Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

(N.C.) Woman admits to faking hate crime
Durham Herald-Sun (Durham, NC) ^ | August 9, 2002 | The Associated Press

Posted on 08/09/2002 11:24:25 AM PDT by Constitution Day



Woman admits to faking hate crime

The Associated Press
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."

URL for this article: http://www.heraldsun.com/state/6-255663.html


© Copyright 2002. All rights reserved. All material on heraldsun.com is copyrighted by The Durham Herald Company and may not be reproduced or redistributed in any medium except as provided in the site's Terms of Use.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; US: California; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: fakehatecrimes; hatecrime; illegalimmigration; northcarolina; oldnorthstate; unhelpful
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-51 last
To: Constitution Day
Despite the charges, Mayor Randy Quillen said something positive came out of an incident that could have torn the community apart. "We began to talk more openly about diversity," Quillen said. "It was a wake-up call for all of us."

Wake-up call?

That we should all be more sceptical about claims of alleged hate crimes without real evidence?

41 posted on 08/09/2002 7:24:24 PM PDT by 07055
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Constitution Day
Does that make her a racist?? Perhaps an autoracist!
42 posted on 08/09/2002 9:01:44 PM PDT by Atchafalaya
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: The KG9 Kid
We were glad to be releived of them. Pretty soon the entropy generated by all of these wheezers will implode the state. Then you may get to be governed by the efficient leadership of Mexico. That ought to be good. Ya'll have fun!
43 posted on 08/09/2002 9:09:28 PM PDT by Atchafalaya
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Blue Screen of Death
"At this point, I think both my client and the community want to put this behind us," Sealey's lawyer, Noell Tin, said.

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.

44 posted on 08/09/2002 9:17:55 PM PDT by johnboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Constitution Day
I'm still trying to figure out what role a firearm plays in all this.
45 posted on 08/10/2002 2:11:30 AM PDT by AlaskaErik
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Constitution Day
Gee, maybe she'll be able to re-coop her money from reparations?<sarcasm
46 posted on 08/10/2002 5:38:49 AM PDT by Puppage
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bob
These charges are misdemeanors, right?

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.

47 posted on 08/10/2002 6:43:39 AM PDT by JavaTheHutt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: operation clinton cleanup
Maybe she held herself hostage with a gun to her head while spray painting her garage door.

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...."

48 posted on 08/10/2002 6:49:47 AM PDT by JavaTheHutt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Constitution Day
"At this point, I think both my client and the community want to put this behind us," Sealey's lawyer, Noell Tin

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.

49 posted on 08/10/2002 6:56:23 AM PDT by csvset
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: panther33
I would dismiss you as being sarcastic if it weren't for your FR name. Please tell me you are being sarcastic.

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.

50 posted on 08/10/2002 7:02:43 AM PDT by JavaTheHutt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Howlin
Actually the better quote would be from Major League 2

"No Marbles"

51 posted on 08/10/2002 8:33:17 PM PDT by farmfriend
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-51 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson