A Factual Timeline of Events
BY: HG MALATI DEVI DASI (Melanie Nagel)
Oct 24, INDIA (SUN) — Memo from the Desk of Melanie Nagel.
Respected Editor:
I recently read your articles written by John Sinkowski (aka Janmastami). Since you are a fair minded public institution by way of spreading news, I would request you to print a correct version of the events and testimony that Sinkowski refers to. This version can be verified as per public record, in case anyone wishes to confer or doubts its authenticity. Sinkowski (Janmastami) only offers Dennis (aka Dharmatma) Gorrick’s testimony, which was chronologically wrong. He avoids the testimonies of Radhanath Swami and Cindy(Rukmini) Shafer, which were accepted in two court hearings as well as the Grand Jury.
The following is a factual time line of events that reveals Sinkowski’s misrepresentations. Please read further:
- His version does not match the actual chronology of events beginning with Thomas (aka Tirtha) Drescher’s arrest and incarceration in Kent, OH. Drescher was never offered bail, released on bail or otherwise released.
- Drescher was arrested and charged with the murder of Charles St. Denis as a result of state evidence .
- This was the beginning of Mr. Drescher’s life long incarceration. He was never offered bail.
- Sheldon/Tappa Punja was simultaneously arrested and held on a concealed weapons charge because he had a small pocket knife. His bail was set at $5,000
- He called the Cleveland Temple and spoke to Jharikanda and Cindy Schafer (Rukmini) requesting them to secure his bail from New Vrindaban.
- Radhanath Swami who was not privy to any of the above, was passing through New Vrindaban on his way to preaching programs in northern Ohio.
- Kirtananda Swami asked Radhanath Swami to deliver the bail money to the Cleveland Temple. Then Kirtanananda Swami drove Radhanath Swami to Dharmatmas/ Gorrick house where he honked his horn and Dharmatma came out with a package of money.
- Dharmama (Dennis Gorrick) gave $5,000 currency intended for Tappa Punja’s/ Sheldon’s bail to Radhanath Swami who was to take it to Cleveland and deliver it to Rukmini (Cindy Shafer).
- It could very well be that Kirtanananda Swami never clearly explained to Dharmatma what the money was intended for and this may have led Dharmatmas to confuse the facts later on. But, this does not change the outstanding truth that this money was never intended as anything but a simple bail bond.
- Radhanath Swami delivered the bail money as requested and continued on to his program in Oberlin, OH..
- Cindy Schafer took the intended bail money, drove to Kent and hired a lawyer. Sheldon appeared before a magistrate and the charges, along with the need for bail, were dropped. The lawyer was paid $750.
Please consider the following regarding the erroneous allegations coming from Mr. Sinkowski:
- During this period in time, Radhanath Swami was a traveling preacher who spent little time in NV and was not involved with the management and knew very little of any going's on, internal or otherwise.
- The allegation that R. Swami was delivering get-away $$ to Drescher is proved erroneous because Drescher was already in custody, being held without bail.
- The fact remains, as per the omitted portions of the testimony versus J. Sinkowski’s version, was that the $5,000 was intended only for the purpose putting up bail for Mr. Sheldon.
- The Grand Jury accepted the sworn testimonies of both Radhanath Swami and Cindy Schafer in this regards, as did two ensuing court cases.
- The Grand Jury ignored the wrongful testimony of Gorrick.
- It can be noted that Mr. Sinkowski’s(Janmastami) own character is less then sterling.
- He has been observed in intoxicated states due to influence of marijuana and/ or alcohol.
- At one point, Mr. Sinkowski (Janmastami) was apprehended and charged with possession of Marijuana with intent to sell. He was convicted and served a fairly light sentence.
- Over the ensuing years, almost to present, Sinkowski (Janmastami) has sent literally hundreds of post cards and letter with veiled threats of to almost a dozen Hare Krishna devotees. A majority of these letters were turned over to the FBI. His targets are often completely unrelated and these letter inevitable include so called scriptural support.
- Local Feds admit to keeping an eye on him to this day.
- Mr. Sinkowski ‘s (Janmastami) former wife and children have a permanent restraining order on him due to his violent unpredictable nature (he threatened their lives). It should be noted that is not easy to obtain a permanent restraining order. There must be compelling evidence for that to occur.
Michael Stein (the prosecuting attorney in the cases) was recently asked point blank whether or not Radhanath Swami was ever a suspect in any crimes related to New Vrindaban and he replied, “Actually, anyone who had some kind of recognition (in New Vrindaban) was a suspect. However, after a thorough investigation which included Radhanath Swami being interrogated by the LAPD, the Moundsville-Wheeling PD and the FBI, it became obvious that Mr. Slavin (Radhanath Swami) did not have anything to do with nor was he accomplice to any crimes."
I hope that you will now understand the obvious errors in the current version being presented and will do the right thing by printing this letter of clarification as an honest and fair rebuttal to the distortions being offered by Sinkowski (Janmastami). At the least, it would bode well for your reputation as Editor of an international news journal, who being both intelligent and fair minded, does not shy from truthful presentations, even if they contradict the current stance.
Wishing you all the best,
Sincerely,
Melanie Nagel / Malati dasi
