[Vision2020] Meridian, Idaho Baptist U.S. Missionaries Charged with Kidnapping in Haiti

[Saundra Lund]

Sorry - I'm no longer inclined to assume "good intentions" since Silsby has
a very, very long history of disregarding the law.  Thank God she was
stopped, otherwise who knows what would have become of those poor children
L

 

To me, it looks like the tragedy in Haiti simply provided Silsby an excuse
to get out of Dodge just in time!

 

http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/1067267.html

 

February 04, 2010

Laura Silsby, a local missionary to Haiti, left trail of financial woes in
Idaho

The Boise woman has a pattern of flouting laws. She's due in Ada court again
this month.

BY KATY MOELLER - kmoeller at idahostatesman.com

Copyright: C 2010 Idaho Statesman

The Boise woman has a pattern of flouting laws. She's due in Ada court again
this month.

The Idaho woman who led a group of 10 Baptists on a mission to help children
in Haiti admits to failing to obtain paperwork needed to move 33 children to
the Dominican Republic. 

But even before Laura L. Silsby and seven other Idahoans ended up in a
Haitian jail accused of trafficking in children, Silsby had a history of
failing to pay debts, failing to pay her employees and failing even to
follow Idaho laws. 

Silsby has been the subject of eight civil lawsuits and 14 unpaid wage
claims. The $358,000 Meridian house at which she founded her nonprofit New
Life Children's Refuge in November was foreclosed upon in December. A check
of Silsby's driving record revealed at least nine traffic citations since
1997, including four for failing to provide insurance or register annually. 

Silsby is a longtime Treasure Valley businesswoman. In 1999, she founded an
Internet business. As CEO of PersonalShopper.comnear Overland and Maple
Grove roads, the mother of three was named eWomenNetwork's international
businesswoman of the year in 2006. 

Three years later, building an orphanage for Haitian and Dominican children
became Silsby's vision, and the 40-year-old brought others on board,
including her 24-year-old nanny, Charisa Coulter. 

"The folks in the church embraced their vision, and it became a shared
vision," said Coulter's father, Mel. "The church made it part of their
missions program." 

But Silsby's failure to work with Haitian authorities before trying to take
children from the country last week has many questioning the woman and the
cause. 

Members of her church, Central Valley Baptist in Meridian, did not return
calls Wednesday. 

An e-mail circulated Wednesday at PersonalShopper.com urged employees not to
speak to the press or post any information on Web sites. "Given the
aggressive nature of the press and the fabrications already being invented,
we need to make sure nothing in writing is published that can be
misconstrued in any way," the e-mail says. Employees also were given the
option to work from home to avoid reporters. 

UNPAID WAGES 

Fourteen claims, including two by the same employee, were filed against
Personal Shopper Inc. for nonpayment of wages between Feb. 21, 2008, and
July 21, 2009, according to the Idaho Department of Labor. 

The total dollar amount of the 14 claims was $38,100.09. Department of Labor
compliance officers determined that $30,620.26 was owed to the employees;
the department also assessed a $4,000 penalty against the business. 

Five claims were denied, dropped, or the department did not have
jurisdiction. PersonalShopper Inc. paid the employees their due wages and
penalties. 

The business' former marketing director, Robin Oliver of Eagle, filed a
civil suit against Silsby and Personal Shopper Inc. in October for alleged
unpaid wages, wrongful termination and fraud. 

The suit says that Oliver was promised an annual salary of $110,000, with
twice-monthly payments of $4,583.33. The suit alleges that Personal Shopper
was delinquent on five payments, for a total unpaid wage claim of
$22,016.65. 

"In multiple e-mails during 2009, Ms. Silsby repeatedly told plaintiff that
she had investors 'committed,' that the money was being 'wired,' and that
investors were going to be providing funds," the suit says. 

Silsby is due in 4th District Court at 2:45 p.m. next Wednesday; a jury
trial is scheduled for Feb. 22. 

Court records show that Silsby also is due in court in March to answer for
another civil suit against her. 

Beer & Cain, a Boise law firm, filed a civil suit against Silsby in January
this year. The suit says Silsby owes the firm $4,526.59 and interest for
services rendered. "The demand for payment was made on May 20, 2008,
February 4, 2009, and April 3, 2009," the suit says. 

Attorney Dennis Cain declined Wednesday to comment on the suit. 

SUITS, TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS 

Court records also show that Silsby has been sued by several seeking payment
for services or return of goods: 

- On July 28, 2009, Disaster Kleenup in the Treasure Valley sued Eric Evans,
Evans Construction and Silsby, asking for a lien in the amount of $3,225.79.
A notice of voluntary dismissal with prejudice was recorded Nov. 8. 

- On April 20, 2009, Les Schwab Tire on South Main Street in Meridian filed
a suit for nonpayment. The business received a default judgment on July 2 in
the amount of $1,058.91. 

- On Feb. 12, 2009, Farm Bureau Finance Co. sued for return of a 2008 Yamaha
YFM 25 RXL ATV, valued at $2,740, from the home where the New Life
Children's Refuge was based. A default judgment was entered May 7. 

- On Aug. 28, 2007, Collection Bureau Inc. sued for $731.33, not including
attorney's fees and costs. The suit says the money was owed to the Kuna
Rural Fire District for services. Silsby defaulted, her wages were
garnisheed and the $1,077.33 judgment later was set aside. 

- Two other small-claims cases in 2000 and 2002 were dismissed before trial
or hearing. 

- Silsby logged numerous traffic infractions. She was cited four times for
failure to provide insurance/failure to register annually (1997, 1998, 1999
and 2001; the latter was dismissed). She was cited four times for speeding
or driving too fast for conditions (2000, 2005, 2006 and 2007). 

DEFAULT ON HOUSE 

It's unclear where Silsby resides, though Mel Coulter said he believes she
lives in South Boise. 

Her 16-year marriage to Terry L. Silsby, a real estate agent, ended in
divorce in January 2007, according to marriage records. 

Reached by phone Wednesday, Terry Silsby declined to comment. 

Laura Silsby bought a house at 2828 S. Alfani Way in Meridian on Nov. 10,
2008. On Dec. 7, 2009, MetLife Home Loans foreclosed on the $358,500 house,
according to the Ada County Recorder's Office. 

Katy Moeller: 377-6413 

 

 

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Ted Moffett
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:03 PM
To: Moscow Vision 2020
Subject: [Vision2020] Meridian, Idaho Baptist U.S. Missionaries Charged with
Kidnapping in Haiti

 

I would not be surprised if some or all of those charged in this case had
good intentions, but were led by their religious beliefs to make some very
questionable decisions:

 

http://www.ktvb.com/home/10-American-detained-in-Haiti-being-moved-8-from-Id
aho-83558322.html#

 

10 U.S. Baptists held in Haiti charged with kidnapping 

by Frank Bajak
Associated Press writer

Posted on February 4, 2010 at 10:29 AM

Updated today at 4:17 PM 

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Ten members of a U.S. missionary group who said they
were trying to rescue 33 child victims of Haiti's devastating earthquake
were charged with child kidnapping and criminal association on Thursday,
their lawyer said.

Edwin Coq said after a court hearing that a judge found sufficient evidence
to charge the Americans, who were arrested Friday at Haiti's border with the
Dominican Republic. Coq attended Thursday's hearing and represents the
entire group in Haiti.

Group leader Laura Silsby has said they were trying to take orphans and
abandoned children to an orphanage in the neighboring Dominican Republic.
She acknowledged they had not sought permission from Haitian officials, but
said they just meant to help victims of the quake.

The children taken from the group, ranging in age from 2 to 12, were being
cared for at the Austrian-run SOS Children's Village in Port-au-Prince on
Wednesday.

The U.S. citizens, most of them members of an Idaho-based church group, were
whisked away from the closed court hearing to jail in Port-au-Prince, the
capital. Silsby waved and smiled faintly to reporters but declined to answer
questions.

Coq said that under Haiti's legal system, there won't be an open trial, but
a judge will consider the evidence and could render a verdict in about three
months.

Coq said a Haitian prosecutor told him the Americans were charged because
they had the children in their possession. No one from the Haitian
government could be reached immediately for comment.

Each kidnapping count carries a possible sentence of five to 15 years in
prison. Each criminal association count has a potential sentence of three to
nine years.

Coq said that nine of the 10 knew nothing about the alleged scheme, or that
paperwork for the children was not in order.

"I'm going to do everything I can to get the nine out," Coq said. That would
still leave mission leader Laura Silsby facing charges.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in Washington the U.S. was open
to discuss "other legal avenues" for the defendants - an apparent reference
to the Haitian prime minister's earlier suggestion that Haiti could consider
sending the Americans back to the United States for prosecution.

Several parents of the children in Callebas, a quake-wracked Haitian village
near the capital, told The Associated Press Wednesday they had handed over
their children willingly because they were unable to feed or clothe their
children and the American missionaries promised to give them a better life.

Their accounts contradicted statements by Silsby, of Meridian, Idaho.

In a jailhouse interview Saturday, Silsby told the AP that most of the
children had been delivered to the Americans by distant relatives, while
some came from orphanages that had collapsed in the quake.

"They are very precious kids that have lost their homes and families and are
so deeply in need of, most of all, God's love and his compassion," she said.

In Callebas, parents said a local orphanage worker, fluent in English and
acting on behalf of the Baptists, had convened nearly the entire village of
500 people on a dirt soccer field to present the Americans' offer.

Isaac Adrien, 20, told his neighbors the missionaries would educate their
children in the neighboring Dominican Republic, the villagers said, adding
that they were also assured they would be free to visit their children
there.

Many parents jumped at the offer.

Adrien said he met Silsby in Port-au-Prince on Jan. 26. She told him she was
looking for homeless children, he said, and he knew exactly where to find
them.

He rushed home to Callebas, where people scrape by growing carrots, peppers
and onions. That very day, he had a list of 20 children.

As they loaded children onto a bus in Callebas on Jan. 28, the Americans
took down contact information for all the families and assured them a
relative would be able to visit them in the Dominican Republic.

The Americans' journey began last summer after Silsby and her former nanny,
24-year-old Charisa Coulter, resolved to establish an orphanage for Haitian
children in the Dominican Republic. Coulter is among the jailed Americans.

They began buying up used clothing and collecting donations from their
Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian and in November, Silsby registered
the New Life Children's Refuge Inc., the nonprofit organization coordinating
the rescue mission. It listed the address of her now-foreclosed home in
Meridian as its headquarters.

Then the quake hit. Silsby and Coulter moved into high gear, gathering
donations and assembling a team to go into Haiti and urgently take out
children, the younger woman's father, Mel Coulter, told the AP from his home
in Kuna, Idaho.

The group packed 40 plastic bins of donated goods into a U-Haul trailer and
drove to Salt Lake City on Jan. 22, where they took a flight to the
Dominican Republic. They made their way to Haiti, where four days later,
they were introduced to Adrien.

Adrien, who had served as the go-between and translator for the
missionaries, said he had no knowledge of the group's larger plans;
villagers said they were told none of their children would be offered for
adoption.

A Haitian-born pastor who said he worked as an unpaid consultant for the
group insisted the Baptists had done nothing wrong.

The Rev. Jean Sainvil said some of the children were orphans and might have
been put up for adoption. Children with parents were to be kept in the
Dominican Republic, and would not lose contact with their families, Sainvil
said in Atlanta.

"Everybody agreed that they knew where the children were going. The parents
were told, and we confirmed they would be allowed to see the children and
even take them back if need be," he said.

Sainvil stressed that in Haiti it is not uncommon for parents who can't
support their children to send them to orphanages.

Even Prime Minister Max Bellerive has said he recognized the Americans may
simply have been well-meaning who believed their charitable Christian intent
justified trying to remove the children from quake-crippled Haiti.

Only minutes before the charges, the Americans' Dominican lawyer, Jorge
Puello, had said he expected at least nine of the 10 to be released and said
he was arranging a charter flight for them from Santo Domingo, the Dominican
capital.

After the Haitian lawyer's announcement, Puello could not be reached by
telephone for comment.

"I'm at the airport (in Santo Domingo) and we're getting the plane ready.
We're just waiting for the green light," Puello said. "I spoke to a source
inside the jail - a government official - who said nine would be released
but one would be held for further investigation."

___

Associated Press writer Greg Bluestein in Atlanta and Matthew Lee in
Washington contributed to this report.

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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett

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