NEW HAVEN REGISTER: Witness Says Alcoholics Anonymous Members Were Recruited For Cash-Gifting Scheme And That ‘Largest Conflict I’ve Ever Seen’ In AA Ensued
EDITOR’S NOTE: In May 2012, the PP Blog reported that three women had been arrested on federal charges in Connecticut that flowed from an alleged cash-gifting pyramid scheme. One of the women has pleaded guilty. Two others now are on trial.
Cash-gifting often is associated with affinity fraud. The alleged Connecticut scheme centered around women with common interests, for example. Cash-gifting schemes also may be targeted at members of a common faith or belief system, members of a specific racial or ethnic group, members of specific occupations or members of virtually any group with common interests or common problems.
No individual or member of an organization may be truly safe in the context of affinity fraud, considering that schemes even have been targeted at members of the military and their loved ones. Now, it seems, not even members of Alcoholics Anonymous — an American treasure with international reach that has helped countless participants in their daily struggle against the clutches of alcoholism — were off limits to a person or persons desiring to recruit members into the cash-gifting scheme.
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The New Haven Register is reporting that “Julie,” a witness in the “Women’s Gifting Table” trial in federal court in Connecticut, testified that members of Alcoholics Anonymous were recruited for the scheme, which caused dissension among people battling to stay sober.
“Julie” was introduced to cash-gifting by her AA sponsor, Julie testified, according to the Register.
From the Register (italics added):
Eventually, there were eight AA members involved in tables and Julie attempted to recruit more. What followed was “the largest conflict I’ve ever seen in Alcoholics Anonymous,” she said. “It’s a violation of a trusted relationship. I trusted people to save my life, and people trusted me to save their lives, and to take advantage of that situation was a problem.”
“Julie” testified that she quit the scheme after news broke that former Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal had launched an investigation.
Gifting is the business of parasites, Blumenthal said in November 2009.
Blumenthal now is a U.S. Senator.
On Jan. 31, the Register reported that some people believe the unsolved murder of a woman in 2010 may be tied to the cash-gifting scheme.