OT 8 Scientologist and dentist Dr. Greg Winteregg died of a heart attack on July 13 in Palm Harbor, Florida. He was 66.
We’re noting his death because at one time he was promoted by the church as a high-visibility Scientology success story. And as an OT 8, having reached the top of Scientology’s “Bridge to Total Freedom,” Winteregg should have been “cause over matter, energy, space, and time.”
Born in Berne, Indiana on June 8, 1955, Winteregg became a prominent Scientologist and worked as a vice president at a World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE) business consulting company called MGE: Management Experts, Inc.
In the mid-2000s, Winteregg was promoted by Source magazine as a Patron of the IAS, Scientology’s membership organization:
Marcus Group Enterprises Inc. has its headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia. The company began using the name MGE: Management Experts in the early 2000s.
Scientologist Reuven Marcus founded MGE. According to the MGE website, Winteregg attended MGE as a client and then joined the firm as a partner in 1994. MGE targets dentists and uses L. Ron Hubbard’s business management tech. MGE’s stated goal is to teach dentists how to significantly increase their practice revenue.
A former MGE client told us that MGE makes it clear to new clients that one of its purposes is to make them into Scientologists. To this point, MGE insists that its client dentists create an “Org Board” at their dental offices. (Hubbard claimed that he had discovered the org board, a way of organizing a business, after taking it from a space civilization that was trillions of years old.) The client dentists also create “hat write ups” which are job descriptions for each of their employees. Employees are then assigned weekly stats designed to increase practice revenue. MGE also expects its client dentists to send in their staff members for training at MGE’s facilities in Pinellas Park, Florida.
MGE focuses on selling and closing dental patients to buy treatment packages. So instead of drilling and filling a cavity, an MGE-trained dentist has an initial consultation (sales cycle) during which they work to close the patient to sign a contract to purchase a comprehensive dental treatment program. This technique involves L. Ron Hubbard’s hard-sell techniques. Greg Winteregg made a video in which he used a Scientology-style “find their ruin” sales technique:
Winteregg: So first of all we have to establish with the patient during the consultation do they want to keep their teeth. That’s the foundation for everything because if they have no interest in keeping their teeth or you know you’re doing implants or whatever the procedure have to you have to cover do they have any value in what it is you’re trying to do because if there’s no value in the end product then it’s just going to boil down to just how cheap can they get it and that’s where it starts to get uncomfortable and sometimes upsetting for everyone so let’s establish they do want to keep their teeth and your treatment plan is going to help them keep their teeth and then lay out for them what the fee is going to be….
Winteregg used what is call a “closed question” in sales. A closed question forces a prospect into a yes or no answer. It is a set up. Greg Winteregg and MGE teach dentists to use a hard sell technique and zero in on a person’s dental anxiety by asking, “Do you want to keep your teeth?”
The only answer anyone will give is, “Yes, of course I want to keep my teeth!” This technique is designed to shift the power balance to the MGE-trained dentist who then tells the patient why an expensive dental treatment program is what it will take to keep their choppers. Here is the MGE video of Winteregg discussing this particular hard-sell technique. Fast forward to :53 to hear the hard sell:
The MGE Contract, meanwhile, is typical Scientology:
— Jeffrey Augustine
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Bonus items from our tipsters
What’s this? A mission that says it’s expanding? “The Mission of Brand Blvd” in Glendale, CA?
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“And by the way, anybody who had sexual relationships with a little boy ought to be killed! The idea! Horrible! Why that’s the most disgusting thought he’s ever heard. What? Sexual relationships with a little boy? Oh, no. Except in the DED you find him taking a little boy and driving the little boy up to sexual enthusiasm, up, up, up, up, up and the little boy just can’t give any more, and so forth, and on the last jolt of demand on the part of the thetan, the little boy who actually did have a thetan in him anyhow, goes PANG. And it goes straight down to 0.0. BzzzUm. And that’s why being a body is death of a body, is thetan into the body. That’s 0.0. Death of the body is being the body. And you’ll find him having his most enjoyable times thereafter as a little boy. He, he’s doing a super life continuum for this little boy. And this little boy bit the dust and was chewed up and spat out maybe 70, 60, 30 trillion years ago.” — L. Ron Hubbard, September 23, 1952
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“COURTESY: Usually on Flag we are very polite to everyone. It is a standard of courtesy and an example we should work to maintain.” — The Commodore, September 23, 1970
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“I found studying remote viewing and the data they discover really helps me to understand Hubbard’s philosophy, you really understand that time and the physical universe are not what it seems.”
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1997: Chris Owen announced additions to his “Scientology’s Secret Service” web site, including documents from 1988 and 1990 showing attempted infiltration of the French government. “The main item is a selection of OSA documents from France, originally reproduced in Serge Faubert’s book ‘Une secte au coeur de la Republique’. They reveal how OSA planted agents in the Elysee palace; the agents appear to have had direct access to President Mitterand himself. Interestingly, a noted a.r.s. poster, Roger Gonnet, also appears in the French documents.”
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“How many Scientologists are left in the world who would stand up and say ‘I’m proud to be a Scientologist!’”
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker
Criminal prosecutions:
— Danny Masterson charged for raping three women: Next hearing set for November 10. Trial tentatively scheduled for February.
— Jay and Jeff Spina, Medicare fraud: Jay sentenced to 9 years in prison. Jeff’s sentencing to be scheduled.
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members, Medi-Cal fraud: Pretrial conference October 7 in Los Angeles
— David Gentile, GPB Capital, fraud: Next pretrial conference set for November 19.
— Joseph ‘Ben’ Barton, Medicare fraud: Pleaded guilty, awaiting sentencing.
Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Oral arguments were heard on July 30, 2020 at the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Petition to US Supreme Court submitted on May 26. Scientology responded on June 25.
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: California Supreme Court granted review on May 26 and asked the Second Appellate Division to direct Judge Steven Kleifield to show cause why he granted Scientology’s motion for arbitration. Oral arguments scheduled for Oct 5.
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach tax debt: Eleventh Circuit ruled on Sept 9 that Feshbachs can’t discharge IRS debt in bankruptcy. Dec 17: Feshbachs sign court judgment obliging them to pay entire $3.674 million tax debt, plus interest from Nov 19.
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Third amended complaint filed, trial set for June 28, 2022.
— Author Steve Cannane defamation trial: Trial concluded, Cannane victorious, awarded court costs. Case appealed on Dec 23. Appeal hearing held Aug 23-27.
Concluded litigation:
— Dennis Nobbe, Medicare fraud, PPP loan fraud: Charged July 29. Bond revoked Sep 14. Nobbe dead, Sep 14.
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe dismissed the lawsuit on May 15 after the Clearwater Police dropped their criminal investigation of her allegations.
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THE PROSECUTION OF DANNY MASTERSON
We first broke the news of the LAPD’s investigation of Scientology celebrity Danny Masterson on rape allegations in 2017, and we’ve been covering the story every step of the way since then. At this page we’ve collected our most important links, including our four days in Los Angeles covering the preliminary hearing and its ruling, which has Danny facing trial and the potential sentence of 45 years to life in prison.
After the success of their double-Emmy-winning, three-season A&E series ‘Scientology and the Aftermath,’ Leah Remini and Mike Rinder continue the conversation on their podcast, ‘Scientology: Fair Game.’ We’ve created a landing page where you can hear all of the episodes so far.
LEAH REMINI: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE AFTERMATH
An episode-by-episode guide to Leah Remini’s three-season, double-Emmy winning series that changed everything for Scientology watching. Originally aired from 2016 to 2019 on the A&E network, and now on Netflix.
SCIENTOLOGY’S CELEBRITIES, from A to Z
Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!
Other links: SCIENTOLOGY BLACK OPS: Tom Cruise and dirty tricks. Scientology’s Ideal Orgs, from one end of the planet to the other. 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 a weekly series. How many have you read?
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THE WHOLE TRACK
[ONE year ago] Now that Scientology mega-donor Trish Duggan is famous, will the ditched-kid story blow up?
[TWO years ago] Leah Remini mourns the estranged father who denounced her on behalf of Scientology
[THREE years ago] Scientology’s private cruise ship had a fitful history before becoming a floating cathedral
[FOUR years ago] Director Paul Haggis pens an open letter to Marty Rathbun after Scientology’s latest smear
[FIVE years ago] Beware, protesters: Scientology has been training attack dogs at a Clearwater warehouse
[SIX years ago] We’re in Cleveland today to talk about Scientology and you’re invited
[SEVEN years ago] NARCONON DENIED: Damaging Oklahoma report on Scientology rehab facility will be turned over
[EIGHT years ago] LEAH REMINI: Scientology Wants Me to Fail on Dancing With The Stars
[TEN years ago] The Top 25 People Crippling Scientology, No. 4: Tom Cruise
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Bernie Headley (1952-2019) did not see his daughter Stephanie in his final 5,667 days.
Valerie Haney has not seen her mother Lynne in 2,432 days.
Katrina Reyes has not seen her mother Yelena in 2,937 days
Sylvia Wagner DeWall has not seen her brother Randy in 2,457 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his grandson Leo in 1,477 days.
Geoff Levin has not seen his son Collin and daughter Savannah in 1,368 days.
Christie Collbran has not seen her mother Liz King in 4,675 days.
Clarissa Adams has not seen her parents Walter and Irmin Huber in 2,543 days.
Carol Nyburg has not seen her daughter Nancy in 3,317 days.
Doug Kramer has not seen his parents Linda and Norm in 1,647 days.
Jamie Sorrentini Lugli has not seen her father Irving in 4,121 days.
Quailynn McDaniel has not seen her brother Sean in 3,437 days.
Dylan Gill has not seen his father Russell in 12,003 days.
Melissa Paris has not seen her father Jean-Francois in 7,922 days.
Valeska Paris has not seen her brother Raphael in 4,090 days.
Mirriam Francis has not seen her brother Ben in 3,671 days.
Claudio and Renata Lugli have not seen their son Flavio in 3,932 days.
Sara Goldberg has not seen her daughter Ashley in 2,969 days.
Lori Hodgson has not seen her son Jeremy and daughter Jessica in 2,683 days.
Marie Bilheimer has not seen her mother June in 2,208 days.
Julian Wain has not seen his brother Joseph or mother Susan in 563 days.
Charley Updegrove has not seen his son Toby in 1,738 days.
Joe Reaiche has not seen his daughter Alanna Masterson in 6,289 days
Derek Bloch has not seen his father Darren in 3,438 days.
Cindy Plahuta has not seen her daughter Kara in 3,758 days.
Roger Weller has not seen his daughter Alyssa in 8,613 days.
Claire Headley has not seen her mother Gen in 3,732 days.
Ramana Dienes-Browning has not seen her mother Jancis in 2,088 days.
Mike Rinder has not seen his son Benjamin and daughter Taryn in 6,391 days.
Brian Sheen has not seen his daughter Spring in 2,497 days.
Skip Young has not seen his daughters Megan and Alexis in 2,895 days.
Mary Kahn has not seen her son Sammy in 2,771 days.
Lois Reisdorf has not seen her son Craig in 2,354 days.
Phil and Willie Jones have not seen their son Mike and daughter Emily in 2,849 days.
Mary Jane Barry has not seen her daughter Samantha in 3,103 days.
Kate Bornstein has not seen her daughter Jessica in 14,212 days.
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Posted by Tony Ortega on September 23, 2021 at 07:00
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The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2020 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2020), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)
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