'Retired' CIA Operatives Demand Retraction of Barbara Hartwell Report
July, 2002
Urgent Alert on Political Persecution in America: The Case of Irene Adrian, was published on June 9, 2002. Named in the article were 'retired' CIA operatives Ron and Mary Ann Cerra, the next-door neighbors of my sister, Irene Adrian.
The Cerras responded to this article by writing a letter in which they claim they have been libeled and slandered; in which they deny all allegations made about them; in which they demand that the "offending article" be removed from my website; and that any statements made about them be retracted.
The Cerras also say that they have filed "criminal charges" against myself and my sister, Irene Adrian.
This letter from the Cerras (below) dated June 21, which I have retyped in its entirety, was received by me on June 27 by certified mail. Irene and I decided that in service to the truth and in the interests of full disclosure, we should make this letter public.
Following the letter is my commentary in response to the Cerras, as well as some relevant testimony written by Irene Adrian.
June 21, 2002
Ms. Irene Adrian
1315 Johns Creek Rd.
Wilmington, NC 28409
Ms. Barbara Hartwell
PO Box 832
Woodstock, NY 12498
Dear Mss. Adrian and Hartwell:
In compliance with the provisions of the North Carolina London Libel Statutes, the understigned are advising that we believe we have been libeled and slandered by Mss. Irene Adrian and Barbara Hartwell in articles published on the "Barbarahartwell.com" web-site by Mss. Adrian and Hartwell. This web-site is also linked with several other web-sites in which these articles may be found. Specifically, this slander and libel is found in the article "Urgent Alert on Political Persecution in America: The Case of Irene Adrian" published on June 9, 2002 and the article "The Mexican Horror" published on June 16, 2002. The latter article, in which Ms. Adrian claims to have been sexually attacked by Ted Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller while being held in Mexico, is explicitly linked to the former article which slanders and libels Ronald and Mary Ann Cerra.
In these published articles, Mss. Adrian and Hartwell claim that the Cerras are not married. This is a lie. They further claim that there are antennas on the roof of the Cerra residence. This is a lie. There are no antennas on the roof. Ron holds a valid amateur radio license from the Federal Communications Commission. Suggestions that we may be responsible for electromagnetic weapons or psychotronic (sic) weapons being deployed against Ms. Adrian are lies. Statements that we may have been responsible for any injuries to Ms. Adrian's dog are lies. In fact, when Ms. Adrian's German Shepherd bit Ron Cerra in an unprovoked attack on July 23, 1999 we decided not to seek damages in an effort to be good neighbors. In retrospect, this decision was a mistake. We never requested a key to the Adrian house. This statement is a lie. We have never broken into Ms. Adrian's home, drugged her or sat on the edge of her bed in the middle of the night claiming we were Jesus Christ and God as stated in these articles. These statements are lies. Inferences that Ms. Adrian has been injured or molested by the Cerras are untrue. Suggestions that the Cerras have followed Ms. Adrian or placed her under surveillance through electronic or human techniques are lies. The Cerras have never knowingly been involved in any operational activity at CIA with any relatives of Mss. Adrian or Hartwell. The above noted lies constitute libel and slander, causing us considerable personal discomfort and endangering our safety. We had never heard of Ms. Hartwell or her web-site. We have never offered anything but kindness and civility to Ms.Adrian, who lives nearby.
Publishing our names, address and telephone number and inviting people to telephone us while making statements in the same paragraph "....break the door down, like a one-woman SWAT team, the commando from hell...." has resulted in our receiving threatening telephone calls from several individuals who claim their families have been "murdered by the CIA" and their "homes burned by the CIA ". These people make direct reference to the above web-site postings in their hostile and threatening telephone calls. These threats are directly related to the publication of the above libel and slander, as claimed by those who have telephoned us.
We, the undersigned, demand that Mss. Adrian and Hartwell publish a full retraction of all the above false statements and remove the offending article, "...The Case of Irene Adrian" and delete the reference to and link to this article from Adrian's article "The Mexican Horror" in which Ms. Adrian claims she was sexually molested by Ted Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller. If this action is not taken promptly, we will file a lawsuit against both Mss. Adrian and Hartwell in which they will be asked to to defend these outrageous statements in a court of law. Furthermore, we have filed a criminal complaint with the civil authorities in North Carolina for inciting violence and terrorism against us by publishing libel and slander and inviting violent action against us. This is an offense under the North Carolina criminal code.
We look forward to a timely resolution.
Very truly yours,
Ronald L. Cerra Mary Ann Cerra
Copy to: Robert W. Kilroy, PC
Attorney at Law
BARBARA HARTWELL AND IRENE ADRIAN RESPOND TO RON AND MARY ANN CERRA
All statements taken from Ron and Mary Ann Cerra's letter (given above in it's entirety) are in brackets, preceded by their names. The statements written by Irene Adrian are in quotes, preceded by her name. All other comments are written by myself, Barbara Hartwell, preceded by my initials, BH.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[.... we believe we have been libeled and slandered by Mss. Irene Adrian and
Barbara Hartwell.]
BH:
The Cerras are certainly entitled to their beliefs, as stated in their letter. But it is the position of Barbara Hartwell and Irene Adrian that no such libel and slander were ever published by Irene or myself.
My article, The Case of Irene Adrian, was based largely on Irene's verbal testimony as relayed to me, over a period of roughly five (5) years; as well as on factual information, for some of which we have collected hard evidence. Some of Irene's testimony, based on actual events and facts, can also be corroborated by other witnesses.
And since we're talking about 'beliefs'..... here's what I believe: I know my sister Irene to be a truthful person, and I therefore believe that her testimony has veracity. As the author of the article, I made no claims of having direct knowledge of certain verifiable facts, but merely stated my opinions, clearly expressed as such.
The Cerras also accuse Irene and myself of being liars, as per their repeated claims: "This is a lie.....these statements are lies" A statement of opinion is not a lie. I am not a liar. Neither have I ever known my sister, Irene Adrian, to lie.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[In these published articles, Mss. Adrian and Hartwell claim that the Cerras are not married. This is a lie.]
BH:
In the article, The Case of Irene Adrian, the ONLY reference to the marital status of Ron and Mary Ann Cerra, contained in only ONE article is this : "One of our CIA family members who knows them warned Irene, saying that the Cerras were not actually a married couple......"
The statement made in this article is hearsay from a party twice removed, a comment made by a CIA family member to Irene Adrian and then passed on to me. Neither myself nor Irene Adrian "claim", in "these published articles" that the Cerras are "not married".
In the other article, The Mexican Horror, no references whatesoever are made to the Cerras, much less their marital status.
Irene Adrian:
"The first time I met the Cerras, my husband and I were standing in our driveway and the Cerras were standing in their driveway. Our driveways are right next to each other. They said that they were retired from the CIA. I asked them if they knew Uncle. [A CIA family member.]
Ron Cerra said 'You're [our CIA family relative's] niece?' in a surprised tone of voice. I said yes and asked again, 'Do you know him?'. He replied that yes, he had known him at the Hague. Whether or not he actually worked with Uncle I couldn't say for sure, but that was the impression we got. Mary Ann stepped forward and made a point of saying that she had NOT known Uncle.
I saw Uncle a couple of months later. I told him that an acquaintance of his, Ron Cerra, had moved in next door to us. At first, he denied knowing Cerra, in typical Uncle (CIA) fashion, but when both my husband and I reiterated that Ron had already said that he knew Uncle, he relented and admitted that yes, he knew him.
When we said something about Ron's wife, Uncle said 'He's not married'. I said that perhaps he had gotten married since Uncle had last seen him. Both my husband and I then explained that Mary Ann had made a point of saying that she did NOT know Uncle.
Uncle looked me in the eye and repeated, in a serious tone, 'Irene, he's not married'. I really didn't care if they were married or not so I didn't say anything else. Uncle then added that I should be careful, as Ron Cerra was big on 'practical jokes'. Knowing Uncle, and his way of issuing warnings, I got the distinct impression that he was telling me to watch my back."
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[They further claim that there are antennas on the roof of the Cerra residence. This is a lie. There are no antennas on the roof.]
BH:
Irene told me that the antennae [referred to as "antennas" by the Cerras] she saw, dating back to 1997 and which I made reference to, were in the Cerras' back yard, AS WELL AS on the roof. Perhaps there are NOW no antennae on the roof. Perhaps they have since been removed; but in any case, I have no way to directly verify whether or not there are antennae on the roof of the Cerra residence.
Irene Adrian:
"Concerning the antennae and 'hardware': I was outside one day. So was Ron. Our backyards are directly adjacent, and run together. He was doing something with antennae. I don't know much about these things. I don't believe I said anything, but when he saw that I had noticed all the equipment, he offered the information. It went something like this........ 'In case you're wondering about all the hardware, I'm an amateur ham radio operator'."
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[Ron holds a valid amateur radio license from the Federal Communications Commission. Suggestions that we may be responsible for electromagnetic weapons or psychotronic (sic) weapons being deployed against Ms. Adrian are lies.]
BH:
Neither I nor Irene ever claimed that Mr. Cerra does NOT hold such a license. I say in my article: "When Irene asked them the purpose for all the hardware, Ron Cerra claimed he was a 'ham radio operator'.....a dubious story at best." I am simply stating an opinion, and speculating as to the POSSIBLE OTHER purposes for the plethora of hardware.
As to the "suggestion" that the Cerras may be "responsible" for any of the electromagnetic or psychotronic weapons which are indeed being deployed against Irene, I never made such a suggestion. As stated in my article: 'Irene cannot necessarily prove that her neighbors are involved in the abuses she suffers'
But the fact remains that Irene has suffered many attacks with this type of weaponry. And I as well as other witnesses have observed the marks on her body which resulted from such attacks. Whether or not the Cerras have been directly responsible for any of these attacks, I have no way to determine at this time.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[We never requested a key to the Adrian house. This statement is a lie.]
BH:
It is interesting that the Cerras claim they never requested a key to the Adrian home. It is even more interesting that they make no mention in their letter of the fact that they ACTUALLY HAD such a key.
Irene Adrian:
"My husband said that the Cerras had come to him, told him that they had locked themselves out of their house, and asked if they could leave a key with him in case this happened again. They then suggested that my husband leave a key to our house with them, or asked if he wanted to leave a key with them, he is not sure of the exact wording.
But, in any case, it was the Cerras' idea initially and NOT my husband's that they be given a key to our house. My husband had no reason not to trust them. They knew Uncle. They appeared to be respectable, nice people. At that time neither my husband nor myself had any reason to distrust the CIA.
I was not happy about this when I heard of it, however. I had just recently persuaded my husband to change the locks on the house because the realtor who had sold us the house had a key; and more importantly, because there was evidence, before the locks were changed, that intruders had been through our house. Certain of my belongings had been moved from their normal places and there was also evidence of tampering.
(What are they teaching at the CIA these days? It's hard to believe that those who have spent many years working for the CIA would be so prone to locking themselves out of their home; would not be able to break in themselves; and would trust unknown neighbors with their keys.)
Sunday June 30, 2002: My husband found in the mailbox an envelope from Ron Cerra. It contained our key and a note:
['Here is the key to your house. Under the circumstances we do not want to keep this key and would appreciate your returning our key. Irene is in no condition to have our key. RON']
Of course, if they wanted to retain our key, they have had plenty of time to make copies"
BH:
So, it appears that the Cerras are playing word games in an effort to cover up the truth. They never REQUESTED a key. No, they 'suggested' an exchange of keys with the Adrians. Or, they asked Irene's husband if he would LIKE to leave a key with them.
But the bottom line is this: Ron and Mary Ann Cerra DID IN FACT have a key to the Adrian home, given to them by Irene's husband. And indeed THEY were the ones who initiated the conversation about an exchange of keys and who 'suggested' that they be given a key.
In Ron Cerra's note to Irene's husband, he clearly attempts to impugn Irene's sanity and/or her character by his statement that "Irene is in no condition" to have their key. Impugning the sanity/character of a target is a typical CIA ploy, intended to discredit the target.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[We have never broken into Ms. Adrian's home, drugged her or sat on the edge of her bed in the middle of the night claiming we were Jesus Christ and God as stated in these articles. These statements are lies. Inferences that Ms. Adrian has been injured or molested by the Cerras are untrue. Suggestions that the Cerras have followed Ms. Adrian or placed her under surveillance through electronic or human techniques are lies.]
Irene Adrian:
"Often, after an incident had happened at night, when I knew that intruders had entered my house while I was sleeping, the next morning all the doors were still locked and there was no sign that anyone had broken in by force. Whoever came in must have had a key. The ONLY other people who, to my knowledge, had a key to our home were Ron and Mary Ann Cerra. At least they were the only ones who had been given a key by my husband.
In an effort to protect myself, I several times put duct tape over the locks from the inside. On one such occasion, I found that the locks had subsequently been oiled by some unknown party. Neither I nor my husband had done any such thing."
BH:
The Cerras deny all allegations made by Irene Adrian. They also, once again, twist her testimony, as given in my article, by the use of certain devious phrasing and hyperbole. For instance Irene never said that Ron and Mary Ann Cerra were sitting "on the edge of" her bed nor that THEY "claimed to be God
or Jesus Christ."
Here is the actual passage from the article:
".....my sister has many times woken from a drug-induced state, seeing these 'retired' CIA operatives sitting by her bed. Giving her instructions to follow and even making fun of her for her spiritual faith.
In one such incident, Ron Cerra told her that she must do exactly what he told her to do. Irene responded that no, she would NOT do what Ron said. On the contrary, she told him she would do as she was instructed by Jesus Christ. Cerra replied that as far as my sister was concerned HE, Ron Cerra was Jesus Christ! And his 'wife' Marianne taunted, 'Where is your God now, Irene?'
BH:
The Cerras have obviously twisted Irene's testimony to suit their own ends. They have also misrepresented, in their denials, what was ACTUALLY said in the article.
Nonetheless, in a case such as this, where the injured party, Irene Adrian, has no hard evidence which could link the Cerras directly to such abuse, it is her word against theirs, pure and simple.
But the fact remains that Irene does remember the incidents described in the article. The fact also remains that the Cerras had a MEANS of entry to Irene's home (without 'breaking in') by virtue of having been given a key.
So, they had the means. They certainly had opportunity. Did they have a motive?
It would appear so, at least to me and various other investigators with whom I have discussed this situation. Let me put it this way. Here's my considered professional opinion, as a researcher and investigative journalist; and as someone who has had extensive dealings with CIA personnel, particularly in the areas of illegal domestic covert operations, and who was actually utilized as an operative.
The means; the opportunity and the motive appear to coalesce in such a way as to validate Irene Adrian's testimony. Can we prove it? Not yet......
Irene Adrian:
"I just want to add this to the record: I had met and spoken to the Cerras only once or twice when the following incident occurred: I was sitting outside on the deck in back of our house. The Cerras dog came running over. Ron Cerra followed her.
I was sitting on the steps from the deck to the yard. Ron Cerra came over to me and began a conversation. In general it concerned my husband and myself and what we were going to do here now that we had moved to North Carolina.
At some point Ron said to me: 'But YOU have accomplishments'. I thought to myself, what could he possibly mean?.......This man doesn't know anything about me. I just met him.
He then asked me if I had ever been hypnotized.
I replied, not knowing any better at the time, that no one, with the possible exception of my sister, had ever been able to hypnotize me. He then asked me if he could try to hypnotize me. I sort of shrugged my shoulders and said something like, okay....he could try.
I don't remember anything else after that, not of ending the conversation, or him leaving, or me going inside or anything. Thinking back on it, I realize that I should never have replied in this manner. It was a big mistake.
My only excuse is that I didn't know what evil was then. I had no idea. But I know this: I never gave permission for anyone to use and abuse me. I hereby rescind any 'permission' I may have given Ron Cerra to hypnotize me, including any permissions I may unknowingly have given in a state of hypnosis or under any kind of mind control."
BH:
One of the areas in which I was trained and utilized by CIA is in the use of hypnosis. I am a certified hypnotherapist and at one time worked professionally in that field. Irene has memories from our childhood, as do I, in which I was able to hypnotize my sister.
I also know that CIA uses hypnosis extensively, especially in their mind control operations, such as MK Ultra. A standard tactic used by a 'handler' would be to approach a target (victim) and ask this leading question: Have you ever been hypnotized? And then to follow with a request such as: Would you like me to try to hypnotize you?
The incident Irene describes here was not mentioned in the original article, though in hindsight, I think it should have been. Better late than never......it certainly explains a lot.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[The above noted lies constitute libel and slander, causing us considerable personal discomfort and endangering our safety. We had never heard of Ms. Hartwell or her web-site. We have never offered anything but kindness and civility to Ms. Adrian, who lives nearby.]
BH:
I will repeat: Irene and I do not believe we have slandered nor libeled the Cerras. We certainly have not lied about anything. As to the Cerras' claim that they had "never heard of" yours truly, Barbara Hartwell, I find it an absurd statement and it is my opinion that the Cerras are lying about that, just as they have lied about much else.
And Irene Adrian would adamantly beg to differ with the Cerras, as concerns their claim about treating her with 'civility and kindness'. From all that she has told me, the only 'civility' ever shown by the Cerras to Irene was in public, while witnesses were present.
As to their treatment of her behind closed doors, or in other situations where no one else was watching, that is another story entirely. Again, it is a case of her word against theirs.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra
[Publishing our names, address and telephone number and inviting people to telephone us while making statements in the same paragraph "....break the door down, like a one-woman SWAT team, the commando from hell...." has resulted in our receiving threatening telephone calls from several individuals who claim their families have been "murdered by the CIA" and their "homes burned by the CIA ". These people make direct reference to the above web-site postings in their hostile and threatening telephone calls. These threats are directly related to the publication of the above libel and slander, as claimed by those who have telephoned us.]
BH:
1) The Cerras address and telephone number are already published in the telephone directory, under the name Cerra. Their address and phone number are also readily available from directory assistance, where I was able to get it myself. Therefore, I did not make public any information which could not have
been easily obtained by anyone.
2) The above referenced statement...."break the door down, like a one-woman SWAT team...." was NOT mentioned in the same paragraph, as the Cerras claim. Please see the article for confirmation.
3) I clearly state in my article, "The only thing that stops me from taking such extreme measures to rescue my sister is that (unlike the 'retired' CIA operatives) I am a law-abiding citizen."
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN. These are the key words here. I AM a law abiding citizen and therefore would NOT commit any illegal acts, nor engage in criminal activities, nor have I ever. I am simply expressing my feelings, venting my outrage at what is happening to my sister.
I am exercising my freedom of speech. I say what I might LIKE to do, what I could fantasize about doing, not what I INTEND to do. Again, I clearly state that I would NOT do such a thing and have NO INTENTION of doing such a thing.
4) The Cerras claim they have received "threatening telephone calls". I certainly did not 'invite' anyone to make threats of any kind. And once again, I believe they are fabricating this story in order to cover themselves.
It is my belief that the Cerras are liars. I do not believe that the Cerras received any such 'threats'. And even in the unlikely event that they did, I cannot be held responsible for the behavior of any individuals (assuming they exist) who took it upon themselves to make such calls.
To my knowledge, Ron Cerra did receive ONE phone call. But, to my knowledge, it was not of a threatening nature. This call was from a man named Vince Lodato, an acquaintance of mine who told me he had called Ron Cerra.
I don't doubt that he may have told Ron Cerra the story about what happened in his own life. His house was torched by arsonists and his sister died as a result. Vince had told me he believes that his house was set afire and his sister was murdered on orders from some government agency, possibly CIA, and for all I know, he may be right. He actually showed me the scene of the crime, the house he once owned in Kingston, the city near where I live in Woodstock.
I have not personally investigated the case. I do know that Vince was once employed under contract to the U.S. government, as a scientist (He is a PhD, nuclear physicist) and held a 'Q' clearance. Some information about his case has been published on the Internet.
However, from my observations, Vince Lodato is not the type of person who would make a threat to anyone. He does not appear to be bitter, nor even angry at what he has suffered.
On the contrary, in discussions with me, he told me he believes that any problems with the perpetrators of criminal and/or unconscionable activities (even if sponsored by government) could be resolved by simply sitting down over a glass of wine and discussing these issues with the perpetrators, as if he believed they would just miraculously see the error of their ways and reach a peaceful understanding with their targets/victims.
He says he believes that 'the system works', meaning, I guess, that he believes justice will be done, and the truth will come out, if only everybody just works through the 'system'.
I obviously don't agree with Vince's philosophy and told him so. I think he's incredibly naive. I know the 'system' to be incredibly corrupt. But the last thing I could imagine Vince doing is making any kind of 'threatening phone call'. From what I can tell, it's just not in his nature and contradicts everything he believes in.
But there's more: Vince told me that Ron Cerra had actually called HIM. Below is an excerpt from an e-mail message I received, dated June 27, from Vince:
"Barbara:
I received a call today from Mr. Cerra. He was responding from an earlier call. He tried to tell me his side of the story. I listened, but a few things did not make sense, and started a bell to ring. He kept on calling you and your sister crazy, and that he was going to file a criminal and civil complaint against you and your sister...and wanted to take your clothes, computer, and car from you.
The manner in which he talked was very vindictive. It didn't warrant it. So bells and whistles went off in my head.
I really see what you are up against...these folks are very, very vindictive....and dont want to solve problems but create them.
Vince Lodato"
BH:
So, why would Mr. Cerra make a call to a man who had THREATENED him? If he received a 'threatening' phone call and knew the identity and telephone number of the caller, why didn't he report the call to the police? Your guess is as good as mine......
And why would the Cerras claim that they had received SEVERAL such 'threatening calls'.....ALL with the SAME story line...."their houses burned and their families murdered by the CIA"??.....What are the chances of that?
Or, did the Cerras simply decide to exploit the ONE phone call they DID receive, lying about the real nature of that call, for the purposes of trying to implicate myself and my sister Irene Adrian in criminal actions we have not committed; and in an attempt to pin blame on us for any troubles they may be having, as a result of their own activities (possibly illegal in nature) being exposed?
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[We, the undersigned, demand that Mss. Adrian and Hartwell publish a full retraction of all the above false statements and remove the offending article, "...The Case of Irene Adrian" and delete the reference to and link to this article from Adrian's article "The Mexican Horror" in which Ms. Adrian claims she was sexually molested by Ted Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller. If this action is not taken promptly, we will file a lawsuit against both Mss. Adrian and Hartwell in which they will be asked to to defend these outrageous statements in a court of law.]
BH:
I have no intention of retracting anything I have written or removing 'the offending article'. Furthermore, I will not be intimidated by the 'demand' the Cerras make. If they want to approach this through the legal system, bully for them! If they really want a court battle, let them initiate one.
I, for one, would be more than happy to be called into a court of law if the Cerras choose to file a civil lawsuit against me for libel. I have nothing to hide, and nothing to tell but the truth, as I know it.
I doubt that the Cerras, even if they perjure themselves, would be able to prove that damages had accrued to them because of my article. And even if they won a judgment against me and were awarded damages, I have nothing of any monetary value that they could take from me. I am financially destitute. And I do mean totally destitute.
Yes, I still own a car, a 1984 model. My computer is virtually worthless, at least in monetary value. And my clothes? Well, they're mostly over ten years old, hand-me-downs from my son and others. Some old military-surplus combat fatigues....stuff like that.
Let them take what they will, assuming any judge would be stupid enough or corrupt enough to award damages in the form of my few worthless possessions.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[Furthermore, we have filed a criminal complaint with the civil authorities in North Carolina for inciting violence and terrorism against us by publishing libel and slander and inviting violent action against us. This is an offense under the North Carolina criminal code.]
BH:
As to the so-called "criminal charges" the Cerras say they have already filed, I have no idea what they are making reference to. I have done nothing of a criminal nature in the state of North Carolina, nor in New York, where I live, nor in any other state; and neither has my sister, Irene Adrian.
We have incited no 'violence', nor 'terrorism'. We have invited no 'violent action' against anyone, including Ron and Mary Ann Cerra. Apparently, the Cerras are desperate and think that they can intimidate us into retracting any statements they found offensive, or which expose their own illegal and immoral activities.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[We look forward to a timely resolution.]
BH:
Well, no timely resolution will be made, certainly not as a result of the intimidation tactics and Psy Ops being perpetrated by these 'retired' CIA operatives.
According to the Cerras, a copy of this letter was sent to: Robert W. Kilroy, PC, Attorney at Law
I have to suppose that if Mr. Kilroy was the attorney of record for the Cerras, the letter would have come directly from him, instead of the Cerras. I also surmise that there would not have been displayed such a glaring ignorance of the law, had Mr. Kilroy authored this letter on behalf of the Cerras.
No address nor phone number for Mr. Kilroy was included. But an associate of mine in North Carolina kindly looked it up in the phone book and provided the contact information:
Robert W. Kilroy
14899 U.S. Highway 17
Hampstead, North Carolina
28443
910-270-9515
I wonder, is Mr. Kilroy a Company man? Just speculating, that's all.
In summary, my interests here are as follows:
1) To protect and defend as best I can, myself and my sister, Irene Adrian, from any perpetrators of criminal acts.
2) To defend the Constitution and my INDIVIDUAL rights, which are guaranteed under that Constitution.
3) To expose and confront any perpetrators of criminal acts, through strictly legal and ethical means.
4) To see justice done, through the legal system and all CONSTITUTIONAL laws.
If these interests and pursuing them under the color of law make me --in the opinion of those such as the Cerras (the 'retired' CIA operatives) and their cohorts-- a person who would 'incite violence' or 'terrorism' , then God help us all.
Barbara Hartwell
July 4, 2002
In a time of universal deceit, TELLING THE TRUTH is a revolutionary act.
--George Orwell
I never gave anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.
--Harry Truman
Urgent Alert on Political Persecution in America: The Case of Irene Adrian, was published on June 9, 2002. Named in the article were 'retired' CIA operatives Ron and Mary Ann Cerra, the next-door neighbors of my sister, Irene Adrian.
The Cerras responded to this article by writing a letter in which they claim they have been libeled and slandered; in which they deny all allegations made about them; in which they demand that the "offending article" be removed from my website; and that any statements made about them be retracted.
The Cerras also say that they have filed "criminal charges" against myself and my sister, Irene Adrian.
This letter from the Cerras (below) dated June 21, which I have retyped in its entirety, was received by me on June 27 by certified mail. Irene and I decided that in service to the truth and in the interests of full disclosure, we should make this letter public.
Following the letter is my commentary in response to the Cerras, as well as some relevant testimony written by Irene Adrian.
June 21, 2002
Ms. Irene Adrian
1315 Johns Creek Rd.
Wilmington, NC 28409
Ms. Barbara Hartwell
PO Box 832
Woodstock, NY 12498
Dear Mss. Adrian and Hartwell:
In compliance with the provisions of the North Carolina London Libel Statutes, the understigned are advising that we believe we have been libeled and slandered by Mss. Irene Adrian and Barbara Hartwell in articles published on the "Barbarahartwell.com" web-site by Mss. Adrian and Hartwell. This web-site is also linked with several other web-sites in which these articles may be found. Specifically, this slander and libel is found in the article "Urgent Alert on Political Persecution in America: The Case of Irene Adrian" published on June 9, 2002 and the article "The Mexican Horror" published on June 16, 2002. The latter article, in which Ms. Adrian claims to have been sexually attacked by Ted Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller while being held in Mexico, is explicitly linked to the former article which slanders and libels Ronald and Mary Ann Cerra.
In these published articles, Mss. Adrian and Hartwell claim that the Cerras are not married. This is a lie. They further claim that there are antennas on the roof of the Cerra residence. This is a lie. There are no antennas on the roof. Ron holds a valid amateur radio license from the Federal Communications Commission. Suggestions that we may be responsible for electromagnetic weapons or psychotronic (sic) weapons being deployed against Ms. Adrian are lies. Statements that we may have been responsible for any injuries to Ms. Adrian's dog are lies. In fact, when Ms. Adrian's German Shepherd bit Ron Cerra in an unprovoked attack on July 23, 1999 we decided not to seek damages in an effort to be good neighbors. In retrospect, this decision was a mistake. We never requested a key to the Adrian house. This statement is a lie. We have never broken into Ms. Adrian's home, drugged her or sat on the edge of her bed in the middle of the night claiming we were Jesus Christ and God as stated in these articles. These statements are lies. Inferences that Ms. Adrian has been injured or molested by the Cerras are untrue. Suggestions that the Cerras have followed Ms. Adrian or placed her under surveillance through electronic or human techniques are lies. The Cerras have never knowingly been involved in any operational activity at CIA with any relatives of Mss. Adrian or Hartwell. The above noted lies constitute libel and slander, causing us considerable personal discomfort and endangering our safety. We had never heard of Ms. Hartwell or her web-site. We have never offered anything but kindness and civility to Ms.Adrian, who lives nearby.
Publishing our names, address and telephone number and inviting people to telephone us while making statements in the same paragraph "....break the door down, like a one-woman SWAT team, the commando from hell...." has resulted in our receiving threatening telephone calls from several individuals who claim their families have been "murdered by the CIA" and their "homes burned by the CIA ". These people make direct reference to the above web-site postings in their hostile and threatening telephone calls. These threats are directly related to the publication of the above libel and slander, as claimed by those who have telephoned us.
We, the undersigned, demand that Mss. Adrian and Hartwell publish a full retraction of all the above false statements and remove the offending article, "...The Case of Irene Adrian" and delete the reference to and link to this article from Adrian's article "The Mexican Horror" in which Ms. Adrian claims she was sexually molested by Ted Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller. If this action is not taken promptly, we will file a lawsuit against both Mss. Adrian and Hartwell in which they will be asked to to defend these outrageous statements in a court of law. Furthermore, we have filed a criminal complaint with the civil authorities in North Carolina for inciting violence and terrorism against us by publishing libel and slander and inviting violent action against us. This is an offense under the North Carolina criminal code.
We look forward to a timely resolution.
Very truly yours,
Ronald L. Cerra Mary Ann Cerra
Copy to: Robert W. Kilroy, PC
Attorney at Law
BARBARA HARTWELL AND IRENE ADRIAN RESPOND TO RON AND MARY ANN CERRA
All statements taken from Ron and Mary Ann Cerra's letter (given above in it's entirety) are in brackets, preceded by their names. The statements written by Irene Adrian are in quotes, preceded by her name. All other comments are written by myself, Barbara Hartwell, preceded by my initials, BH.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[.... we believe we have been libeled and slandered by Mss. Irene Adrian and
Barbara Hartwell.]
BH:
The Cerras are certainly entitled to their beliefs, as stated in their letter. But it is the position of Barbara Hartwell and Irene Adrian that no such libel and slander were ever published by Irene or myself.
My article, The Case of Irene Adrian, was based largely on Irene's verbal testimony as relayed to me, over a period of roughly five (5) years; as well as on factual information, for some of which we have collected hard evidence. Some of Irene's testimony, based on actual events and facts, can also be corroborated by other witnesses.
And since we're talking about 'beliefs'..... here's what I believe: I know my sister Irene to be a truthful person, and I therefore believe that her testimony has veracity. As the author of the article, I made no claims of having direct knowledge of certain verifiable facts, but merely stated my opinions, clearly expressed as such.
The Cerras also accuse Irene and myself of being liars, as per their repeated claims: "This is a lie.....these statements are lies" A statement of opinion is not a lie. I am not a liar. Neither have I ever known my sister, Irene Adrian, to lie.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[In these published articles, Mss. Adrian and Hartwell claim that the Cerras are not married. This is a lie.]
BH:
In the article, The Case of Irene Adrian, the ONLY reference to the marital status of Ron and Mary Ann Cerra, contained in only ONE article is this : "One of our CIA family members who knows them warned Irene, saying that the Cerras were not actually a married couple......"
The statement made in this article is hearsay from a party twice removed, a comment made by a CIA family member to Irene Adrian and then passed on to me. Neither myself nor Irene Adrian "claim", in "these published articles" that the Cerras are "not married".
In the other article, The Mexican Horror, no references whatesoever are made to the Cerras, much less their marital status.
Irene Adrian:
"The first time I met the Cerras, my husband and I were standing in our driveway and the Cerras were standing in their driveway. Our driveways are right next to each other. They said that they were retired from the CIA. I asked them if they knew Uncle. [A CIA family member.]
Ron Cerra said 'You're [our CIA family relative's] niece?' in a surprised tone of voice. I said yes and asked again, 'Do you know him?'. He replied that yes, he had known him at the Hague. Whether or not he actually worked with Uncle I couldn't say for sure, but that was the impression we got. Mary Ann stepped forward and made a point of saying that she had NOT known Uncle.
I saw Uncle a couple of months later. I told him that an acquaintance of his, Ron Cerra, had moved in next door to us. At first, he denied knowing Cerra, in typical Uncle (CIA) fashion, but when both my husband and I reiterated that Ron had already said that he knew Uncle, he relented and admitted that yes, he knew him.
When we said something about Ron's wife, Uncle said 'He's not married'. I said that perhaps he had gotten married since Uncle had last seen him. Both my husband and I then explained that Mary Ann had made a point of saying that she did NOT know Uncle.
Uncle looked me in the eye and repeated, in a serious tone, 'Irene, he's not married'. I really didn't care if they were married or not so I didn't say anything else. Uncle then added that I should be careful, as Ron Cerra was big on 'practical jokes'. Knowing Uncle, and his way of issuing warnings, I got the distinct impression that he was telling me to watch my back."
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[They further claim that there are antennas on the roof of the Cerra residence. This is a lie. There are no antennas on the roof.]
BH:
Irene told me that the antennae [referred to as "antennas" by the Cerras] she saw, dating back to 1997 and which I made reference to, were in the Cerras' back yard, AS WELL AS on the roof. Perhaps there are NOW no antennae on the roof. Perhaps they have since been removed; but in any case, I have no way to directly verify whether or not there are antennae on the roof of the Cerra residence.
Irene Adrian:
"Concerning the antennae and 'hardware': I was outside one day. So was Ron. Our backyards are directly adjacent, and run together. He was doing something with antennae. I don't know much about these things. I don't believe I said anything, but when he saw that I had noticed all the equipment, he offered the information. It went something like this........ 'In case you're wondering about all the hardware, I'm an amateur ham radio operator'."
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[Ron holds a valid amateur radio license from the Federal Communications Commission. Suggestions that we may be responsible for electromagnetic weapons or psychotronic (sic) weapons being deployed against Ms. Adrian are lies.]
BH:
Neither I nor Irene ever claimed that Mr. Cerra does NOT hold such a license. I say in my article: "When Irene asked them the purpose for all the hardware, Ron Cerra claimed he was a 'ham radio operator'.....a dubious story at best." I am simply stating an opinion, and speculating as to the POSSIBLE OTHER purposes for the plethora of hardware.
As to the "suggestion" that the Cerras may be "responsible" for any of the electromagnetic or psychotronic weapons which are indeed being deployed against Irene, I never made such a suggestion. As stated in my article: 'Irene cannot necessarily prove that her neighbors are involved in the abuses she suffers'
But the fact remains that Irene has suffered many attacks with this type of weaponry. And I as well as other witnesses have observed the marks on her body which resulted from such attacks. Whether or not the Cerras have been directly responsible for any of these attacks, I have no way to determine at this time.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[We never requested a key to the Adrian house. This statement is a lie.]
BH:
It is interesting that the Cerras claim they never requested a key to the Adrian home. It is even more interesting that they make no mention in their letter of the fact that they ACTUALLY HAD such a key.
Irene Adrian:
"My husband said that the Cerras had come to him, told him that they had locked themselves out of their house, and asked if they could leave a key with him in case this happened again. They then suggested that my husband leave a key to our house with them, or asked if he wanted to leave a key with them, he is not sure of the exact wording.
But, in any case, it was the Cerras' idea initially and NOT my husband's that they be given a key to our house. My husband had no reason not to trust them. They knew Uncle. They appeared to be respectable, nice people. At that time neither my husband nor myself had any reason to distrust the CIA.
I was not happy about this when I heard of it, however. I had just recently persuaded my husband to change the locks on the house because the realtor who had sold us the house had a key; and more importantly, because there was evidence, before the locks were changed, that intruders had been through our house. Certain of my belongings had been moved from their normal places and there was also evidence of tampering.
(What are they teaching at the CIA these days? It's hard to believe that those who have spent many years working for the CIA would be so prone to locking themselves out of their home; would not be able to break in themselves; and would trust unknown neighbors with their keys.)
Sunday June 30, 2002: My husband found in the mailbox an envelope from Ron Cerra. It contained our key and a note:
['Here is the key to your house. Under the circumstances we do not want to keep this key and would appreciate your returning our key. Irene is in no condition to have our key. RON']
Of course, if they wanted to retain our key, they have had plenty of time to make copies"
BH:
So, it appears that the Cerras are playing word games in an effort to cover up the truth. They never REQUESTED a key. No, they 'suggested' an exchange of keys with the Adrians. Or, they asked Irene's husband if he would LIKE to leave a key with them.
But the bottom line is this: Ron and Mary Ann Cerra DID IN FACT have a key to the Adrian home, given to them by Irene's husband. And indeed THEY were the ones who initiated the conversation about an exchange of keys and who 'suggested' that they be given a key.
In Ron Cerra's note to Irene's husband, he clearly attempts to impugn Irene's sanity and/or her character by his statement that "Irene is in no condition" to have their key. Impugning the sanity/character of a target is a typical CIA ploy, intended to discredit the target.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[We have never broken into Ms. Adrian's home, drugged her or sat on the edge of her bed in the middle of the night claiming we were Jesus Christ and God as stated in these articles. These statements are lies. Inferences that Ms. Adrian has been injured or molested by the Cerras are untrue. Suggestions that the Cerras have followed Ms. Adrian or placed her under surveillance through electronic or human techniques are lies.]
Irene Adrian:
"Often, after an incident had happened at night, when I knew that intruders had entered my house while I was sleeping, the next morning all the doors were still locked and there was no sign that anyone had broken in by force. Whoever came in must have had a key. The ONLY other people who, to my knowledge, had a key to our home were Ron and Mary Ann Cerra. At least they were the only ones who had been given a key by my husband.
In an effort to protect myself, I several times put duct tape over the locks from the inside. On one such occasion, I found that the locks had subsequently been oiled by some unknown party. Neither I nor my husband had done any such thing."
BH:
The Cerras deny all allegations made by Irene Adrian. They also, once again, twist her testimony, as given in my article, by the use of certain devious phrasing and hyperbole. For instance Irene never said that Ron and Mary Ann Cerra were sitting "on the edge of" her bed nor that THEY "claimed to be God
or Jesus Christ."
Here is the actual passage from the article:
".....my sister has many times woken from a drug-induced state, seeing these 'retired' CIA operatives sitting by her bed. Giving her instructions to follow and even making fun of her for her spiritual faith.
In one such incident, Ron Cerra told her that she must do exactly what he told her to do. Irene responded that no, she would NOT do what Ron said. On the contrary, she told him she would do as she was instructed by Jesus Christ. Cerra replied that as far as my sister was concerned HE, Ron Cerra was Jesus Christ! And his 'wife' Marianne taunted, 'Where is your God now, Irene?'
BH:
The Cerras have obviously twisted Irene's testimony to suit their own ends. They have also misrepresented, in their denials, what was ACTUALLY said in the article.
Nonetheless, in a case such as this, where the injured party, Irene Adrian, has no hard evidence which could link the Cerras directly to such abuse, it is her word against theirs, pure and simple.
But the fact remains that Irene does remember the incidents described in the article. The fact also remains that the Cerras had a MEANS of entry to Irene's home (without 'breaking in') by virtue of having been given a key.
So, they had the means. They certainly had opportunity. Did they have a motive?
It would appear so, at least to me and various other investigators with whom I have discussed this situation. Let me put it this way. Here's my considered professional opinion, as a researcher and investigative journalist; and as someone who has had extensive dealings with CIA personnel, particularly in the areas of illegal domestic covert operations, and who was actually utilized as an operative.
The means; the opportunity and the motive appear to coalesce in such a way as to validate Irene Adrian's testimony. Can we prove it? Not yet......
Irene Adrian:
"I just want to add this to the record: I had met and spoken to the Cerras only once or twice when the following incident occurred: I was sitting outside on the deck in back of our house. The Cerras dog came running over. Ron Cerra followed her.
I was sitting on the steps from the deck to the yard. Ron Cerra came over to me and began a conversation. In general it concerned my husband and myself and what we were going to do here now that we had moved to North Carolina.
At some point Ron said to me: 'But YOU have accomplishments'. I thought to myself, what could he possibly mean?.......This man doesn't know anything about me. I just met him.
He then asked me if I had ever been hypnotized.
I replied, not knowing any better at the time, that no one, with the possible exception of my sister, had ever been able to hypnotize me. He then asked me if he could try to hypnotize me. I sort of shrugged my shoulders and said something like, okay....he could try.
I don't remember anything else after that, not of ending the conversation, or him leaving, or me going inside or anything. Thinking back on it, I realize that I should never have replied in this manner. It was a big mistake.
My only excuse is that I didn't know what evil was then. I had no idea. But I know this: I never gave permission for anyone to use and abuse me. I hereby rescind any 'permission' I may have given Ron Cerra to hypnotize me, including any permissions I may unknowingly have given in a state of hypnosis or under any kind of mind control."
BH:
One of the areas in which I was trained and utilized by CIA is in the use of hypnosis. I am a certified hypnotherapist and at one time worked professionally in that field. Irene has memories from our childhood, as do I, in which I was able to hypnotize my sister.
I also know that CIA uses hypnosis extensively, especially in their mind control operations, such as MK Ultra. A standard tactic used by a 'handler' would be to approach a target (victim) and ask this leading question: Have you ever been hypnotized? And then to follow with a request such as: Would you like me to try to hypnotize you?
The incident Irene describes here was not mentioned in the original article, though in hindsight, I think it should have been. Better late than never......it certainly explains a lot.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[The above noted lies constitute libel and slander, causing us considerable personal discomfort and endangering our safety. We had never heard of Ms. Hartwell or her web-site. We have never offered anything but kindness and civility to Ms. Adrian, who lives nearby.]
BH:
I will repeat: Irene and I do not believe we have slandered nor libeled the Cerras. We certainly have not lied about anything. As to the Cerras' claim that they had "never heard of" yours truly, Barbara Hartwell, I find it an absurd statement and it is my opinion that the Cerras are lying about that, just as they have lied about much else.
And Irene Adrian would adamantly beg to differ with the Cerras, as concerns their claim about treating her with 'civility and kindness'. From all that she has told me, the only 'civility' ever shown by the Cerras to Irene was in public, while witnesses were present.
As to their treatment of her behind closed doors, or in other situations where no one else was watching, that is another story entirely. Again, it is a case of her word against theirs.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra
[Publishing our names, address and telephone number and inviting people to telephone us while making statements in the same paragraph "....break the door down, like a one-woman SWAT team, the commando from hell...." has resulted in our receiving threatening telephone calls from several individuals who claim their families have been "murdered by the CIA" and their "homes burned by the CIA ". These people make direct reference to the above web-site postings in their hostile and threatening telephone calls. These threats are directly related to the publication of the above libel and slander, as claimed by those who have telephoned us.]
BH:
1) The Cerras address and telephone number are already published in the telephone directory, under the name Cerra. Their address and phone number are also readily available from directory assistance, where I was able to get it myself. Therefore, I did not make public any information which could not have
been easily obtained by anyone.
2) The above referenced statement...."break the door down, like a one-woman SWAT team...." was NOT mentioned in the same paragraph, as the Cerras claim. Please see the article for confirmation.
3) I clearly state in my article, "The only thing that stops me from taking such extreme measures to rescue my sister is that (unlike the 'retired' CIA operatives) I am a law-abiding citizen."
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN. These are the key words here. I AM a law abiding citizen and therefore would NOT commit any illegal acts, nor engage in criminal activities, nor have I ever. I am simply expressing my feelings, venting my outrage at what is happening to my sister.
I am exercising my freedom of speech. I say what I might LIKE to do, what I could fantasize about doing, not what I INTEND to do. Again, I clearly state that I would NOT do such a thing and have NO INTENTION of doing such a thing.
4) The Cerras claim they have received "threatening telephone calls". I certainly did not 'invite' anyone to make threats of any kind. And once again, I believe they are fabricating this story in order to cover themselves.
It is my belief that the Cerras are liars. I do not believe that the Cerras received any such 'threats'. And even in the unlikely event that they did, I cannot be held responsible for the behavior of any individuals (assuming they exist) who took it upon themselves to make such calls.
To my knowledge, Ron Cerra did receive ONE phone call. But, to my knowledge, it was not of a threatening nature. This call was from a man named Vince Lodato, an acquaintance of mine who told me he had called Ron Cerra.
I don't doubt that he may have told Ron Cerra the story about what happened in his own life. His house was torched by arsonists and his sister died as a result. Vince had told me he believes that his house was set afire and his sister was murdered on orders from some government agency, possibly CIA, and for all I know, he may be right. He actually showed me the scene of the crime, the house he once owned in Kingston, the city near where I live in Woodstock.
I have not personally investigated the case. I do know that Vince was once employed under contract to the U.S. government, as a scientist (He is a PhD, nuclear physicist) and held a 'Q' clearance. Some information about his case has been published on the Internet.
However, from my observations, Vince Lodato is not the type of person who would make a threat to anyone. He does not appear to be bitter, nor even angry at what he has suffered.
On the contrary, in discussions with me, he told me he believes that any problems with the perpetrators of criminal and/or unconscionable activities (even if sponsored by government) could be resolved by simply sitting down over a glass of wine and discussing these issues with the perpetrators, as if he believed they would just miraculously see the error of their ways and reach a peaceful understanding with their targets/victims.
He says he believes that 'the system works', meaning, I guess, that he believes justice will be done, and the truth will come out, if only everybody just works through the 'system'.
I obviously don't agree with Vince's philosophy and told him so. I think he's incredibly naive. I know the 'system' to be incredibly corrupt. But the last thing I could imagine Vince doing is making any kind of 'threatening phone call'. From what I can tell, it's just not in his nature and contradicts everything he believes in.
But there's more: Vince told me that Ron Cerra had actually called HIM. Below is an excerpt from an e-mail message I received, dated June 27, from Vince:
"Barbara:
I received a call today from Mr. Cerra. He was responding from an earlier call. He tried to tell me his side of the story. I listened, but a few things did not make sense, and started a bell to ring. He kept on calling you and your sister crazy, and that he was going to file a criminal and civil complaint against you and your sister...and wanted to take your clothes, computer, and car from you.
The manner in which he talked was very vindictive. It didn't warrant it. So bells and whistles went off in my head.
I really see what you are up against...these folks are very, very vindictive....and dont want to solve problems but create them.
Vince Lodato"
BH:
So, why would Mr. Cerra make a call to a man who had THREATENED him? If he received a 'threatening' phone call and knew the identity and telephone number of the caller, why didn't he report the call to the police? Your guess is as good as mine......
And why would the Cerras claim that they had received SEVERAL such 'threatening calls'.....ALL with the SAME story line...."their houses burned and their families murdered by the CIA"??.....What are the chances of that?
Or, did the Cerras simply decide to exploit the ONE phone call they DID receive, lying about the real nature of that call, for the purposes of trying to implicate myself and my sister Irene Adrian in criminal actions we have not committed; and in an attempt to pin blame on us for any troubles they may be having, as a result of their own activities (possibly illegal in nature) being exposed?
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[We, the undersigned, demand that Mss. Adrian and Hartwell publish a full retraction of all the above false statements and remove the offending article, "...The Case of Irene Adrian" and delete the reference to and link to this article from Adrian's article "The Mexican Horror" in which Ms. Adrian claims she was sexually molested by Ted Kennedy and Nelson Rockefeller. If this action is not taken promptly, we will file a lawsuit against both Mss. Adrian and Hartwell in which they will be asked to to defend these outrageous statements in a court of law.]
BH:
I have no intention of retracting anything I have written or removing 'the offending article'. Furthermore, I will not be intimidated by the 'demand' the Cerras make. If they want to approach this through the legal system, bully for them! If they really want a court battle, let them initiate one.
I, for one, would be more than happy to be called into a court of law if the Cerras choose to file a civil lawsuit against me for libel. I have nothing to hide, and nothing to tell but the truth, as I know it.
I doubt that the Cerras, even if they perjure themselves, would be able to prove that damages had accrued to them because of my article. And even if they won a judgment against me and were awarded damages, I have nothing of any monetary value that they could take from me. I am financially destitute. And I do mean totally destitute.
Yes, I still own a car, a 1984 model. My computer is virtually worthless, at least in monetary value. And my clothes? Well, they're mostly over ten years old, hand-me-downs from my son and others. Some old military-surplus combat fatigues....stuff like that.
Let them take what they will, assuming any judge would be stupid enough or corrupt enough to award damages in the form of my few worthless possessions.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[Furthermore, we have filed a criminal complaint with the civil authorities in North Carolina for inciting violence and terrorism against us by publishing libel and slander and inviting violent action against us. This is an offense under the North Carolina criminal code.]
BH:
As to the so-called "criminal charges" the Cerras say they have already filed, I have no idea what they are making reference to. I have done nothing of a criminal nature in the state of North Carolina, nor in New York, where I live, nor in any other state; and neither has my sister, Irene Adrian.
We have incited no 'violence', nor 'terrorism'. We have invited no 'violent action' against anyone, including Ron and Mary Ann Cerra. Apparently, the Cerras are desperate and think that they can intimidate us into retracting any statements they found offensive, or which expose their own illegal and immoral activities.
Ms. and Mr. Cerra:
[We look forward to a timely resolution.]
BH:
Well, no timely resolution will be made, certainly not as a result of the intimidation tactics and Psy Ops being perpetrated by these 'retired' CIA operatives.
According to the Cerras, a copy of this letter was sent to: Robert W. Kilroy, PC, Attorney at Law
I have to suppose that if Mr. Kilroy was the attorney of record for the Cerras, the letter would have come directly from him, instead of the Cerras. I also surmise that there would not have been displayed such a glaring ignorance of the law, had Mr. Kilroy authored this letter on behalf of the Cerras.
No address nor phone number for Mr. Kilroy was included. But an associate of mine in North Carolina kindly looked it up in the phone book and provided the contact information:
Robert W. Kilroy
14899 U.S. Highway 17
Hampstead, North Carolina
28443
910-270-9515
I wonder, is Mr. Kilroy a Company man? Just speculating, that's all.
In summary, my interests here are as follows:
1) To protect and defend as best I can, myself and my sister, Irene Adrian, from any perpetrators of criminal acts.
2) To defend the Constitution and my INDIVIDUAL rights, which are guaranteed under that Constitution.
3) To expose and confront any perpetrators of criminal acts, through strictly legal and ethical means.
4) To see justice done, through the legal system and all CONSTITUTIONAL laws.
If these interests and pursuing them under the color of law make me --in the opinion of those such as the Cerras (the 'retired' CIA operatives) and their cohorts-- a person who would 'incite violence' or 'terrorism' , then God help us all.
Barbara Hartwell
July 4, 2002
In a time of universal deceit, TELLING THE TRUTH is a revolutionary act.
--George Orwell
I never gave anybody hell. I just told the truth and they thought it was hell.
--Harry Truman
posted by Curriculum Vitae at
Monday, January 01, 2007
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