Posted on 02/03/2013 6:47:30 AM PST by randita
The shadowy tipster who made explosive allegations involving U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and underage prostitutes in the Dominican Republic named names. He gave descriptions of the women, and in some cases, phone numbers and addresses.
Despite those details, the women are nowhere to be found. A week after the claims made headlines in the United States and on this Caribbean island, the alleged prostitutes have disappeared. An attorney who once represented two of the women said he hadn’t spoken to them in months, and then stopped returning phone calls himself. A two-bedroom apartment where some of the alleged liaisons took place is now vacant. Little remains here beyond hazy memories.
No concrete links have been made between Menendez and any prostitutes. Still, the allegations from the tipster, who identified himself as Peter Williams, were serious enough to launch an FBI probe. And shreds of evidence in Santo Domingo show that, at the very least, the women Williams described exist.
Take an apartment in Santo Domingo’s upscale Gazcue neighborhood that Williams said was used for sexual liaisons. In April emails to a watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Williams alleged that Dr. Salomon Melgen, a friend and major campaign donor to Menendez, rented a unit for a Brazilian prostitute named Maria and a Colombian prostitute named Geraldine.
The apartment exists. When reached by phone, the landlady said that two young women named Geraldine and Maria had indeed lived there last year, and said the nationalities matched.
However, the landlady, who declined to be named, did not believe the women to be prostitutes — she said she thought they were beautiful foreign exchange students — and had never heard of Menendez or Melgen visiting the apartment. But she complained that the women had nearly destroyed the unit, even leaving the wallpaper torn up when they abandoned the apartment last year.
“They behaved very badly,” she said. The apartment has since been rented to others and is now back on the market for $1,000 a month.
The FBI is investigating the sex allegations, some of which involve minors.
Prostitution is not illegal in the Dominican Republic. The investigation is also probing trips Menendez took on the eye doctor’s private plane, and the senator’s gift disclosures. Last week, Menendez acknowledged that he had traveled to the Dominican Republic with the doctor on three occasions, and cut a check for more than $58,000 to reimburse him for two of the flights. Separately, the agency is investigating Melgen in connection with possible Medicare fraud. Last week, FBI agents raided Melgen’s eye clinic in West Palm Beach. Representatives for both Menendez and Melgen have denied wrongdoing.
The emails from Williams to the authorities were met with some skepticism, in part because he was unwilling to meet with investigators or talk over the phone. “Williams” — which is likely a pseudonym — said he wouldn’t speak because he was concerned with the women’s safety and did not want to become a celebrity accuser.
But there were many facts the tipster got right. He knew the addresses of Melgen’s homes in Santo Domingo and the exclusive Casa de Campo resort, where the parties allegedly took place, and the names of his bodyguards and other employees.
He identified a Russian national living in Miami named “Svetlana B” who frequently flew in Melgen’s private jet to parties in the Dominican Republic.
“This girl is one of the most regular participants in the activities the Doctor arranges for the Senator,” Williams wrote. “She has traveled with them in the jet, sailed with them in the yacht, and has repeatedly visited the Doctor’s house.”
Public records show that a woman named Svitlana Buchyk got into a minor crash while driving a Chevrolet Impala on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables in 2010. The car belonged to Melgen’s wife. Buchyk gave Melgen’s North Palm Beach address as her own.
Buchyk spoke briefly with a Miami Herald reporter by telephone Thursday, saying she had worked for Melgen in the past.
But Buchyk wouldn’t answer questions on the type of work she did, and was eager to defend Melgen — particularly when asked about stories of Melgen’s alleged sexual liaisons with prostitutes.
“He is an amazing person,” she said. “He was always with his family. There is nothing else I can say.”
Buchyk added that many women would have liked to have spent time with her former employer.
“He treated me well,” she said. “He had money. He was very generous.”
Subsequent phone calls to “Svetlana” went to voicemail. The emails also led to some dead ends.
Williams listed a phone number for another woman, citing her by name, supposedly one of Menendez’s “favorite girls.” The number is now disconnected.
He gave another number where Maria and Geraldine, the Brazilian and Colombian, could supposedly be reached. But now that number belongs to Mileyi Bencosme, who said she got the phone about six months ago. Bencosme, 50, lives in Santiago de los Caballeros — about two hours from Santo Domingo — and said she had never heard of the women. In the past week, she has received dozens of calls from journalists in Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and other cities, asking for these women. Most of the calls were in English.
Bencosme said she’s starting to feel like a victim of phone harassment.
“This morning somebody called me again and asked who I really was,” she said on Saturday morning. “The question is, who are these women?”
Vinicio Castillo Semán, a cousin of Melgen, has another question. He said he will ask Dominican authorities to investigate who is behind the emails.
“These stories about prostitutes have been completely fabricated and it’s audacious to me that these allegations can be spread anonymously,” said Castillo Semán, who has also been accused of organizing parties with prostitutes for Menendez.
“This scandal has been created out of thin air.”
Miami Herald staff writers Amy Sherman, Marc Caputo and Daniel Chang contributed to this report.
Oh the double entendre of the ‘dead end’
These young girls just disappeared? Money, especially BIG money, can make problems go away. Poor things are probably dead. Dead young girl/teen prostitutes tell no tales.
well isn’t that folking convenient for him
Those poor girls.
First, stiffed by the powerful and his pimp;
and then “disappeared” (probably killed)
like the rest of the witnesses who
investigated fake birth certificates.
The MSM will be all over this. [/s]
And if I’m not mistaken, then Representative Menendez voted for that legislation.
Like all legislation, its really for the little people.
“Key people/witnesses have conveniently disappeared.”
They were paid off and told they would be dead and their family would be dead if they talked more. Payments to their families and the young prostitutes
More from the “What Does It Matter?” party.
Except in this case it appears the little people are missing in action.
I’m sure the DOJ will be all over this..../ heavy dripping syrup sarc
Bobby (The Diddler) Menendez's troubles are throwing a monkey wrench into Obama's plans for amnesty---which was sailing along rather smoothly...even Repubs started to cave.
Obama confidently tapped Bobby for a lead role in the amnesty effort--as Bobby traveled far and wide as the point man for amnesty. Obama figured Menendez was a natural---him being a latino victim who overcame adversity (sob).
Now, NBC-TV reports Dem leaders met in secret to discuss the problem but are supporting Menendez, for now — publicly, at least.
You gotta believe the Obama admin is exerting molto pressure on Dems to stand firm (excuse the expression) behind Menendez. Any deviation could be fatal to Obama's plans to establish a permanent Dem majority by conjuring up new Dem voters from all those latinos pouring over our borders.
JUST A THOUGHT....wonder if any of those Dominican Republic little girls Booby likes to diddle were slipped in (excuse the expression) to Obama's amnesty plans?
======================================
Menendez's problems have effectively exposed that male/female child prostitution is rampant in the Third World.....and would be a collateral effect of amnesty.
The cynical among us see the push for amnesty on Capitol Hill concealing a dark, corrupt hidden agenda.
Underage males/females cannot legally consent to sex - therefore it is considered Statuatory Rape in civilized countries. Amnesty would change all that.
Third World girls/boys engaged in this activity are little more than "slaves"--- ordered about by money-hungry slavemasters. No one in that position has a choice---a "choice" that hypocritical liberal Bobby champions from US rooftops.
The diddling fee was $500 but Menendez supposedly used his US Senate Credit Card to stiff (excuse the expression) her, paying only $100. But don't bother to object----Menendez's Senate bill will read something innocuous like "bottled water."
In China and other countries, Menendez would be executed for diddling little girls. In Obama's Royal America, we discuss it.
Now Menendez is admired and looked up to all over DC for making this “go away” Sopranos style. He favorite Maitre’Ds at the best restaurants will now shake his hand and congratulate him with a knowing wink and a laugh
Having worked for the Miami Herald for many years,years ago, I can tell you without any hesitation, Don’t believe f...ing word they say.Especially, when it come to helping their bosses at the DNC.
IF Sen Menendez were to be found guilty of traveling to the Dominican Republic to engage in sexual intercourse with underage prostitutes, he could face up to 30 years prison. The appropriate law, which would seem to apply in this instance, is the Prosecutorial Remedies And Other Tools To End The Exploitation Of Children Today (or the Protect Act).
Menendez voted for the law when he was a member of the House of Representatives.
“TRAVEL WITH INTENT TO ENGAGE IN ILLICIT SEXUAL CONDUCT. “A person who travels in interstate commerce or travels into the United States, or a United States citizen or an alien admitted for permanent residence in the United States who travels in foreign commerce, for the purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual conduct with another person shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.
‘‘(c) ENGAGING IN ILLICIT SEXUAL CONDUCT IN FOREIGN PLACES.—Any United States citizen or alien admitted for permanent residence who travels in foreign commerce, and engages in any illicit sexual conduct with another person shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.”
‘‘(d) ANCILLARY OFFENSES.—Whoever, for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain, arranges, induces, procures, or facilitates the travel of a person knowing that such a person is traveling in interstate commerce or foreign commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.
‘‘(e) ATTEMPT AND CONSPIRACY.—Whoever attempts or conspires to violate subsection (a), (b), (c), or (d) shall be punishable in the same manner as a completed violation of that subsection. (rest at web site)
So what, they were just prostitutes. Isn’t being an important member of the Party grand? You even have Pravda covering it all up for you.
Pray for America
This has all the trappings of a really expensive cover-up.
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