Scientology sued for Fraud! It's going DOWN like bird sh**! (The Garcia Suit)

I wonder if cult lawyer Monique Yingling will come to little Davey's rescue again? Being a tax attorney herself, she ought to be a wealth of knowledge on Scientology's finances as it relates to this case (and/or the IRS agreement).

Come to think of it, Babbit might want to depose Yingling exactly for that wealth of knowledge..

Oh the possibilites.

I give the CoS another 3-6 years TOPS... Then they will be bankrupt and won't exist and then we will have to start protesting the Westboro Baptist Church instead.

Good to see then starting to crumble like tinfoil though.

Judge Whittemore is the same judge as in the Hernando County Narconon and Toucan Partners case.

https://whyweprotest.net/community/...ogy-detox-sued-12-7-2012.107144/#post-2235852

Could Co$ make something of this and make him recuse? Dunno.

Just my opinion, but the reason they haven't opened the SP building, is because they don't have the SP program and never did. Assuming they put something in place to appease the flock, the first ones through it will not be able to gush over their wins, because they will be in shock that this hoax is what they paid tens of thousands of dollars for (and many substantially more $$).

There is no time limitation on how long it takes to open a building, that said, 15 years is beyond reason. I think the church will ask for "one more chance" to deliver what they promised, i.e. the SP rundown in the SP building, be given a time limit, then see if they live up to it. Like everyone else has said, they could easily settle with the Garcias, but it's the avalanche of other donors lining up, and they don't want to open the floodgates.

exactly
if they are granted more time, then I will run screaming into the night

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/05/06/Tampabay/Scientology_nearly_re.shtml/

just for a reminder from that 2006 article:
The Super Power program will be ready to go the moment the new building is completed, he said. Scientology officials promise that will be 2007.

Marty will be covering it, and people on Marty's blog are commenting:

Luis and Rocio Garcia vs. The Machine
http://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/luis-and-rocio-garcia-vs-the-machine/

A comment that provides additional information:

http://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/luis-and-rocio-garcia-vs-the-machine/#comment-250798

A comment that provides insight:

http://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/luis-and-rocio-garcia-vs-the-machine/#comment-250803

Am I overlooking something? How much money have they ask to be refunded? Is it in the millions?

Tony Ortega: Scientology Hit With Federal Fraud Lawsuit While It's Still Reeling From Book Publicity

www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-ortega/scientology-hit-with-fede_b_2536236.html

Couple accuses Church of Scientology of fraud over Clearwater building | Tampa, FL NBC News

The Super Power Building of the Church of Scientology is massive, taking up an entire city block in the city of Clearwater.

Workers can be seen going in and out of the building, but a former member of the Church of Scientology says the building is not open and is not being used, despite years of promises.

Louis Garcia is filing a lawsuit in Federal Court, that claims Garcia is the victim of fraud.

Garcia says other Church of Scientology members used high pressure tactics to force him to donate more than $300,000 for the Super Power Building's construction.

Garcia says, "The tactics are a complete and constant grinding. In other words they would never take no for an answer."

At one point the former Scientologist says he was told he must donate $65,000 to purchase and install a cross for the top of the building. Garcia says he was told it was a matter of life and death that the cross be installed that day. Instead he says, "And now I know certain individuals who donated for that same purpose, for that same cross."

Garcia's attorney, Theodore Babbitt says, "You can't tell people they are making a donation in order to open a building when you've already collected twice the amount to open it, that's not a true statement. It's getting money under false pretenses."

Babbitt says this lawsuit is only the beginning. He says he has been contacted by a number of other former members who say they endured similar tactics from Scientology.

<snip>

In response to an inquiry from WFLA-TV, a Church of Scientology spokesperson emailed saying, "The Church has not been served and has no comment. However, we understand from media inquiries this has something to do with fundraising and we can unequivocally state all funds solicited are used for the charitable and religious purposes for which they were donated."

More at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50567114

"A spokeswoman for the Church of Scientology, currently in the men's room, did not immediately return a call seeking comment."


FIFY

We've been here before, thinking we have the CoS by the balls in an epic lawsuit, only to see the case lost or dismissed. Don't count your thetans before they're hatched. That said, I'm getting out the popcorn and bracing for epic.

The cults standard answer by now seems to be "all religions are frauds". Those with an account might point out that a dollar to a Christian, Muslim or even Buddhist soup kitchen mostly translate into soup for the needy rather than a litigation slush-fund, regardless of what one might otherwise thing of the religious views.

He's been blowing on Hollywood Blvd. for years...

Fraud. What a lovely word to have attached to Scientology's name repetively.

But out of all the alleged counts in Babbitt's awesome complaint...

From: http://www.scribd.com/doc/121814741/Garcia-vs-Scientology-2013-01-13-Fraud-Complaint-Ocr

COUNT 1: CSRT ; FRAUD -"SUPER POWER" PROJECT

COUNT 2: CSRT ; ACTION FOR UNFAIR AND DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES -"SUPER POWER" PROJECT

COUNT 3: FLAG ; FRAUD-"SUPER POWER" PROJECT

COUNT 4: FLAG ; ACTION FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT-FLAG

COUNT 5: SHIP ; ACTION FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT-SHIP

COUNT 6: IAS AND USIMT ; FRAUD-HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVE OF IAS

COUNT 7: IAS AND USIMT ; ACTION FOR UNFAIR AND DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICES -HUMANITARIAN INITIATIES OF THE IAS

COUNT 8: FLAG ; FRAUD-HUMANITARIAN INITATIVES OF IAS

COUNT 9: SHIP ; FRAUD-HUMANITARIAN INITATIVES OF IAS

Methinks the "Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices" charges are by far the most delicious.

Can we say "Permanent Injunction" against Scientology? Oh I hope so!!

From Count 2 on page 26 of the complaint:

I came! Srsly. What a beautiful thing. Also this from page 27:

Priceless! So much so, it needs repeated. Oh wait... from Count 7 on page 32:

What a glorious thing! Makes me wanna jump up and down like Jeremiah the bullfrog and sing ....JOY TO THE FISHES IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA....

Cross-posted to Scientology Invasion of the Black Community:

http://www.facebook.com/groups/339486949466120/permalink/407371796010968/

.

I believe the "Don't take no for an answer" hard sell might be found in some cult dox because I know they train in that. Could be useful in supporting Garcias' case.

In this article, Matt Feshbach says he has done the rundown and thought it was the greatest thing eva.

I think in this day of advanced home electronics, sitting in a gyroscope seat blindfolded and being twirled around like those teacups at Disney World is only going to appeal to a few. The article also mentions a smell machine, with different odors coming out of it, LOL , and a video screen moving backwards and forwards, and flashing images, how special .

Yeah, like that kid who lost a finger working at Bridge Pubs. Brat caved like wet tissue. But, another shall rise. It's inevitable. Getting one with balls, less probable.

It should be noted that when Matt Feshbach did the Superpower Rundown, there was no SP Building and neither was there any of the "Perception Drills" special equipment - putting the lie to Darth Midget's assertions that these things are necessary for the delivery of this rundown.

Michael A. Hobson
Independent Scientologist

Press release from the attorneys:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ba...-ex-members-with-more-in-the-wings-2013-01-23

... or putting to lie Feshbac's claim that he actually did the rundown. Do we have any independent conformation that the rundown even exists and actually do anything?

ABCnews: Calif. Couple Sues Over Donations to Scientology
goes a little deeper into the alleged scam:

Completely agreed.

About six years ago I made a post on alt.religion.scientology (where I posted as "SME") that went into this in some detail, explaining exactly how complicated they made it at each stage.

FWIW, here is a link to the post explaining all that. Forget the part about the class action stuff and look at the details of the routing form with my coments on how they try to make it impossible step by step:

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.religion.scientology/msg/aed9c1bf55ffa967

The story is spreading nicely through the news. At last check Google was reporting 206 related articles.

Without saying too much about this case, there are a number of encouraging signs.

The lawyer appears to have done his homework and is suing the entities that actually have (or should have) the money, such as the Church of Scientology Religious Trust.

Second, unlike a previous suit like this, he was not a damn fool by filing in the sewer that is the Pinellas County court system, where Scientology claimed being a "religion" meant they could just keep money for services they never delivered, and a judge agreed.

It's in federal court, so none of the usual Pinellas shenanigans.

I'll reserve judgment until I see more, but it's started out on the right foot, at least.

You want us to study Scientologist's bodies?

I believe this is a copy of the form(s) you mentioned in the above post: view/download eight pages on google docs

http://ocmb.xenu.net/ocmb/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=18562&hilit=super

Rubbish!

So, first question yes, second question no?

What was the question agin?
Nah, just fuckin wifya

Ask yourself a question of, "has there ever been irrefutable proof, that any of hubbard's claims of attaining god-like POWAH were not just empty words"

Got another question?

Two things:

1. General Glee! Whooooohooooo

2. Class Action lawsuit anyone?

Class action make for a single, centralized target. Multiple suits using the same (hopefully winning) formula will cost the cult more, tie down large amount of lawyers and strain the cults decision making (Little Dave micromanaging all), thus increasing the chance of winning. They can possibly buy off or scare off one or two judges, but 5? 10? At a time?

class action- do not want
in reality as mentioned before, onyl the lawyers make money in a class action
AND if these cases are filed individually it will actually cost the cult MORE
When the lawsuits were going up against the cig companies, they asked for a class action lawsuit to combine all the suits filed, the other way would have bankrupted them
so individual is the way to go

Huffpo coverage linking to Snippy's OCR'd complaint:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...ds-dollars_n_2537420.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

Nice!

Lots of LOLs and much delicious inoculation in progress - but, alas, this suit itself is doomed to failure.

After his personal exposure to legal claims of fraud thanks to the Titchbourne case, the Hubtard immediately set about rolling up the missions and creating a deliberately labyrinthian corporate structure to protect himself and the central functions of Scientology from any further such claims. This process went on for years after Hubtard's death in 1986, culminating in 1993 when the IRS senior management folded due to who-knows-what pressure the cult was exerting. (Thanks Marty - how about some details on that?) The plaintiffs' attempts to separate out the religious aspect from the secular corporate aspect is simply an assertion and, I suggest, will provide the cult with years and years of delays (if it doesn't settle quickly) as that aspect works its way through the judicial system. And that's just one point. Thanks to their Scientology processing, there are any number of Scilons willing to swear on a stack of bibles to anything, including obviating Scientology's liability by taking personal responsibility; falling on the sword, for the greatest good, of course. Its not like that hasn't happened before. Then, as it all rolls out, most people here will know the sorts of tactics Scientology will be employing to weaken the plaintiff's resolve, plus their financial and emotional resources.

Still, there is much WIN to be gleaned from this but it lies in peripheral massive and bad PR, inoculation of the public, huge LOLs, and giving heart to those wavering about leaving the cult and/or speaking up and/or taking their own legal action.

another snippet of alleged fraud:
WTSP10: Church of Scientology target of federal lawsuit alleging fraud

HuffPo's got it:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...ing-hundreds-thousands-dollars_n_2537420.html

Nearly virgin comments.