Posted on 08/09/2002 11:24:25 AM PDT by Constitution Day
The Associated Press
Woman admits to faking hate crime
August 9, 2002 11:22 am
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A former Huntersville woman has admitted faking a hate crime at her home two years ago to collect insurance money.
Jaelynn Sealey, 35, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court, crying throughout the hearing. She will be sentenced in about two months and could face prison time.
She will have to repay $2,225 given to her family by neighbors and others when they thought someone had burned the Sealeys' car and painted racial slurs on their garage.
Within hours after Sealey called 911 on May 10, 2000, support began pouring in from her neighbors. They held a rally, brought food, and helped wash the words off the garage.
On Thursday, Wynfield residents said they were glad to see the case coming to a close, but were still waiting for an apology.
Sealey, who is black, admitted using gasoline to burn her 1999 Chevy Cavalier in her driveway and painting a racial epitaph on a metal garage door.
On Thursday, she pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators.
In exchange for her plea, the government agreed to drop one count of using a firearm to commit a felony. That charge carries a mandatory 10-year prison sentence.
Sealey, who has moved to California, could face up to 45 years in federal prison and $2.25 million in fines.
She answered the judge's questions with "yes" or "no," sometimes in a barely audible voice. She declined to comment when the judge asked her if she had anything she wanted to say and then again after the hearing.
"At this point, I think both my client and the community want to put this behind us," Sealey's lawyer, Noell Tin, said. "I think the agreement is a reflection of that."
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Wake-up call?
That we should all be more sceptical about claims of alleged hate crimes without real evidence?
b.s. i would like to see this article on the front page of every newspaper every day for at least the next six months.
No.
On Thursday, she pleaded guilty to four counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators.
4 counts of mail fraud = 4 felonies
3 counts of wire fraud = 3 felonies
2 counts making false statements to federal investigators = 2 felonies
Looks like she plead guilty to a total of 9 felonies. If she is only facing 45 years in prison, she is getting off pretty easy. That's only 5 years for each felony.
OK, I have the scene from "Blazing Saddles" stuck in my head now. hahaha. "As mayor, it is my honor to extend a laurel, and a hearty handshake to our new...."
She bathed in the spotlight when she perpatrated this fraud, and now that she's been found out the cat has her tounge. I tried to find a picture of this con artist but wasn't able to find one. I hope she rots in jail.
Why would he have to be joking? "Hate" is an emotion. How can any law regulating your emotions be legal?
Flip the coin, pass a law that states it is a crime to "not love" everybody. In most cases, you can control your reaction to your emotions, but it doesn't change the fact that the emotion is present.
If hate is a crime, then I am most definitely deserving of appearing on America's Most Wanted next week. "Hate" is much too mild of a term to describe my feelings towards the Klintons, the Gores, Dashole, and all of the other Demonrats. I don't just dislike them. I truly hate them, I despise them. I truly believe, deep down in my heart, that they are evil, and there is a very real possibility that they are the spawn of satan.
Does that mean I'm looking to impale all of them on the seven swords of Meggido? No. If I allowed my actions to follow my emotions, I would be guilty of a crime.
It appears that you believe my emotions make me a criminal also.
"No Marbles"
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