated by the Grand Lodge of Texas in 2005 after they received a complaint alleging that:

• Prostitutes were available for Jesters to have their way with

• Brothers had sex in front of other brothers

• Brothers held oral sex competitions

• Potentates, Chaplains, Attorneys, Judges and Past Masters were Jesters

• Sex, illegal gambling and alcohol were the preferred order of business

The complaint asked the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas to investigate the Jesters for:

• Actions which disgrace Masonry

• Indulging in the intemperate use of intoxicating liquor

• Gambling

• Profane swearing

• Willfully abandoning their families

• Cohabiting with lewd women

The investigation yielded no prosecutions as those questioned kept quiet.

The U.S. District Court witness list explains 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, address unknown.

Ferrel Harrison Adams, Jr. Albuquerque, NM.

Robert Rex Lee, M.D., Wichita, KS.

Robert Rex Lee, II, Wichita, KS.

Thomas Raymond Lee, address unknown.

Don Anderson, Albuquerque, NM.

Douglas Allan Boynton, Long Beach, CA Court #161, President, 2005.

Norman Lee Broschous, Peoria, Illinois.

Robert George Duncan, El Bekal Shrine, Long Beach CA Court #161.

Phillip Carl Spellens , El Bekal Shrine, Secretary, 2005, 2006, Long Beach, CA, Court #161.

Claude William Grimes, Redondo Beach, CA.

Carl Wayne Mixon, Sr., New Orleans, LA.

Walker Jenkins, Long Beach, CA.

Samuel Emmett Newton, Jr. Address unknown.

Roy Edward Pennington, New Orleans, LA.

Roy Edward Pennington Jr., New Orleans, LA.

Edward Beynroth Schwimg, Address unknown.

Edward William Sparks, Address unknown.

Harry Howlett Waldron, Jacksonville, FL.

Tax records for the associated ROJ courts #76 (Wichita, KS), #24 (Albuquerque, NM), #161 (Long Beach, CA), #36 (New Orleans, LA) and #90 (Jacksonville, FL) show that, in some cases, over $100,000 is spent annually on “travel, conventions and meetings” so the non profit Jesters can “hold annual events which were devoted to fraternalism and spreading the gospel of mirth and good cheer” while claiming these trips as deductions at tax payer expense.

These tax returns are available at www.guidestar.org.

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

The Albuquerque Court #24 apparently does not file tax returns as none are available through Guidestar.org.

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

This group’s tax return also reports that the books are in care of Phillip Spellens, Secretary, who also signed the return. The same Jesters court reported to the IRS that they spent $69,840 in 2005 as "benefits paid to members" and that Doug Boynton was President.

The New Orleans Court # 36 reported to the IRS that they spent $101,214 in 2006 on “conferences, conventions and meetings” while failing to list an exempt purpose. The same group reported to the IRS that they spent $106,218 in 2005 for “conferences, conventions and meetings” while, again, failing to list an exempt purpose but instead writing “Hurricane Katrina” at the top of this less than complete tax return. The same group reported to the IRS that they spent $145,600.39 in 2004 for “conferences, conventions and meetings” while, again, failing to list an exempt purpose. Listed, however, was the expense of $4,777.50 for hats.

The Jacksonville Court #90 reported to the IRS that they spent $80,397 in 2006 on “conferences, conventions and meetings” while failing to list an exempt purpose. They also spent $79,984 in 2005 and $83, 250 in 2004 while failing, again, to list an exempt purpose.

Also named on the witness list are Jane Does, 1 – 5, who each “has personal knowledge of prostitution, minor prostitution, use of illegal drugs, and/or entry into Indian reservations by Schair and/or his customers.” Jane Doe is described as a minor recruited and/or coerced by Plaintiffs and/or Plaintiff’s representatives for prostitution services for certain of the Plaintiffs’ customers in Brazil during approximately the year of 2000, 2004 and 2005.

Five girls gave statements to Brazilian federal police officers who are 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 girls told the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, Federal Police Department that they 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."

The 13 year old reported that she was a victim of sexual abuse perpetuated by a group of foreigners, North Americans, who asked for her services aboard their fishing vessel, the Amazon Santana. She was told that her job would consist of doing “the general services of the vessel, such as sweeping, laundry and assisting in the food preparation.” She accepted because her family needed the money and after boarding the vessel with other girls, learned that “she would have to have sex and to drink whiskey and beer with the foreigners.” She also told authorities that she spent three days and three nights on the vessel and that each day she had sex with a different foreigner and that she became pregnant during this occasion not knowing which one of the foreigners was the father and that after the birth of her son, she and her Mother were thrown out their home.

Girl 2, aged 14, states that in August, 2005, “Richard” promised to pay her R$200 (Two hundred Reais) but was paid only R$50. This translates to being promised $119.76 but instead paid $29.94 per night. Girl 3, aged 16, states that in September, 2005, “Richard” promised to pay her R$200 to R$300 for 2-3 days work but was instead paid R$80 the first day and R$50 the second day. This translates to being promised $119.81 - $179.71 and instead being paid $47.92 and $29.95. Girl 4, aged 16, states that in August of 2005, she and her 14 year old sister were promised by "Richard" to be paid R$100 per night but were instead paid R$35 each night. This translates to being promised $59.88 per night and instead being paid $20.95.

These statements allege the crime otherwise known as “child sex tourism.”

President George W. Bush told the UN General Assembly in September, 2003 that:

“There's a special evil in the abuse and exploitation of the most innocent and vulnerable. The victims of sex trade see little of life before they see the very worst of life -- an underground of brutality and lonely fear.”

The U.S. Department of State states:

“Child sex tourism (CST) involves people who travel from their own country to another and engage in commercial sex acts with children. CST is a shameful assault on the dignity of children and a form of violent child abuse and violence. The commercial sexual exploitation of children has devastating consequences for these minors, which may include long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, disease (including HIV/AIDS), drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and possibly death.

Tourists engaging in CST often travel to developing countries looking for anonymity and the availability of children in prostitution. The crime is typically fueled by weak law enforcement, corruption, the Internet, ease of travel, and poverty. These sexual offenders come from all socio-economic backgrounds and may hold positions of trust. Previous cases of child sex tourism involving U.S. citizens have included a pediatrician, a retired Army sergeant, a dentist and a university professor. Child pornography is frequently involved in these cases; and drugs may also be used to solicit or control the minors.”

The State Department also reports that:

“Over the last five years, there has been an increase in the prosecution of child sex tourism offenses. At least 32 countries have extraterritorial laws that allow the prosecution of their citizens for CST crimes committed abroad. In response to the phenomenon of CST, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the tourism industry, and governments have begun to address the issue. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) established a task force to combat CST. The WTO, the NGO End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT), and Nordic tour operators created a global Code of Conduct for the Protection of Children from Sexual Exploitation in Travel and Tourism in 1999. As of June 2005, 200 travel companies from 21 countries had signed the code (see www.thecode.org.). Many governments have taken commendable steps to combat child sex tourism. For example, France’s Ministry of Education and travel industry representatives developed guidelines on CST for tourism schools and state-owned Air France allocates a portion of in-flight toy sales to fund CST awareness programs. Brazil implemented a national awareness campaign on sex tourism.”

“In 2003, the United States strengthened its ability to fight child sex tourism by passing the Prosecutorial Remedies and other Tools to end the Exploitation of Children Today (PROTECT) Act and the Trafficking Victim’s Protection Reauthorization Act. These laws increase penalties to a maximum of 30 years in prison for engaging in CST. Since the passage of the PROTECT Act, there have been over 20 indictments and over a dozen convictions of child sex tourists. The Department of Homeland Security has also developed the ‘Operation Predator’ initiative to combat child exploitation, child pornography, and child sex tourism. The United States is also funding the NGO World Vision to conduct major public awareness and deterrence campaigns overseas that include public service announcements, internet messaging, brochures, posters, and billboards.”

Child sex tourists are defined as:

“Typically males and come from all income brackets. Perpetrators usually hail from nations in Western European nations and North America. While some tourists are pedophiles that preferentially seek out children for sexual relationships, many child sex tourists are ‘situational abusers.’ These are individuals who do not consistently seek out children as sexual partners, but who do occasionally engage in sexual acts with children when the opportunity presents itself.”

World Vision, an agency funded by the federal government to fight, among other things, child sex tourism, states that:

“The United States has risen to take legislative action against the growing evils of child sex tourism. In 1994, Congress established 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b), which is aimed towards prosecution of child sex tourists. Section 2423 (b) criminalizes traveling abroad for the purpose of engaging in illegal sexual activity with a minor. Currently, successful prosecution under § 2423(b) requires the government to prove that an alleged child sex tourist from the United States formed the intent to engage in sexual activity with a child prior to meeting the child and initiating sexual contact. In other words, a defendant is only punishable under § 2423(b) if he has the intent, while traveling, to engage in sexual activity with minors. The federal government has successfully utilized § 2423(b) to target several child sex tourists. Current proposals to eliminate the intent requirement may broaden the government's prosecutorial power by allowing the government to prosecute United States citizens who engage in sexual acts with children while abroad, regardless of when they formed the intent to do so.”

Penalties, upon conviction, include fines and up to 30 years in prison and, if previously convicted of a sexual crime involving a minor, life in prison, unless the death penalty is imposed.

The complaint can be read here.

The statements given to the Brazillian Federal Police by the girls claiming to be victims of child sex tourism can be read here.

The witness list can be read 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.

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