Jesters fishing trips in Brazil - not so funny now

Here is an update on events detailed in previous posts - Wednesday, April 09, 2008 Masons,Shriners,Royal Order of Jesters, prostitutes, sex tourism, and tax exempt partying - Saturday, April 12, 2008 Royal Order of Jesters - something funny going on

The Buffalo News has the story today, by Dan Herbeck - Former law clerk sentenced in Jesters prostitution case
The owner of the “massage parlors,” Len Wah Chong, was sentenced on November 19th to six years in federal prison for enslaving as many as 11 illegal alien prostitutes. She pleaded guilty early last April to "Sex Trafficking of Persons by Force, Fraud and Coercion." She forfeited two properties,$70K in cash and jewelry seized and now must pay $350,000 in restitution to those she kept as sex slaves. (FBI Press release)

FBI agents used court ordered wire intercepts to listen the owner of the four "massage parlors," Len Wah Chong, 43, (the Lotus Acupressure Spa in Lockport; the Lotus Spa in Niagara Falls; Golden Acupressure and Lucky J Fortune Teller in Wheatfield; and Lotus Acupressure in Tonawanda ) as she ran her prostitution businesses over the phone. Agents during the 15 month enquiry heard her talking shop with a former New York state Supreme Court Judge and former director of the Buffalo chapter of the Royal Order of Jesters Court #22, Ronald Tills. He not only frequented the “massage parlors,” but also supported Len Wah Chong by taking some of her illegal alien prostitutes to weekend Jester parties in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In his plea agreement, Tills also admitted to coordinating prostitutes with top Jester leaders for a national meeting in Canada.

Former State Supreme Court official Michael R. Stebick, 61, (law clerk to State Supreme Court Judge Ronald H. Tills) who used his motor home to transport an illegal alien prostitute supplied by Len Wah Chong from Hamburg to Kentucky was sentenced to four months of home confinement today by a federal judge. He was put on probation for two years, ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and directed to provide 250 hours of community service by U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. (pdf of plea here)

Stebick's sentence results from a federal investigation into human trafficking activities by a Masonic nationwide men's "charitable" organization known as the Royal Order of Jesters.

Under a felony plea deal he took in August, Stebick also agreed to forfeit to the federal government his 2000 Challenger motor home, which he used to transport the prostitute and some club members to a Jesters conference in Ashland, Ky., in October 2005.

State Supreme Court Judge Ronald H. Tills, who took a plea deal in the same case is awaiting sentencing on January 12, 2009. . Former Lockport Police Capt. John Trowbridge — also took a plea deal .

According to Judge Skretny, the victim in the case was put up in a hotel by the Jesters, with a sign stating "$70-an-hour" posted outside her room.

The investigation, conducted by the Western New York Human Trafficking Task Force and Alliance, is continuing. The task force includes members of the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol, the Erie and Niagara county sheriff's offices and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement.

In a letter to the judge, Steibick wrote ..."I have embarrassed myself, my friends and my profession," Stebick wrote. "I met [the prostitute] for the first time when she was with us on the ride down to Ashland, Kentucky ... I did not know she was an illegal alien." He also claimed he was acting at the direction of his boss — Tills — when he agreed to drive the prostitute to Kentucky.

Transporting a person across state lines for the purposes of prostitution is a violation of the federal law known as the Mann Act.

Sandy Frost at her Newsvine site has a transcript of the Deposition testimony of Brazilian fishing guide Admilson Garcia da Silva plus photgraphs he supplied ( © 2008 by Sandy Frost) and his experience as a guide for trips for groups of Jesters and Masons on fishing parties organised by Wet-a-Line boats . Be warned that it is sexually explicit and if this offends you, don't read it.

As a result of a falling out amongst jealous suppliers of such tours Richard W. Schair and Wet-a-Line Tours LLC v Phillip Marsteller and Amazon Tours, Inc. defamation lawsuit was settled out of court on Friday, December, 5.