It pains us to report that Brandon Reisdorf, who we got to know from his appearance in the first season of Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, has been arrested again, this time for attempting to enter Scientology’s church in San Diego.
According to the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, Brandon was arrested on Saturday evening, and he has been in the county jail since then, with a court date this morning at 8 am. His mother, Lois Reisdorf, asked us to speak with Brandon’s attorney, Graham Berry, and Berry said he would speak to us as soon as he was able.
In the seventh episode of her first season Remini featured Brandon, whose parents Lois and Gary were deeply into Scientology in South Africa before drifting away from it. Brandon and his older brother Craig got into Scientology on their own, and Lois and Gary didn’t interfere. But eventually because of their connection to a friend who had spoken out against the church, Lois and Gary were declared “suppressive persons,” and all church members were ordered to disconnect from them. Brandon chose his parents and left the church, but Craig didn’t.
For Brandon, it was devastating to lose contact with his older brother. Combined with his own emotional problems, it produced a rage in him that he decided to take out on the church. In January 2016 he drove from San Diego to Los Angeles and threw a hammer into a window on a Scientology church at 2 in the morning. No one was hurt.
Rather than try to help Brandon with his rage, the church asked the LA District Attorney to charge him with a felony for vandalizing a “place of worship.”
In Remini’s program, she highlighted how Scientology was leveraging its questionable status as a religion in order to ramp up charges against a former parishioner who needed help, not jail time.
Brandon was sentenced to probation and was ordered to stay away from all Scientology facilities. Since then he’s been trying to get his felony conviction downgraded to a misdemeanor. We’ve spoken to him numerous times about that in the last couple of years, and he was hopeful that it was going to happen soon.
But it was also clear that Brandon’s emotional problems were not going away. This was a young man who desperately needed serious help. We wish we could have done more than simply bring up his recent behavior with his family. Maybe we could have.
According to the San Diego Sheriff’s website, Brandon is being held on a misdemeanor charge of disobeying a court order. But two felonies are also listed: violation of probation, and vandalizing a house of worship. We’re hoping to find out from Berry just what charges Brandon is facing this time, and which are carry-overs from before.
The church itself claims that Reisdorf had made a threat on social media about the church and then was caught trying to sneak into the San Diego org. The church has already begun using Brandon’s latest arrest to attack Remini and her show on its own social media feeds.
UPDATE: We received this message from Graham Berry with the latest on Brandon’s situation…
Nothing happened in court today. Although the records showed it would be today there had been a mistake at booking time and the City Attorney’s Office now has until noon tomorrow to decide whether to file the misdemeanor failure to follow a court order charge (Penal Code section 166 (4)). If they do so decide it will probably be called tomorrow afternoon. If so, little would happen. We would waive time and continue it so we can discuss an appropriate resolution in light of the felony probation violation charge which is calendared for arraignment on February 21. Meanwhile, Brandon is still in custody. He says he is being treated well by the jail staff. Brandon’s Mom and I were at the courthouse most of the day, as was Scientology attorney Kendrick Moxon. I visited with Brandon for the third time today. He appeared to be in a much better frame of mind. He appreciates all the expressions of care and concern that I told him about.
BRANDON’S PARENTS have made a statement. Please see their account here.
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Bonus items from our tipsters
Ooh, fancy party. Bring your wallet!
Meanwhile, in Atlanta…
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Start making your plans!
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!
We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.
Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!
Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!
Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Evidence, finally, of how Scientology obsessively tracks down its former members
[TWO years ago] A new document shows how much Scientology obsesses over every member’s status
[THREE years ago] SCIENTOLOGY’S SPACE MAN: As of 2013, active Scientologists fewer than 20,000 worldwide
[FOUR years ago] Days before crucial hearing, Scientology pulls out a ghost to sway a federal judge
[FIVE years ago] Scientology video: Some of the best L. Ron Hubbard word salad ever
[SIX years ago] Underground Bunker reader gets declared a Suppressive Person by Scientology
[SEVEN years ago] Anonymous vs Scientology: Chanology’s Quadrennium in NYC
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,359 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,490 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 1,992 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,472 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 535 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 423 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,730 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,598 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,372 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,146 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,492 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,058 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 6,978 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,145 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,726 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 2,986 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,026 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,738 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,264 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,353 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,493 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,813 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,669 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,788 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,144 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,446 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,552 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 1,955 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,826 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,409 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 1,904 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,158 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,267 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on February 13, 2019 at 07:00
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Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.
The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2018 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2018), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, ten years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ
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Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele
