Climate Change and "Frankenstorm"

Climate Progress has posted an informative article titled "Did Climate Change Help Create Frankenstorm'"? (10-26-12).

Climate Progress reports:

Kevin Trenberth, former head of the Climate Analysis Section at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research, has written, all superstorms “are affected by climate change”:

The air is on average warmer and moister than it was prior to about 1970 and in turn has likely led to a 5–10 % effect on precipitation and storms that is greatly amplified in extremes. The warm moist air is readily advected onto land and caught up in weather systems as part of the hydrological cycle, where it contributes to more intense precipitation events that are widely observed to be occurring.

Read the whole article.

"Frankenstorm" is a really good name for Hurricane Sandy." As the environmentalist Bill McKibben (Daily Beast 10-26-12) observes:

"Frankenstorms" like Sandy are stitched together by some spooky combination of the natural and the unnatural.

Man has created the monster of climate change, and now we are reaping the whirlwind. Unfortunately, because corrupt political "leaders" like the Tea Party's Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, of Nokesville, Virginia, are in the pockets of the fossil fuel industry, they persecute America's real leaders: the climate scientists who have been warning us about the threats to our national security posed by climate change.

Cuccinelli even took 55,500 dollars from John Cody AKA "Bobby Thompson, who has been arrested for financial frauds and is wanted for questioning by the FBI in connection with an ongoing espionage investigation. John Cody graduated from the University of Virginia and Harvard Law School. He was an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army until he disappeared with the savings of his elderly clients in 1987.

Cuccinelli hounded and persecuted the climate scientist Dr. Michael Mann for his alleged frauds, but Cuccinelli made his case against Dr. Mann based on emails that were stolen by cybercriminals and mischaracterized by political operatives for the fossil fuel industry. Cuccinelli made his case against Dr. Mann based on plagiarized "scholarship" fabricated by Dr. Edward Wegman, Congressman Barton, and others. In a brief he sent to the EPA, Cuccinelli cited the Russian government's press agency as a credible source when they trashed western climate scientists. The Russian "expert," an economist named Andrei Illarionov, used to work for the Russian gas industry and was an advisor to Putin. Now he is an "expert" on climate change at the Libertarian Cato Institute. The Libertarians say they are against big government, but I think they are just against our big government.

Scientific organizations tried to tell the arrogant Cuccinelli exactly why he was wrong, but Cuccinelli didn't care about the truth. He didn't care about our national security, and now he has accepted a lot of money from an accused fraud who is wanted for questioning in an ongoing espionage investigation. That's a bit of a "perfect storm," too.

Virginians have a right to know why Cuccinelli got 50,000 dollars on August 31, 2009, after a telephone call with John Cody AKA Bobby Thompson. I hope the FBI and Virginia's Eastern District Court will find out how this fishy deal went down. Cuccinelli is supposed to enforce the law and protect our citizens; instead, he has turned his office into a political police, the sword and shield of the fossil fuel industry. Cuccinelli is misusing our tax dollars and mounting "legal" attacks on behalf of his fossil fuel sponsors instead of protecting our people and our country.

"American Indian Mafia": The AIM Legacy Exposed!

Joseph and John Trimbach are the authors of American Indian Mafia, the authoritative history of the American Indian Movement during the violent years of the 1970s. Much of the evidence in the book is based on court testimony and on accounts provided by Native Americans who were victimized by AIM. The forward of the book was written by Richard Two Elk, who tells the tragic story of AIM violence and the 1973 take-over of the village of Wounded Knee in this YouTube video.

Author Joe Trimbach is the former Special Agent in Charge of the Minneapolis FBI. Joe Trimbach and his son John will be presenting a program about the legacy of the violent AIMsters at Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland on Wednesday, October 24, 2012, from 7-8 P.M.

The Trimbach's book is available in hard-copy or as an inexpensive, searchable ebook. It is also for sale as an Amazon Kindle book.

The Trimbachs have a website http://americanindianmafia.com/ that explains some of the violent history I expect will be presented on Wednesday. Native View interviews Joe and John Trimbach about their book American Indian Mafia. The Trimbachs are not against the rank-and-file members of the AIM, but they point out that the leadership engaged in violent criminal activities under the guise of Indian civil rights.

Indian Country TV has posted a video of John Trimbach's presentation at the Evangelical Lutheran Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. John Trimbach explains how people were held hostage, interrogated, terrorized, robbed, raped, and murdered during the "occupation" of Wounded Knee.

According to the former AIMster Richard Two Elk, one man was crucified on Easter Sunday. AIM burned down Indian people's cabins and buildings, leaving the town in ruins. They threw a paralyzed man out of his trailer and took it over for their headquarters. Armed AIMsters commandeered people's telephones and held women, children, and elderly people at gunpoint in the church as hostages.

John Burrows (NYT 9-29-83) observes:

The AIM people destroyed the homes of Indian residents. They stole valuables and burnt furniture. They shot pets, dogs and cats, and smashed children’s tricycles. They defecated and urinated on floors...

About seven people may have been murdered during the AIM take-over of Wounded Knee. Joe Trimbach writes:

A former AIM member informed me that at least one of the old guard is worried. In one of his more lucid moments, AIM's spiritual advisor, Leonard Crow Dog, warned that at least seven spirits haunt the village ruins. He urged a land purchase of the area in order to prevent a gastly discovery. To illustrate, Crow Dog drew lines in the sand and a map while explaining to this Indian, "there's a Mexican, an Italian, a black man, three white women..." [American Indian Mafia, 323-324]

John Trimbach's talk at Augustana College is a bit difficult to hear, but it has been reprinted on Suzanne Dupree's Lookingbackwoman blog (4-30-12) and includes Dupree's allegation that the AIMster Russell Means raped her at her Catholic school in Washington state when she was a 17-year-old girl. See also part 2, part 3, and part 4 of the conference at Augustana College.

It is very difficult to make sure that Indians on remote reservations are protected from criminals. Protecting tribal communities is a little known—but highly important—responsibility of the FBI. 

"Stormin' Norman" Schwarzkopf Made an Honorary Indian Chief

"Norman Schwarzkopf - The general of Gulf War fame  was inducted into the Osage Tribe in October 1993,  the day the bison were released into the Tallgrass,  in a dignified ceremony next to the old Chapman-Barnard  Ranch headquarters. It was a rare honor that the Osages  accorded, and they gave Schwarzkopf a name that  translates to Eagle Chief."---Osage County History

The name Norman Schwarzkopf has been famous in America for generations. In the 1930s, Norman Schwarzkopf Sr. led the investigation into the infamous Lindbergh kidnapping. His son is the general who led Desert Storm and freed Kuwait.

The Bryan Times (10-19-93) reports that "Stormin' Norman" Schwarzkopf was made an honorary chief of the Osage Indian nation. The ceremony was held at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, and the Nature Conservancy used the occasion to release 300 bison:

Chief Schwarzkopf? Why not?

That's what Osage Nation leaders asked during the Persian Gulf War, when GEN. NORMAN SCHWARZKOPF said on television that he had been made an honorary Osage chief.

It was news to the Osage, but they liked the idea and made it official in 1991. But it wasn't until Monday that they formally named Schwarzkopf Eagle Chief, meaning "the top man."

At daybreak, Schwarzkopf, draped in an Indian blanket, held out his palms as ED RED EAGLE Sr., head of the Osage Eagle Clan, blessed him with a ceremonial eagle feather.

"I will never disgrace it, I promise you that," the retired general said of this latest accolade for his Desert Storm leadership.

One of the wonderful things is that even though Native Americans suffered greatly at the hands of the military, they still loved this nation enough to serve this country, Schwarzkopf said, accepting the honor for those who served under him in the Gulf War.

The ceremony at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve was attended by about 300 tribal members and supporters of the Nature Conservancy, which used the occasion to release 300 bison at the preserve.

NewsOK (10-19-93) reports:

Three hundred bison came home to live in the tallgrass where they once had sole domain. An Indian tribe adopted a chief judged worthy of its exclusive heritage.

An ecological kingdom that almost vanished began to reappear.

More reporters and photographers than bison were present at the release ceremony Monday at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. The story, however it was told - of the return of the bison herds, of the delicate balance of a prairie ecosystem, of a famous American finding his place in middle America - fascinated such media giants as CBS, CNN, the New York Times and the Washington Post.

The Nature Conservancy released the herd into the vast expanse of prairie grass with a drama that appealed even to the bison. As they ran through a narrow chute onto the 5,000 acres initially reserved for them, they were numerous enough to create the legendary sound of "thundering hooves," to depict the often-described sight of brown humps sailing on waves of golden grass...

[Schwarzkopd] joined the Nature Conservancy board of governors last year.

Monday, he enthusiastically called "restoring an ecosystem to its former health and grandeur ... a heroic effort. " In a practical tone, he praised the Nature Conservancy as a "don't talk ... do" organization.

He noted, "not one nickel of government money" supports the prairie preserve, and concluded, "I'm convinced that's the solution to many of the problems we face in America today: when we, the American people, come together and decide to solve it." But the idealistic side of him posed: "Think what it's going to be like years from now ... you can climb one of those hills, and as far as you can see, you'll see tallgrass prairie ... and out there in the middle, bison! "

FBI History: "the Reign of Terror" in the Osage Hills

Below I have posted a story from the FBI website about the murder of the Osage Indian Anna Brown and other wealthy Osage Indians. You can also read the FBI files about this case at the end of the story. Hale had used his nephews and an outlaw named John Ramsey to actually commit the murders. The criminals planted false rumors and lies to mislead the FBI and make them chase false leads; but in the end, the FBI prevailed.The Osage call this time in their history "the reign of terror." See my previous posts about the Osage Indian Murders here and here.

Found: In May 1921, the badly decomposed body of Anna Brown—an Osage Native American—in a remote ravine in northern Oklahoma. The undertaker later discovered a bullet hole in the back of her head. Anna had no known enemies, and the case went unsolved ...

That might have been the end of it, but...just two months later, Anna's mother—Lizzie Q—suspiciously died. Two years later, her cousin Henry Roan was shot to death. Then, in March 1923, Anna's sister and brother-in-law were killed when their home was bombed.

One by one, at least two dozen people in the area inexplicably turned up dead. Not just Osage Indians, but a well known oilman and others.

What did they all have in common? Who was behind all the murders?

That's what the terrorized community wanted to find out. But a slew of private detectives and other investigators turned up nothing (and some were deliberately trying to sidetrack honest efforts). The Osage Tribal Council turned to the federal government, and Bureau agents were detailed to the case.

Early on, all fingers pointed at William Hale, the so-called "King of the Osage Hills." A local cattleman, Hale had bribed, intimidated, lied, and stolen his way to wealth and power. He grew even greedier in the late 1800s when oil was discovered on the Osage Indian Reservation. Almost overnight, the Osage became incredibly wealthy, earning royalties from oil sales through their federally mandated "head rights."

Hale's connection to Anna Brown's family was clear. His weak-willed nephew, Ernest Burkhart, was married to Anna's sister. If Anna, her mother, and two sisters died—in that order—all of the "head rights" would pass to the nephew...and Hale could take control. The prize? Half a million dollars a year or more.

Solving the case was another matter. The locals weren't talking. Hale had threatened or paid off many of them; the rest had grown distrustful of outsiders. Hale also planted false leads that sent our agents scurrying across the southwest.

So four of our agents got creative. They went undercover as an insurance salesman, cattle buyer, oil prospector, and herbal doctor to turn up evidence. Over time, they gained the trust of the Osage and built a case. Finally, the nephew talked. Then others confessed. The agents were able to prove that Hale ordered the murders of Anna and her family to inherit their oil rights...cousin Roan for the insurance...and others who had threatened to expose him.

In 1929, 76 years ago this week, Hale was convicted and sent to the slammer. His henchmen—including a hired killer and crooked lawyer—also got time. Case closed…and a grateful community safe once more.

Want more details? The case files—all 3,274 pages of them—are available free of charge on our Freedom of Information Osage Indian Murders web page. Also see our Indian Country website for today’s efforts to protect Native Americans.

In Her Own Voice: Rhonda Kelly's Affidavit

"[Ward] Churchill strongly insinuates that my father sexually abused [my late sister] Leah, an outrageous allegation that is completely and utterly false. My father did not abuse Leah, me, or any of my siblings, either sexually or physically...I strongly oppose the reinstatement of Ward Churchill as a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. My opposition stems from painful personal knowledge I have of the harm Churchill’s published writings have done, and will continue to do, to Native communities and families."--Rhonda Lynne Kelly

This is a picture of the Canadian Indian Leah Kelly. She was married to the dishonest scholar Ward Churchill. Leah died on June 1, 2000, when she was run over by a motorist late at night as she lay in the middle of Arapahoe Road.

According to the Denver Post (2-13-05):

Churchill's third wife, 25-year-old Leah Kelly, was killed May 31, 2000, when hit by a car outside Boulder, and Churchill's biography of her continues to stir bad feelings with her family. Kelly had a blood-alcohol content of 0.35 percent when a motorist came upon her outside of town. He said she was lying in the road and he had no time to stop.

Leah's big sister Rhonda [scroll through these posts for more information] has written that Ward Churchill exploited Leah's memory and defamed the reputation of her family and Indian community.

Rhonda's heartbreaking story appears in an Affidavit at the end of a 131-page legal brief dated May 20, 2009 and filed by the University of Colorado in Denver District Court.

Ward Churchill published a book after Leah was killed called In My Own Voice. According to Rhonda, this book contains many essays that Ward Churchill falsely attributes to Leah. According to Rhonda, the defamatory "Preface" denigrates Leah and her late father John Kelly. Rhonda writes that Ward Churchill even falsely insinutes that Leah was sexually abused by her father.

I think that some day what Rhonda wrote will be a famous historical document of Indian history. Read Rhonda's words at the end of the brief or below [H/T Mr. Paine at Pirate Ballerina]:

The Affiant, Rhonda Lynne Kelly, deposes and states:

1. I am over 18 years of age and understand the obligations of oath when I provide a sworn affidavit.

2. I have personal knowledge of the matters I will describe in this affidavit. Patrick T. O’Rourke of the Office of University Counsel assisted me in preparing the form of the affidavit, but it expresses my opinions, not the University of Colorado’s opinions. I have not been compensated in any way for providing my affidavit.

3. I am a member of the Ojibways of Onegaming First Nation in Canada. I have a Bachelor of Social Work Degree and a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg. I serve as a justice coordinator and policy analyst for Grand Council Treaty #3, a First Nations political organization representing 28 First Nations of the Treaty #3 nation located in Northwestern Ontario. My responsibilities with the Grand Council Treaty #3 organization pertain to human rights, policing, and justice-related issues that impact the Treaty #3 members. I am deeply motivated to maintain the integrity of scholarship related to indigenous people.

4. I strongly oppose the reinstatement of Ward Churchill as a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. My opposition stems from painful personal knowledge I have of the harm Churchill’s published writings have done, and will continue to do, to Native communities and families. In particular, I testify about the hurtful ways Churchill has exploited the death of my sister, the late Leah Renae Kelly (“Leah”), who died tragically and unexpectedly on June 1, 2000, after being struck by a vehicle near the house in Boulder, Colorado, she shared with Churchill, her husband at the time of her death.

5. More than a year after Leah’s death, Churchill published a book entitled In My Own Voice. This book, which contains numerous essays Churchill falsely attributes to Leah, has caused enormous grief to my family, not only for its misrepresentations of the details of Leah’s life and death, of my family’s history, and of our Ojibway culture, but especially for the false and defamatory allegations and depictions Churchill fabricates in the book’s “Preface,” denigrating Leah and my father, the late John Kelly.

6. After Leah’s death, Churchill informed my parents that he was writing a biography about Leah, but did not ask my parents any questions about their histories or Leah’s life. Around November 2001, Churchill provided copies of In My Own Voice to my parents. My father was devastated when he read the book and would not speak about what was troubling him.

7. I read the book In My Own Voice and felt angry toward Churchill for the inaccuracies and false information he wrote about Leah and my father. In particular, Churchill strongly insinuates that my father sexually abused Leah, an outrageous allegation that is completely and utterly false. My father did not abuse Leah, me, or any of my siblings, either sexually or physically.

8. In his book In My Own Voice, Churchill speaks to the pain and suffering First Nation children suffered in the Canadian residential schools. Yet Churchill’s outrageous fabrications in In My Own Voice inflicted the same pain and suffering upon my father, making false and cruel allegations that my father could not defend himself against. Leah was deceased when In My Own Voice was published, and could not counter Churchill’s false accusations against my father. In the book, Churchill acknowledges that Leah never disclosed to him she had been sexually abused; yet Churchill makes these allegations anyway.

9. In July 2004, the Assembly of First Nations, the political organization representing more than a half million First Nation people across Canada, issued a resolution denouncing Churchill’s book In My Own Voice for its “false allegations and insinuations” against Leah and my family. The resolution further explains that an attempt to inform the publisher that there were many inaccuracies in the book was “met with threats” by Churchill. While my family and I are grateful for the Assembly’s courageous resolution denouncing Churchill’s book In My Own Voice (and a related screenplay Churchill was planning), we continue to suffer emotional harm and reputational injury as a result of the book’s continuing publication and circulation.

10. I shudder when I think about my children, and my children’s children, being victimized over and over, far into the future, when they read the defamatory fabrications and falsehoods about Leah, our family, and our First Nation history and culture in Churchill’s book In My Own Voice. I implore the Denver District Court not to allow Churchill to regain a position on the faculty of the University of Colorado, where he will continue to use his prestigious academic appointment to inflict cruel pain on Native families and communities by publishing his hurtful and damaging lies.

A Teenaged Pakistani Patriot and Martyr: Malala Yousafzai

 
Muhammad believed that seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman. The Quran says, "They are losers who besottedly have slain their children by keeping them in ignorance."

The Washington Post (10-10-12) has published an opinion piece about the shooting of the Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai. She was shot because she wanted to go to school.

ON TUESDAY, Pakistani Taliban thugs tried to assassinate a 14-year-old girl. You read that correctly: Masked gunmen from the ultra-purist Islamist group stormed a van full of schoolchildren in an effort to kill Malala Yousafzai, who has won international acclaim for going to school in defiance of Taliban edicts against educating girls in her home region of Swat. [Washington Post (10-10-12)]

Dr. Faheem Younus (10-15-12) asks:

Why would the Taliban shatter the dreams of young Malala to become a student, a teacher or a scholar? It was fear, not faith, which drove them to attack this gallant girl. After all, she was writing a blog for BBC about her life under the Taliban and was the recipient of the national peace prize in 2011. You could see the leader in her. So the Taliban used the old ploy: hide your rotten fears and cultural dogmas in the shopping bag of Islam.

A Washington Post blog post (10-9-12) reports:

In a 2009 video by The New York Times’s Adam B. Ellick, Malala describes the Taliban’s shuttering of girls’ schools and her subsequent exile from Swat:

“I’m really bored because I have no books to read,” she said.

“I think that when I will go to Swat, first I will go to see my [book] bag.”

She also told Ellick about her plans to change Pakistan’s path:

“I thought that I must be a politician to change our country. There are so many crises in this country...and I want to save my country.”

A Child Predator Is Stalking Denver

"Park Dietz, the founder of the Threat Assessment Group of Newport Beach, Calif., said the type of person who would abduct and kill a child tends to be unsophisticated.

He said such people tend to be toothless and ugly, less educated and poor. They drive dilapidated vehicles, are impulsive and often have substance-abuse problems. Having their way with a child of interest for a very short time is, to them, more valuable than the life of the child."---Denver Post (10-14-12)

On Friday, October 5,  a ten-year-old girl named Jessica Ridgeway was kidnapped by a predator on her way to school in Westminster, Colorado. Her body was subsequently found near an abandoned mine shack in the vicinity of Pattridge Park Open Space in Arvada. Identification of the remains was delayed because the child's body was "not intact." According to media reports, her body may have been found in a plastic bag dumped in a field.

Here is an interactive map that shows where Jessica disappeared, where her backpack and water bottle were found, and where her body was found. The Denver Channel (10-12-12) reports that the  authorities may be able to use cell-phone towers near these three locations to identify the killer's phone number:

Investigators hope cell phone records could lead to a break in the search for the person who abducted Jessica Ridgeway.

ABC News reports that they're checking records of cell phone towers near Jessica's home, the location in Superior where her backpack was found and the park in Arvada where a body was found. If a phone registered at all three towers, it could lead to a suspect.

Stories about Jessica can be found at the Denver Post. The Denver Post has a video of  Agent Dave Joly, an FBI spokesman who is sharing a profile developed by the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit with the public. Agent Joly is asking members of the public to come forward if they notice that someone in their circle might have changed his behavior, personality, work habits, or appearance since the Friday, October 5 murder. The Denver Channel (10-11-12) has published an article about the FBI's general profile of the killer.

An FBI press release (10-11-12) states:

The mission of the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is to provide behaviorally based operational support for complex and time-sensitive cases. Resources are focused on crimes perpetrated against child victims, including abductions, mysterious disappearances of children, homicides, and sexual victimization.

The FBI BAU recommendations are as follows:

Often, someone in the community will unknowingly be associated with the offender of the crime and may be in a position to observe behavioral changes in that person. They will recognize the changes and may even question the person about it but may not relate the changes to that person’s involvement in the crime.

Immediately following the incident, he may miss work. The absence will be sudden and unplanned. He may either be a “no show” or he may offer a plausible excuse such as illness, death in the family, car trouble, etc.

He may miss scheduled appointments/commitments and be unaccounted for during this period. These appointments/commitments may include such things as medical appointments, meetings with a probation officer, prior commitment to a friend or family member, drug test, etc.

He may suddenly leave town, either with no explanation or with some plausible reason.

This individual may express an intense interest in the status of this investigation and pay close attention to the media. However, some offenders may quickly turn off media accounts or try to redirect conversations concerning the victims or their families.

There may be changes in the usual consumption of alcohol and/or drugs.

He may make a change in his appearance or alter something to prevent identification, such as changing the look of his vehicle, clean, or discard his vehicle.

CBS News (10-11-12) reports:

The Pattridge Park open space area south of the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge is dotted with abandoned coal mines. The area is favored by road bikers and model airplane flyers on weekends.

People in the Denver metropolitan area are understandably very scared. Some media reports have cited experts who predict that this child-killer may strike again soon, and---based on what he did to this child---that this is probably not the first time he has harmed a child.

The Denver Post (10-14-12) reports:

Several experts described personality traits of men who kidnap and murder kids.

Roger Depew, a former chief of behavioral sciences with the FBI, is the founder of the Academy Group, a mix of behavioral scientists who worked with the FBI.

Commenting about Jessica's backpack, which was found in Superior in an upright position, Depew said it suggests the object wasn't tossed there, but rather the backpack was placed in a certain position so it would be found.

"That has a tinge of taunting, that he is announcing that he is the one, he had her, he put the bag there," Depew said. "They think they are smarter than the police. Sometimes they leave a note in the bag."

Authorities have reported previously the backpack contained a water bottle with Jessica's name on it, but they will not comment on what else, if anything, was found in or around the backpack.

The fact that the backpack was found northwest of where Jessica was abducted and her body was later found southwest of where she was last seen could indicate that the killer took a day or two to dispose of the body, Depew said.

The open space where Jessica's body was found — near an abandoned mine — sounds like an island less frequented by people in a populated area, Depew said.

The killer probably knew where it was and felt comfortable taking his time there, Depew said.

Park Dietz, the founder of the Threat Assessment Group of Newport Beach, Calif., said the type of person who would abduct and kill a child tends to be unsophisticated.

He said such people tend to be toothless and ugly, less educated and poor. They drive dilapidated vehicles, are impulsive and often have substance-abuse problems. Having their way with a child of interest for a very short time is, to them, more valuable than the life of the child.

More About Attorney General Cuccinelli's Sugar-Daddy: John Cody AKA Bobby Thompson

"Wanted for Fraud and Questioning in Connection With an Ongoing FBI Espionage Investigation"---FBI Wanted poster.

The Tampa Bay Times has posted a new article about the notorious accused fraud John Cody AKA Bobby Thompson: "John Cody? Navy Veterans scam's Bobby Thompson? Jailed fugitive remains a mystery" (10-12-12).

Please see my previous post about the identification of Cody and the fantastic series of articles formerly published by the St. Petersburg Times called Under the Radar as well as the more recent series of articles published by the Tampa Bay Times after a change of ownership. I have been following this story since about 2010. Soon, everyone may be asking why an accused criminal wanted for fraud and for questioning in an ongoing espionage investigation gave Virginia's Attorney General Cuccinelli over 55,000 dollars.

Dan Casey, the Metro Columnist for the Roanoke Times (5-6-12) asks:

What, if anything, did Thompson tell Cuccinelli he wanted during the phone call that resulted in the $50,000 donation?

The Tampa Bay Times (10-12-12) reports:

Sought by the FBI for stealing and suspected espionage, Cody became a phantom who eluded capture for nearly three decades.

On Oct. 1, almost 30 years after he went missing, federal officials announced they'd finally caught their man. Now 65, he is sitting in a jail cell in Cleveland, charged with running a charity scam in Tampa under the alias Bobby Thompson.

As Cody awaits trial, authorities aren't commenting on the espionage charge or what else Cody might have been doing during those years on the run. No one yet knows whether he was a con man or a spook, or both.

Here's what is known: In the Army he was in military intelligence. In Arizona, he was a man of mystery before disappearing with clients' cash. In Tampa, he ran a veterans' charity charged with bilking donors out of nearly $100 million...

Raised Catholic, Cody was a star debater at Steinert High School in Trenton's suburbs. The profile under his 1965 yearbook photo could describe any young American male of the era. He liked pizza and apple pie, "but not together;" football and fast cars, especially "a certain white Chevy II."

Cody went on to the University of Virginia, where he graduated with high honors in 1969. That year he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, but active service was deferred until he completed Harvard Law School in 1972.

Cody reportedly served in Washington, D.C., Hawaii and the Philippines before being discharged as a captain. In 1979, Cody got a master's degree in management at the Asian Institute of Management in Manila.

By mid 1980, Cody showed up in Sierra Vista, Ariz., ready to launch a law practice. He told people he'd spent time at nearby Fort Huachuca while on active duty. The base, 15 miles north of the Mexican border, is the hub of Army military intelligence.

Brandishing his Harvard degree — believed to be the first lawyer in the county with one — Cody quickly picked up business. He was assigned criminal cases by the court, but also handled divorces, wills and contract disputes. Cody may have had the only law office in town with Playboy magazines in the waiting room.

Cody stood out in other ways as well. He claimed his tear ducts were damaged in the military by radiation. So mid conversation or court presentation, without missing a beat, he'd squirt drops in his eyes until it looked like he was crying. Then he'd pull out a tin of petroleum jelly and rub it on his face.

When the skin around his eyes flaked due to the constant irritation, he'd pick it off as colleagues watched in amazement and disgust.

Cody's hair was an orangey-brown pompadour that everybody swore was a wig. His clothes were throw-backs to the 70s, wide-legged bell bottoms and wild ties in a town where Bolo ties were the norm...

Dennis Lusk, a prosecutor who routinely butted heads with Cody, said, "He just blatantly lied so much in court about things he claimed I said that I put him on a writing-only basis." Lusk said he still has a two-inch thick binder of Cody's correspondence.

"I remember him saying it would be good background in case one day either of us achieved notoriety."

Animosity in the courthouse didn't keep Cody from winning some high-profile cases. He got a woman acquitted on self-defense after she shot her boyfriend in the face while he was eating cereal. Another client was found innocent by reason of insanity after stabbing a man 23 times.

"Sometimes he was absolutely brilliant," said Margaret Chapman, Cody's legal assistant. "But sometimes he was just crazy."

Chapman, who worked for Cody for about a year, said he used a tape recorder from home to dictate late-night memos, spinning conspiracy theories and threatening to shoot methamphetamine into the county attorney's brain. As time went on, he became increasingly manic, sleeping little and missing court dates. He'd lock himself in his office, Chapman said, emerging with white powder on his nose.

Chapman became suspicious when Cody had her make several $5,000 withdrawals from his accounts, all in $20 bills. When he asked her if she knew anyone who made fake IDs, Chapman decided it was time to leave. A few months later Cody told his new assistant he had an emergency meeting in Tucson. His orange Corvette, painted blue, was found weeks later at the Phoenix airport with the keys in the ignition.

Cody was gone.

Shortly after his disappearance, Cochise County officials charged Cody with stealing about $100,000 from clients' accounts. But many townspeople doubted that was enough to make him abandon a seemingly successful practice.

There was talk he had been targeted by drug lords or the mob. Others, who'd heard hints of his past in military intelligence, wondered if it might have been something else.

Teri Sorisso may have been Cody's only friend and sole defender in Sierra Vista. A few weeks before he disappeared, the two were at the Sorry Gulch Saloon when he gave her a cryptic warning.

"He said he was investigating the drug trade and corruption involving officials in town and if things went bad, he'd have to leave without warning," Sorisso said. "He wouldn't tell me where he was going because he didn't want me implicated in any way."

Her suspicions increased when she went to the auction of Cody's possessions months after he fled. She'd never been in his shabby, one-room efficiency and was shocked to find it packed with books in five languages, including German, Russian and Tagalog, the language spoken in the Philippines.

"I thought, 'Holy crap, who is this guy?'" Sorisso said. "I thought maybe he'd been a spy."

A federal indictment issued in May 1987 did not end the speculation. The official charges were fairly mundane. In addition to taking money from clients' probate accounts, Cody allegedly tried to open brokerage accounts and get loans in Virginia using two aliases. He also claimed $195,000 in income from two nonexistent companies, one in Kuwait, the other in Mexico.

Then came the kicker: The FBI also wanted Cody for questioning regarding "an ongoing FBI espionage investigation."

No further details were given at the time and the FBI has been unwilling to elaborate since his arrest. [Read the entire article.]

October Surprise for Ken Cuccinelli: Bobby Thompson's Identity Revealed!

"The U.S. Attorney's Office in Northern Ohio is currently working with their sister office in Eastern Virginia [the "Rocket Docket] regarding Cody's 25-year-old charges.

'Is this the end of the mystery? I think so,' [U.S. Marshall Peter] Elliot said. 'Let's see if there's more to come.'"----The Cleveland Plain Dealer (10-1-12)

The FBI (10-1-12) has posted this brief press release:

Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge for the FBI’s Northern District of Ohio Office, and James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, are pleased to recognize the United States Marshals Service for their successful efforts in apprehending John Donald Cody, also known as Bobby Thompson.

The FBI commends the U.S. Marshals Service for their unrelenting determination that led to the apprehension of Mr. Cody. The FBI worked with the U.S. Marshals Service in determining Mr. Cody’s ultimate identity.

The FBI will not be making any additional comments at this time and appreciates your understanding.

The U.S. Marshalls Service (10-1-12) issued this press release:

On May 1, U.S. Marshals announced the arrest of one of Americas Most Wanted and elusive fugitives, known and charged in Ohio under the alias “Bobby Thompson.”

“Bobby Thompson” has been accused of stealing millions of dollars donated for the sole purpose of aiding U.S. veterans. “Bobby Thompson,” which was an alias, was on the run for more than two years in which he assumed numerous fictitious names and was known to alter his appearance. He was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, identity theft, fraud and money laundering.

On April 30, he was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Portland, Ore., and brought back to Ohio to face the charges. At the time of arrest, authorities also seized nearly $1 million that “Thompson” had locked in a storage locker. “Thompson” has been detained in the Cuyahoga County Jail awaiting trial.

Today, U.S. Marshals, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, positively identified “Bobby Thompson” as cold case fugitive John Donald Cody.
Cody, 65, has been wanted by the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Marshals since 1987 for numerous fraudulent charges. Cody is also wanted for questioning by the FBI in connection to an ongoing espionage investigation.

U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott was so intrigued with this investigation and the fact that “Thompson” continued to hide his true identity that he began to search through the internet attempting to identify him.

Marshal Elliott conducted Google searches for cold case fraud fugitives with ties to military. In doing so, he came upon an FBI wanted flyer for a cold case fraud fugitive wanted since 1987. Upon looking at the dated picture, the man immediately had a noticeable likeness to “Thompson.” Upon reading the history of the case and particulars of the fugitive, things really matched up well with “Thompson.” The fugitive was John Donald Cody and after receiving a copy of his fingerprints from the FBI, they were a confirmed match with the fingerprints from the Cuyahoga County Jail of “Thompson.”

The federal warrant for Cody is from May 4, 1987, out of the Eastern District of Virginia charging him with interstate transportation of fraudulent traveler’s checks from probate estates’ bank accounts, false statements to an investment brokerage firm, and false statements on loan applications. Cody is also wanted by the FBI for questioning in connection to an ongoing espionage investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Northern Ohio is currently communicating with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Eastern Virginia regarding these charges and to determine the next steps now that Cody has been positively identified and in custody at the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office.

The Ohio Attorney General's office has issued this statement (10-1-12) about the identification of the accused con-artist known as "Bobby Thompson":

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine issued the following statement today after the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Marshals revealed John Donald Cody as the true identity of 'Bobby Thompson,' the mastermind of the alleged charity scam U.S. Navy Veterans Association.

"For years this suspect hid from the truth, but today, the truth has caught up with him," said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine.  "John Cody can no longer conceal his identity under the alias 'Bobby Thompson.'"

Federal authorities announced this morning that fingerprint analysis revealed Cody had been wanted by the FBI for fraud since 1987.

The Ohio Attorney General's Office has spent years investigating Cody, who is believed to have collected nearly $2 million of Ohioans' money and tens of millions from residents in 40 other states who thought they were donating to military veterans.

John Cody AKA 'Bobby Thompson' is currently in custody in Cleveland, awaiting trial on charges including money laundering and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.  The Ohio Attorney General's Office is prosecuting the case.

Here is John Donald Cody's FBI poster and an article by ABC's The Blotter (October 1, 2012).

The Tampa Bay Times (10-2-12), which has covered the Bobby Thompson case for years, reports:

[F]or all his sterling credentials, colleagues at the courthouse found Cody to be more than a little strange. He wore outdated bell bottoms and his hair in a pompadour that everyone swore was a wig.

He would spout wild conspiracy theories and once accused county prosecutors of wanting to kill him.

He would bring a big jar of Vaseline into the courtroom, then slather it on his face during presentations.

Margaret Chapman went to work for Cody as a legal assistant in 1982, soon after he started his general law practice in Sierra Vista.

She never saw a Harvard Law diploma on his wall. And the military ID photo he showed her looked a lot like a photo in his high school yearbook.

"He was incredibly smart and fun to talk to," said Chapman, who now lives in California. "But he was just a nut job."

Cody would dictate letters in the middle of the night, telling how he planned to inject methamphetamine in the county attorney's brain. He started sending Chapman to withdraw $5,000 at a time from his bank, in $20 bills.

"That was a lot of money back then," Chapman said. He would lock himself in his office and emerge with white dust on the tip of his nose, she said. Then, out of the blue one day, Cody asked Chapman if she knew anyone who made fake IDs.  [See also the famous Tampa Bay Times investigative series about Thompson called Under the Radar.]

The Arizona Republic carries a colorful 2002 article titled "Oddball Lawyer Missing 18 Years" (5-19-2002) which reports that the US Marshalls from Alexandria, Virginia, are on John Cody's trail. Fox News (1-6-09) has another colorful story about the bizarre John Cody that dates from 2009.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer (10-1-12) reports:

After Googling terms like "missing vets" and "major fraud fugitives," [U.S. Marshall Peter] Elliot came across a decades-old FBI poster of Cody, who has been wanted since 1987 on IRS fraud charges and connection to an espionage investigation.

Elliot recognized the distinct coiffure that dangled to Cody's brow in the FBI photo and another found during his search.

The hairdos resembled the one currently worn by "Thompson."

More links between Cody and "Thompson" quickly cemented.

The FBI poster indicated that Cody did not have tear ducts and constantly used eye drops. It also mentioned that he practiced law in Sierra Vista, Ariz.

When marshals arrested "Thompson," two bottles of eye drops were confiscated along with multiple fake Arizona IDs.

Most importantly, the poster said that Cody performed military intelligence duties as a captain in the Army.

Elliot requested a copy of the veteran's military fingerprints from the U.S. Department of State and compared them with those taken from "Thompson" after his arrest.

They matched.

Elliot would not comment on Cody's reaction to the discovery.

Marshals previously were unable to match their "Thompson" prints with any found in local and national databases because Cody had not been arrested on his 1987 indictment.

In fact, the former fugitive vanished from Arizona in 1984 and the initial case eventually went cold.

"That's the kind of guy we love to catch, guys that sign their name 'Mr. X' and challenge us," Elliot said.

Authorities say they now have a better understanding of the man accused of using a fake charity, the U.S. Navy Veterans Association, to swindle more than $100 million from contributors nationwide between 2002 and 2010.

Cody, who initially requested to represent himself in court, graduated from Harvard Law School in 1972. He speaks multiple languages and has used more than a dozen aliases.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Northern Ohio is currently working with their sister office in Eastern Virginia regarding Cody's 25-year-old charges.

"Is this the end of the mystery? I think so," Elliot said. "Let's see if there's more to come."

CBS News (10-3-12) has a video that features U.S.Marshall Peter Elliott, and some analysis by a former FBI Deputy Director named John Miller, who observes:

"[John Cody] apparently tried to make contact with or made contact with a hostile foreign power or an intelligence officer, and because of his former secret clearances, the fact he was a reservist in intelligence that's what he was saying...they wanted to know, 'Why are you talking to these people?' And that is something that now that they have him, they will focus on."

Soon, everyone may be asking why an accused criminal wanted for questioning in an espionage investigation gave Virginia's Attorney General Cuccinelli over 55,000 dollars.

Dan Casey, the Metro Columnist for the Roanoke Times (5-6-12) asks:

What, if anything, did Thompson tell Cuccinelli he wanted during the phone call that resulted in the $50,000 donation?

Did a Richmond insider give Thompson specific advice on where to pass his money around so he could get his bill through the General Assembly?...

I...put the question to Cuccinelli. "Attorney General Cuccinelli never advised or recommended 'Bobby Thompson' to do anything to try to get any law passed," said his spokesman Brian Gottstein.

You can bet that federal agents on this case will be asking Thompson if anyone did give him such advice, just for starters....

Looks like John Cody AKA "Bobby Thompson" really screwed the Cooch on this one!