Airtel: FBI Director to Legal Attache Bogata re: Church of Scientology; Information Concerning; FPC; General Criminal Matters; SITOL (November 10, 1987)

CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY; INFORMATION CONCERNING; FPC – GENERAL CRIMINAL MATTERS

THIS TELETYPE IS CLASSIFIED SECRET IN ITS ENTIRETY. REURTELCAL OCTOBER 21, 1987, AND URTEL OCTOBER 26, 1987, AND BUTELCALS OCTOBER 23 AND 29, 1987.

THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS INQUIRIES FROM CITIZENS TO THE BUREAU REGARDING THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY [COS] DATING FROM THE 1960’S. WE HAVE ALSO RECEIVED NUMEROUS ALLEGATIONS OF CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS AGAINST COS, INCLUDING CHARGES OF KIDNAPING, EXTORTION, VIOLATIONS OF CHILD LABOR LAWS, PROSTITUTION, DRUGS AND THEFT.

COS WAS FOUNDED BY LAFAYETTE RON HUBBARD, WHOSE THEORY OF “SCIENTOLOGY” IS AN ALLEGED SCIENCE WHICH INSTILLS SELF- CONFIDENCE AND ASSISTS IN REMOVING MENTAL PROBLEMS AND IS DEDICATED TO THE FREEDOM OF THE “SPIRIT.”

HUBBARD DIED ON JANUARY 24, 1986. MEMORANDA FROM BUFILES TO FOLLOW WITH ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND REGARDING COS.
DUE TO NUMEROUS REFERENCES IN BUFILES ON COS, OUR INDICES SEARCH WAS LIMITED TO MAIN FILES ONLY.

IN MAY, 1976, MEMBERS OF COS IMPERSONATED IRS AGENTS AND GAINED ACCESS TO THE USA’S OFFICE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THEY WERE DISCOVERED IN THE ACT OF REPRODUCING GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS. THIS INCIDENT PRECIPITATED A MASSIVE INVESTIGATION BY THE FBI AGAINST VARIOUS OFFICIALS OF THE COS {SITOL} FOR VIOLATIONS RANGING FROM THEFT OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY TO AIDING AND ABETTING.

DURING OUR INVESTIGATION, WE SEARCHED TWO COS OFFICES {CALIFORNIA AND WASHINGTON, D.C.} IN JULY, 1977, AND CONFISCATED OVER 20,000 DOCUMENTS.

IN OCTOBER, 1979, NINE OFFICIALS OF THE COS WERE CONVICTED FOR DIRECTING A CONSPIRACY TO STEAL GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS ABOUT THE COS.

IN DECEMBER, 1980, TWO MORE OFFICIALS WERE CONVICTED. THE INDIVIDUALS CONVICTED WERE MARY SUE HUBBARD; [REDACTED LINES]

AS A RESULT OF OUR INVESTIGATION, LAFAYETTE RON HUBBARD, FOUNDER OF COS, REQUESTED ALL INFORMATION FROM OUR FILES ON COS AND HIMSELF. THE COS THEN INSTITUTED AN APPEAL ACTION AGAINST THE FBI FOR ANY INFORMATION WITHHELD.

THE COS FILED SEVERAL CIVIL ACTIONS SUITS IN THE LATE 1970’S AND 1980’S. THE DOJ AND FBI WERE DEFENDANTS IN AT LEAST TWO OF THESE CIVIL ACTIONS. BOTH ACTIONS INVOLVING THE DOJ AND FBI WERE CASES SEEKING EQUITABLE RELIEF IN THE FORM OF INJUNCTIONS PROHIBITING THE FBI AND DOJ FROM HARASSING AND INTERFERING WITH THE CHURCH’S EXERCISE OF THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.

A BOSTON ATTORNEY WHO HAD FILED A CIVIL LITIGATION SUIT AGAINST COS, MAY HAVE BEEN THE TARGET OF SUBSEQUENT ILLEGAL ACTIVITY BY THE COS. ALLEGEDLY, COS PLACED A FOREIGN SUBSTANCE IN THE FUEL TANK OF AN AIR CRAFT UTILIZED BY THE ATTORNEY. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE ATTORNEY.

THE TAMPA DIVISION OF THE FBI CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION IN 1984 INTO CHARGES THAT THE COS WAD SET UP AN ELABORATE SCHEME TO UTILIZE DRUGS AND PROSTITUTES TO COMPROMISE A FEDERAL JUDGE PRESIDING OVER CIVIL LITIGATION INVOLVING THE COS.

INVESTIGATION FAILED TO SUBSTANTIATE THE ALLEGATIONS AND THE U.S. ATTORNEY, TAMPA, DECLINED PROSECUTION.

COS WAS THE SUBJECT OF AN OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE BY OUR SAN ANTONIO AND BOSTON FIELD OFFICES, IN THAT THE COS REPORTEDLY HIRED PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS IN AN ATTEMPT TO UNCOVER WHAT OUR FIELD OFFICES WERE DOING IN THEIR INVESTIGATION OF THE HUBBARD CHECK CASE AND TO DETERMINE THE IDENTITIES OF OUR AGENTS. NO PROSECUTION RESULTED AND BOTH CASES ARE CLOSED.

REPORTEDLY, COS HAS AN ENEMY LIST AND THEY ATTEMPT TO DISCREDIT, EMBARRASS OR HARASS FORMER MEMBERS OF COS, THEIR ATTORNEYS AND OTHERS.

REPORTEDLY, COS HAS ATTEMPTED IN THE PAST TO ESTABLISH AN INTELLIGENCE CENTER IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THE PURPOSE OF THIS INTELLIGENCE CENTER WAS TO CONDUCT NATIONWIDE INVESTIGATIONS ON INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS THE FBI AND IRS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN LITIGATION AND/OR INVESTIGATIONS AGAINST COS OR OTHERWISE OF INTEREST TO COS.

BUINDICES NEGATIVE REGARDING “FREEWIND” AND MAJESTIC CRUISE SERVICE.

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IT SHOULD BE NOTED WHEN FOLLOWING CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINES UNDER THE G-1 GUIDE, INFORMATION FOR [REDACTED] IS TO BE CLASSIFIED “SECRET.”

NOTE: SAN ANTONIO AND BOSTON FIELD OFFICES ADVISED THEIR CASES ARE CLOSED

CLASSIFIED “SECRET” TO CONFORM WITH THE CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINES FOR [REDACTED]