We want to thank Mike Rinder for sending over the photo you see above, which he came across and thought we could use.
It’s a wonderful depiction of Scientology’s ecclesiastical apotheosis, with the church’s pope, David Miscavige, in clerical faux-naval garb, congratulating OT Committee member Jay Spina for helping to forward the organization’s esoteric, upper-level pseudoscience.
Well, those were happier times. The Church of Scientology today isn’t saying anything about Spina or his brother Jeffrey, both longtime, high-level Scientologists and chiropractors from Middletown, New York, who were indicted for perpetrating an $80 million Medicare scam.
Jay Spina has already pleaded guilty, and is facing years in prison. So it’s eye-opening to see him getting a trophy from Miscavige who somehow, after ripping apart families and extorting millions from his followers for decades, has not been indicted himself.
That’s not the case with another couple of Scientologists we can tell you about.
Besides the tough spot the Spina brothers find themselves in, we’ve become aware of a couple of other church members who are now cooling their heels in government institutions.
We want to thank the reader who tipped us off about a San Diego Scientologist who will have decades to think about his poor decisions.
In 2010, Hayden Gerson was listed as a significant donor to San Diego’s “Ideal Org” fundraising effort. In the “Alumni” category, Hayden was credited with donating at least $5,000 for the renovation of Scientology’s church on 4th Avenue. And that was five times what his uncle Stan Gerson had given.
Stan Gerson is a magician and a very well known Scientologist who has been featured on Scientology TV (is there any greater honor today?). Numerous other members of the Gerson family were also listed as donors to the San Diego project, and Jennifer Gerson, another family member, is one of the org’s executive directors.
But despite donating to the cause, Hayden didn’t have much time to enjoy the fruits of his generosity. On December 12, 2016, less than a month after the San Diego Ideal Org’s grand opening that November 19, police were called to Hayden’s home by his girlfriend who claimed (but later denied) that he’d been violent with her.
Gerson refused to go quietly with the police, who zapped him with a stun gun, but he then began choking one of the police officers and punched his partner. He then retrieved an unloaded rifle, and threatened the officers with it. So then the SWAT team was called in. Here’s a news account of what happened next:
About two hours after the initial response, Gerson opened fire on officers out of his bedroom window and the officers returned fire, but no one was struck, [prosecutor] Hagstrom said. A short time later, police fired tear gas into the home and Gerson came out of the residence unarmed, but choked a police dog prior to being arrested, the prosecutor said.
Multiple weapons and “more than 600 rounds of ammunition” were discovered inside the home, according to Hagstrom, who said Gerson was “preparing for war.”
According to his attorney, Gerson was suffering from mental illness. How did he know? Because Gerson “suffered from delusions, including beliefs that he was God and that he could control events such as volcanoes and earthquakes with his mind.”
Hey wait a minute, that’s what Scientologists are taught to believe as infallible scientific fact. How could that be considered mental illness?
Anyway, last month Hayden Gerson was sentenced to 34 years in prison, which seems like a long time, but to a thetan of course it’s the blink of an eye. And if Hayden just keeps on with his Scientology studies, he is promised by L. Ron Hubbard that he’ll be a god who can control volcanoes and earthquakes with his mind. So it’s all good.
Meanwhile, we had the pleasure of hearing from AnonOrange, an Orange County protester who was targeted with all kinds of nasty Scientology Fair Game back in the day.
(And kind of a coincidence. Just the other day we were reminded of brave Paulien Lombard telling the Garden Grove City Council that she had spied for Scientology before ditching the organization, and that one of the targets she was instructed to surveil was AnonOrange.)
AnonOrange reminded us that back in the day, he and others were targeted by a very slimy Scientology operative named Oliver Schaper who became a real object of derision and scorn at the old Anon boards. Some of you oldtimers may remember how much Schaper was reviled as a scummy Scientology thug, and who was outed as the operator of several porn websites.
Besides AnonOrange, Mark Bunker was also a target of Schaper, who tried to have thousands of videos exposing Scientology removed from the web back during those heady early days of the Anonymous movement.
AnonOrange remembered that Schaper was particularly creepy about his operations for the church. “He would follow me around. He would be in the audience, and then he’d take a picture of me, and when I got home I’d receive an email showing that he was right behind me. He was harassing numerous Anons in Orange County.”
Well, AnonOrange wanted to let us know that Schaper has received an astounding comeuppance. Schaper was arrested in 2016 and then convicted of five counts of committing a lewd act upon a child, who was 9 years old when he began abusing her. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
Also, Schaper has legally changed his name to Hendrick Oliver Stone. Well, maybe he’s already anticipating his next Scientology lifetime, since this one got so messed up. To a thetan, of course, 16 years in prison is almost nothing. Remember, according to L. Ron Hubbard we are all 76 trillion-year-old immortal beings who have, during that huge amount of time, done pretty much everything, including the sexual killing of children. So, there’s no reason for the Church of Scientology to put out statements on any of these church members because, well, we’re all pretty much guilty of even worse.
See how that works?
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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] Proof that the US government has all it needs to act on Scientology — and it has for 50 years
[TWO years ago] ‘Scientology and the Aftermath’: Mike Rinder answers a few of our questions after TCA win
[THREE years ago] Scientology’s sneaky anti-psychiatry front has found a new way to target kids in Florida
[FOUR years ago] How Scientology sets up its members to find themselves helpless in court
[FIVE years ago] Camilla Andersson on Tom Cruise, and a gift for the Scientologist who has everything!
[SIX years ago] Prepare to Be Audited: Claire Headley Takes Us Through Scientology’s “ARC Straightwire”
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology’s Recruitment Film: The Version They Don’t Want You to See
[EIGHT years ago] Scientology Goons Exposed: “Make Marty’s Life a Living Hell”
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Bernie Headley has not seen his daughter Stephanie in 5,531 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 1,660 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,164 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 1,684 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 704 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 595 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 3,902 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 1,770 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 2,544 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 3,318 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 2,664 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 11,230 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,149 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 3,317 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 2,898 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,159 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,198 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 1,910 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 1,436 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 5,525 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 2,665 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 2,985 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 7,841 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 2,960 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 1,315 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 5,618 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 1,724 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,126 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 1,998 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 1,581 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,076 days.
Mary Jane Sterne has not seen her daughter Samantha in 2,330 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 13,439 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on August 7, 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
