crimes
Scientology has a long, well-documented history of breaking the law.
More about crimes
Learn about allegations - and convictions - of criminal activity by Scientology organizations and executives.
Is Scientology breaking the law? There's evidence that they are.
October 3, 1975: A Guardian's Office memo is sent to Richard Weigand requesting a compliance report on target 17 of GO 1361. (Target 17 directed the infiltration and theft of files relating to Scientology from the Tax Division or the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.) Weigand added a handwritten note to the memo that target 17 "is almost done" in Washington DC, but that six more weeks would be needed to complete the target at the Justice Department in Los Angeles.
April 23, 1985: A public announcement by Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates disavowing any cooperation with Eugene Ingram, longtime Scientology agent, who claimed to have obtained a letter from the LAPD authorizing Ingram to eavesdrop on others.
April 13, 1990: Testimony tells the story of her experiences in Scientology.">Margery Wakefield's affidavit describes illicit activities, hearing plans to murder individuals, and false imprisonment by the Church of Scientology.
crimes in the News
Date |
Title |
Blurb |
Tags |
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October 18, 1995 |
Spying for the Psycho Sect |
News from Germany and the World: Spying for the Psycho Sect |
crimes |
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October 2, 1995 |
CoS president Heber Jentzsch says he'd go to jail rather than return the "advanced technology" files seized in the FACTnet raid |
Reuters: CoS president Heber Jentzsch says he'd go to jail rather than return the "advanced technology" files seized in the FACTnet raid |
crimes, Heber Jentzsch |
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November 15, 1994 |
Pinellas Inmate Refuses Food, Drink |
Meyer was arrested three years ago when Clearwater police, alerted by neighbors, captured him in the bedroom of a woman who had screamed for help. Police said Meyer slipped in through an open window, rifled the woman's purse and then tried to rape her. Meyer told police he was employed by the Church of Scientology. Church officials said he had been hired to work on building renovation projects but had not been employed by the church for months. |
Clearwater, crimes, Press |
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November 4, 1994 |
Scientology Sued Over Insurance |
An insurance company has sued a branch of the Church of Scientology, alleging it was underpaid for a workers' compensation policy. Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. claims in a lawsuit filed Monday that the church's Flag Service Organization owes $378,873 in premiums and fees assessed after an audit turned up employees who had been covered under the policy but were "not yet paid for." |
Belgium, crimes, Press |
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April 1, 1994 |
Chief Of Police Fires Warning At Scientologist |
Police Chief Sid Klein is warning a prominent Church of Scientology official not to interfere in a police investigation again. Richard Haworth, Scientology's spokesman in Clearwater, could have been booked into the county jail March 24 for obstructing an investigation into an alleged battery of a Scientologist that night, Klein said Thursday in a letter. |
crimes, Press |
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January 21, 1994 |
Teacher is Jailed for Sex Offences |
A schoolteacher was yesterday jailed for five years after he admitted sexually molesting teenage pupils. Mark Kent, 32, of Forest Row, East Sussex, committed a catalogue of offences against boys at Greenfields school in Forest Row, where he worked. Greenfields is a private school which states in its promotional literature that it employs the "educational techniques" of L Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology. The school denies that it is an offshoot of the church, but many of the teachers are members of the cult; and the majority of pupils come from Scientology families. |
crimes, Press |
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January 21, 1993 |
Scientology's Accusations Are Unfounded: Letters |
Please set the record straight for your readers. After monitoring CAN for more than a decade, Scientology has been able to find nothing that holds up under scrutiny on CAN's supposed criminality. If it had been paying a little less attention to the cult awareness movement and a little more attention to its own organization, maybe the Church of Scientology of Toronto and its officials would not have been found guilty of spying on government agencies up there. Maybe Mary Sue Hubbard, wife of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, and several other top Scientology officials wouldn't have gone to prison for felony convictions here in the United States. |
crimes, defamation, Press |
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May 15, 1992 |
Scientologist taught crime OK |
Toronto Sun: Scientologist taught crime OK |
crimes |
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May 14, 1992 |
Church "Spy" Plan: Lawyer, Witness Clash |
Toronto Sun: Church "Spy" Plan: Lawyer, Witness Clash |
crimes |
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April 23, 1992 |
She "Ran The Agents" |
The former head of Scientology’s Canadian intelligence network identified one of his underlings as being responsible for "running" agents the church had planted in several police and government agencies. Levman said defendant Jacqueline Matz "ran the agents" who got jobs in the mid-1970s with the RCMP, the OPP, Metro Police and the attorney-general’s office in order to pass information back to Scientology. |
crimes, Press, Toronto |
crimes in the News
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Date |
Title |
Blurb |
Tags |
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September 30, 1996 |
Patrice Vic Trial Begins - Scientology Executive Charged with Manslaughter |
Trial begins in the death of Patrice Vic. Scientology executive Jean-Jacques Mazier is charged with manslaughter, and 22 other Scientologists also face charges. |
crimes, deaths, France, Patrice Vic, Press |
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April 13, 1990 |
Affidavit of Margery Wakefield |
Testimony tells the story of her experiences in Scientology.">Margery Wakefield's affidavit describes illicit activities, hearing plans to murder individuals, and false imprisonment by the Church of Scientology. |
crimes, Documents, false imprisonment, Margery Wakefield |
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April 23, 1985 |
Los Angeles Police - Public Statement Regarding Eugene Ingram's Wiretapping |
A public announcement by Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates disavowing any cooperation with Eugene Ingram, longtime Scientology agent, who claimed to have obtained a letter from the LAPD authorizing Ingram to eavesdrop on others. |
crimes, Documents, Eugene Ingram, harassment, Los Angeles, CA |
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August 3, 1980 |
Scientologist Elizabeth Eagleton Wiegand, Senator Eagleton, Stephen E. Poludniak, St. Louis. Libby Wiegand, $220,000, company;, |
Scientologist Elizabeth Eagleton Wiegand, niece of Senator Eagleton, and her attorney Stephen E. Poludniak are arrested and charged with extortion and conspiracy in St. Louis. Libby Wiegand had threatened to publicize embarassing information about the senator unless he purchased $220,000 of her stock in a family company; he refused to purchase the stock because he believed the money would go to Scientology. Although Scientology denied any involvement at the time, they later linked it to a Guardian's Office operation in their IRS Form 1023 declaration. |
crimes |
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October 6, 1979 |
Mary Sue Hubbard and 8 Other Scientology Executives Admit Massive Conspiracy |
Hubbard's wife Mary Sue and eight other Scientology executives signed a 282-page (plus exhibits) Stipulation of Evidence that detailed the government's case. That document details the burglaries, forgeries, conspiracies, to obstruct justice and other crimes committed. |
crimes, Guardian Office, Mary Sue Hubbard |
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October 6, 1976 |
Michael Meisner Moves to a Scientology-Rented Apartment; Coverup Continues |
Michael Meisner moves into an apartment at 444 South Burlington Street in Los Angeles. The apartment was rented by Paul Poulon (Collections Officer for the Information Bureau); the Guardian's Office wanted to reduce expenses and it was cheaper for Meisner to hide out in an apartment than in hotel rooms. Meisner spends most of his days at local libraries doing research on the security of government buildings, in order to support one of the cover-up stories, _viz._, that he had entered various government buildings to do an expose on the lack of security. Cinty Raymond and Meisner meet approximately twice a week to discuss the ongoing cover-up. |
crimes, Guardian Office, Los Angeles, CA, Michael Meisner |
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September 28, 1976 |
Mo Budlong writes to Richard Weigand, describing a plan for hiding Michael Meisner from his arrest warrant |
Mo Budlong writes to Richard Weigand, describing a plan for hiding Michael Meisner from his arrest warrant. This constitutes conspiracy, harboring a fugitive, and obstructing justice. |
crimes, Guardian Office, Michael Meisner |
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October 3, 1975 |
Guardian Office Memo Requests Update on Stealing Department of Justice Files |
A Guardian's Office memo is sent to Richard Weigand requesting a compliance report on target 17 of GO 1361. (Target 17 directed the infiltration and theft of files relating to Scientology from the Tax Division or the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.) Weigand added a handwritten note to the memo that target 17 "is almost done" in Washington DC, but that six more weeks would be needed to complete the target at the Justice Department in Los Angeles. |
crimes, Guardian Office, Richard Weigand, Washington DC |
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September 21, 1975 |
Scientologists Commended for Breaking into Government Offices |
Gregory Willardson writes a CSW (Completed Staff Work) to Jane Kember and requests commendations and awards for various staff members who had been involved in executing GO 1361 (which directed breaking into government offices and stealing documents), including Cindy Raymond. |
crimes, Guardian Office, Jane Kember |
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October 10, 1972 |
Guardian's Office Weekly Report Directs Attacks on Paulette Cooper |
Scientology Guardian's Office Weekly Intelligent Report notes that Paulette Cooper is "still actively attacking Scientology" and lists three "handling" actions, including giving New York Scientologists orders to "attack her in as many ways as possible"; this item says that action has already been taken on "wide-scale exposure of PC's sex life." |
crimes, Guardian Office, harassment, New York, Paulette Cooper |
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