Black Collar Crime Round-Up: July 11, 2012
Cary Wayne Rhodes • Artur Sopel and Michael Sumulikoski • Orlando Wallace
Under investigation: Michael Bransfield, 68, Roman Catholic bishop, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, by the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, related to allegations, which first surfaced in 2007, that Bransfield “fondled a Lansdale Catholic High School student in the 1970s, according to interviews and court records,” reports the Philadelphia Inquirer, which notes that Bransfield “had never been publicly accused of misconduct until his name emerged during the trial for Msgr. William J. Lynn and the Rev. James J. Brennan. Two men testified that they talked to or saw Bransfield during years they were serially raped and molested by one of his friends and seminary classmates, Stanley Gana.” Story: Philadelphia Inquirer, July 8, 2012; WTOV, July 8, 2012. See also: Assignment Record, Bishop Accountability. See also backstory on Lynn, Brennan, et al.: Conservative Babylon, March 22, 2012; Conservative Babylon, June 17, 2012; Conservative Babylon, June 21, 2012; Conservative Babylon, June 22, 2012
Charged: Mason Joel Davidson, 23, Christian camp counselor / cabin leader, Camp Peniel (“an extension of the ministry of the Yarmouth Association of Baptist Churches and of the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches”), Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and Kingswood Camp (“an evangelical Christian camp … owned and operated by the Eastern Valley United Baptist Association and run in cooperation with the Annapolis-Digby Baptist Association”; see also blog), Kentville, Nova Scotia; and, according to Facebook, employed by Yarmouth Association for Community Residential Options / YACRO (“a not-for-profit agency that provides residential support for children and adults challenged with disabilities”), “Meadowfeilds [sic] Elementry [sic] School,” (Meadowfields Community School, Yarmouth) and formerly at the daycare center at the Boys and Girls Club of Yarmouth; with allegedly exposing himself to a child under the age of 14.
The Chronicle Herald reports: “The location of the alleged offence is not precise and is said to have occurred somewhere in the community of Cedar Lake, where Davidson lived until recently. Meanwhile, sources say Davidson could be charged with another offence involving a child” (sexual assault). The Herald adds: “Davidson was arrested last month but released after promising to stay away from schools, playgrounds or other locations where children are known to be. He’s prohibited from supervising children through his employment unless another appropriate adult is with him.”
A now-deleted Facebook profile (cache) names Mason Davidson as the contact for “T.G.I.F. Kidz”: “The Mission of T.G.I.F Kidz is to provide a fun, safe program that presents Jesus Christ to children through hands on learning. … TGIF is held on friday evenings from 6:00pm to 9:30 pm, during the program, children will participate in craft activities, games, hands on bible lessons, music, snacks and much more. The cost of this program is $30 a month anyone interested in TGIF Kidz should contact Mason Davidson by email ([redacted]) or by phone ([redacted])”. Various other social media sites appearing to represent Davidson include masondavidson.piczo.com (“I am a Christian, i love to work with kids, my most favorite place in the world is kingswood camp. The things i value most is my freinds [sic], God and my family.”). Story: Chronicle Herald, July 10, 2012
Sued: Edgar Ray “Preacher” Killen, 87, former Baptist minister and Ku Klux Klan “kleagle” (recruiter and organizer) currently serving a 60-year sentence for conspiracy in the 1964 murders of one black and two white civil rights workers (James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, whose story was loosely adapted as the film Mississippi Burning); as well as Killen’s wife and his lawyer; “over statements related to a land transfer and book and movie rights,” reports HuffPo, by James Stern, a “black ex-prison inmate” who “claims Killen signed over power of attorney and land, book and movie rights to him while Stern was serving time for mail fraud in the same Mississippi prison where Killen is held. Stern’s suit claims Killen’s lawyer, Robert Ratliff, hurt his reputation by denying Killen gave Stern power of attorney. The suit seeks at least $6 million.” Story: Huffington Post, June 19, 2012
Sentenced: Cary Wayne Rhodes, 57, mayor, Taylorsville, Georgia, and chief financial officer, Taylorsville Baptist Church, to two years in prison, 10 years’ probation, 240 hours’ community service and sex-offender registration, plus a $2,000 fine and court costs, after pleading guilty to one count of computer and electronic exploitation of a child. Rhodes was arrested by the FBI in October, 2011, after he attempted to meet a 14-year-old girl he contacted online in order to have sex. The girl turned out to be a cadre of federal agents. Story: Conservative Babylon, May 11, 2012; Daily Citizen, June 28, 2012
Prosecution OK’d: Artur Sopel, 32, former vice president of operations, and Michael Sumulikoski, 28, former substitute teacher and assistant football coach, Paramus Catholic High School, Paramus, New Jersey, arrested in April, 2011, after allegedly having sex with three female students on a school trip to Europe; a fourth girl later came forward to report that she had also had sex with Sopel the year before. Both defendants were indicted in December, 2011, Sopel on 19 charges, including sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child and witness tampering, and Sumulikoski on six (three counts each of sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child). Both men have pleaded not guilty to all charges, and have since bonded out of jail. The New Milford Patch reports: “After a daylong setback, Superior Court Judge James Guida issued a ruling Tuesday that authorities can prosecute the two former Paramus Catholic employees on charges of having sex with students.” Story: River Dell Patch, December 21, 2011; NorthJersey.com, July 9, 2012; New Milford Patch, July 10, 2012; AP, July 10, 2012
Charged: Orlando Wallace , 50, pastor or minister (depending on who you ask), Lakeview Community Church of God in Christ (COGIC), Memphis. Tennessee, with aggravated statutory rape and sexual exploitation of a minor, a 15-year-old girl, allegedly “while another 15-year-old girl took pictures on her cell phone of the two in the act,” according to WREG, which was told by pastor Jesse Lipford: “He’s a minister, but he don’t work here. He’s just a preacher here.” WREG also adds: “Court records show this isn’t the first time the minister has faced criminal trouble. He’s been convicted twice of patronizing prostitution in Shelby County.” Story: ABC24.com, July 6, 2012; WREG, July 8, 2012
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Related posts (automatically generated):
- Black Collar Crime Round-Up: July 3, 2012
- Black Collar Crime Round-Up: July 4, 2012
- Black Collar Crime Round-Up: July 8, 2012
- Black Collar Crime Round-Up: July 1, 2012, Part 1
- Black Collar Crime Round-Up: July 1, 2012, Part 2
Note to Mason (assuming you are who you say you are): Sorry you’re upset about that extra info — it was copied directly from info you posted online (thanks for confirming it), and now it’s been redacted. Just remember, it was public information. (Actually, it still is.)
And we’re not judging you or “making your life worse,” nor are we “doing” anything “to you.” We only relay what is publicly available all over the Web, particularly via the mainstream media. If you find a fact that is not accurate, we’ll be more than happy to correct it.
Is there anything here that is not accurate?
In the meantime, best of luck with your case. Should you be cleared, we’ll relay that info as well (which we always do, as soon as we hear about a decision).
Meanwhile, we’re not publishing your comment, in order to save you further embarrassment. We don’t dispense legal advice, but if we were in such a pickle, we’d keep our mouths shut until this whole case is settled.
And, frankly, we really do not want to hear from you until your case is settled. Better for us, and better for you.
One piece of unsolicited advice we will dispense: Stop Googling yourself until all this is over. At least three other news outlets and one Usenet group have picked up the story since the Chronicle Herald broke it — and the number is only going to grow.
Step away from the computer, go outside, and get some fresh air. If you’re innocent, you’ll be vindicated, and it won’t matter what anyone ever thought. But chasing down every mention of your name (and reacting to it) may well end up consuming all your time, and consuming you.
And reacting off-the-cuff in your own defense just doesn’t look good. See Hamlet, Act III, Scene II.
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