Update on Human Trafficking Scam in AZ/UT

[smac97]

We previously had a discussion about a criminal matter involving an Arizona man, Paul Petersen, who is also a member of the Church, and who had been accused of exploiting Marshallese women in an adoption scame.

An update:

Quote

The man who sold newborn babies of Marshallese women for profit will be sentenced in a Fayetteville federal courtroom on Tuesday, December 1.

According to the Western District of Arkansas, the hearing will be handled virtually, with Paul Petersen in Arizona, starting at 9:30 a.m. CST.

In June, Petersen changed his plea to guilty to one count “conspiracy to engage in smuggling illegal aliens for private/commercial financial gain.”

Initially, he was charged with a total of 19 counts for: aiding and abetting (4 counts), wire/mail fraud (12 counts), visa fraud and money laundering (1 count each).

The hearing is expected to last no more than 2.5 hours if there are not any interruptions or unforeseen changes.

The prosecution is asking for a 10 year sentence.

In January, he’s expected to be sentenced in Arizona and Utah.

Petersen said he accepts the consequences of his actions.

Thanks,

-Smac

[katherine the great]

What happened to the adopted children? Are those adoptions staying intact?

[Calm]

2 hours ago, katherine the great said:

What happened to the adopted children? Are those adoptions staying intact?

. So wrong thread...

Edited December 2, 2020 by Calm

[pogi]

On 12/1/2020 at 9:37 AM, smac97 said:

We previously had a discussion about a criminal matter involving an Arizona man, Paul Petersen, who is also a member of the Church, and who had been accused of exploiting Marshallese women in an adoption scame.

An update:

Thanks,

-Smac

Sounds like he got 6 years:

https://apnews.com/article/arkansas-arizona-phoenix-utah-marshall-islands-ee4f446c23675453b01674e0f2cbbae6

[Tacenda]

I hope it's okay I use this thread for this post. 

Wondering what any of you think of the recent investigation into the Operation Underground Railroad group with Tim Ballard. I just skimmed mostly through this Vice article, and I know the attorney in Davis County who has received many complaints about the organization and is now investigating them who is Troy Rawlings. Here's the Vice article: https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7a3qw/a-famed-anti-sex-trafficking-group-has-a-problem-with-the-truth?fbclid=IwAR3dWCxaWuzUXYZQQ_mdmMd3euHpN10pQ5WmESqgliqbnS7kf7iy1cFRTZ0

I donated to O.U.R. so it bothers me that Ballard is taking credit for rescuing when that's not always the case. In the article there is a woman that fled on her own, and over and over Ballard tells her story as if OUR did the rescuing, so basically lying. Her name is "Liliana" in the article.

And recently Lynn Packer was interviewed on Mormon Stories, and it's in youtube form if someone wants to go look at that. 

 

Edited December 11, 2020 by Tacenda

[smac97]

15 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

I hope it's okay I use this thread for this post. 

Wondering what any of you think of the recent investigation into the Operation Underground Railroad group with Tim Ballard. I just skimmed mostly through this Vice article, and I know the attorney in Davis County who has received many complaints about the organization and is now investigating them who is Troy Rawlings. Here's the Vice article: https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7a3qw/a-famed-anti-sex-trafficking-group-has-a-problem-with-the-truth?fbclid=IwAR3dWCxaWuzUXYZQQ_mdmMd3euHpN10pQ5WmESqgliqbnS7kf7iy1cFRTZ0

From this article:

Quote

For all its apparent unstoppable success, a small ripple recently appeared on the surface of OUR's relentlessly polished public image. A Utah elected official, Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings, announced in October that his office is investigating OUR, telling Fox 13, "We've received complaints and are in the process of reviewing those complaints."

From the embedded link:

Quote

Yet, an attorney from O.U.R., in a statement to FOX 13, denied there is any investigation.

“Today, I spoke with the Davis County Attorney and was informed there is no investigation into Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.),” the organization’s general counsel, Adam Becker, said in the statement. O.U.R. did not offer further comment.

Rawlings responded to the assertion only by saying: "for today, it is better not to respond to that."

Weird.  Why is Rawlings being coy?  He's a public servant, performing public duties.  If his office is investigating OUR, why not just say so?  If they aren't (as OUR's attorney is claiming), why not admit it?

15 minutes ago, Tacenda said:

I donated to O.U.R. so it bothers me that Ballard is taking credit for rescuing when that's not always the case.

The Vice article you posted has a subtitle: "Backed by Donald Trump, Operation Underground Railroad has flourished in the age of QAnon. But not all of its stories hold up to scrutiny."

That sounds more than a little slanted.  And as much as Vice seems to want to take OUR down a peg, it concedes: " What we found aren't outright falsehoods but a pattern of image-burnishing and mythology-building, a series of exaggerations that are, in the aggregate, quite misleading."  The article runs very low on substance, and quite high and suspicion and innuendo:

• "Several people familiar with the investigation, however, told VICE World News that it concerns whether OUR has, in recent years, made misleading claims to donors and the public about the work it does, and how directly involved it is in rescue operations."
• "Even when OUR gets more specific about its work, particulars can prove difficult to confirm."
• "Reputable and widely-known organizations providing aftercare to survivors of trafficking were unfamiliar with OUR, and experts raised serious questions about the work OUR claims it does."
• "The ultimate effect is uncomfortably murky."
• "But it's largely unclear what the organization is doing with that money, and where it is clear, it's not obvious that what it's doing is effective."

I agree that the story of Liliana is troubling.  If OUR is fabricating stuff about its role in helping her, then that needs to be addressed.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Tacenda]

3 minutes ago, smac97 said:

From this article:

From the embedded link:

Weird.  Why is Rawlings being coy?  He's a public servant, performing public duties.  If his office is investigating OUR, why not just say so?  If they aren't (as OUR's attorney is claiming), why not admit it?

The Vice article you posted has a subtitle: "Backed by Donald Trump, Operation Underground Railroad has flourished in the age of QAnon. But not all of its stories hold up to scrutiny."

That sounds more than a little slanted.  And as much as Vice seems to want to take OUR down a peg, it concedes: " What we found aren't outright falsehoods but a pattern of image-burnishing and mythology-building, a series of exaggerations that are, in the aggregate, quite misleading."  The article runs very low on substance, and quite high and suspicion and innuendo:

• "Several people familiar with the investigation, however, told VICE World News that it concerns whether OUR has, in recent years, made misleading claims to donors and the public about the work it does, and how directly involved it is in rescue operations."
• "Even when OUR gets more specific about its work, particulars can prove difficult to confirm."
• "Reputable and widely-known organizations providing aftercare to survivors of trafficking were unfamiliar with OUR, and experts raised serious questions about the work OUR claims it does."
• "The ultimate effect is uncomfortably murky."
• "But it's largely unclear what the organization is doing with that money, and where it is clear, it's not obvious that what it's doing is effective."

I agree that the story of Liliana is troubling.  If OUR is fabricating stuff about its role in helping her, then that needs to be addressed.

Thanks,

-Smac

I was hoping you would respond. Thanks Smac! I guess it's a wait and see thing for now.