One of the three Masons who pleaded guilty to transporting prostitutes across state lines to service brothers at Royal Order of Jesters' weekend "Books" has been sentenced to two years probation for his crimes, the Buffalo News reported today.Former Lockport, NY police captain John Trowbridge said he was sorry.
"The more I thought about it, the more I didn't like it," Trowbridge told U.S. District Judge William M. Skretny. "They [the illegal alien women] come here with great expectations.... These people are way too often overlooked. They're victims."
"When confronted with the ugliness of his actions, [Trowbridge] did the right thing," U.S. Attorney Robert Moscati said.
One of Trowbridge's partners in crime, former law clerk Michael Stebick, was sentenced in December, 2008 to four months of home confinement, 250 hours of community service, and a $5,000 fine. I hope he didn't spend those 250 hours standing at an intersection wearing a fez.
Former New York Supreme Court Justice Ronald H. Tills, the Moe to Stebick and Trowbridge's Larry and Curly (those rascally imps!) returned to court today for his slap on the wrist.
U.S District Judge William M. Skretny called the crime a "very serious matter," but went easy on the former police officer because he cooperated in the Jesters probe.
"It's not a matter to be taken lightly," Skretny said of the crimes. "It involved the dehumanization of victims of human trafficking.... What you did was a disgrace to you, an insult to your wife and a disgrace to your profession."
Human trafficking is the politically correct term for slavery. This "very serious matter" is apparently punishable by four months' of having to stay home and a bit of community service, or at most, occasionally reporting in to your probation officer who is probably already a friend.
Of passing interest: The March 2008 press release by the FBI announcing Trowbridge's guilty plea
Masons | Royal Order of Jesters | John Trowbridge | Freemasonry | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com
Great write ups!
ReplyDeleteI'm working on a piece that's going to explain the background of Trowbridge's case and ask "What kind of an organization has so much influence and exerts so much peer pressure that distinguished officers of the court and those sworn to "protect and serve" instead engage in human trafficking so their brothers can have a good time at their weekend parties, hoping their fraternal bonds will protect them?" Looks like the ROJ threw these guys under the bus. I expect arrests or indictments or guilty pleas out of Kentucky next. Unless U.S. authorities are working w/Brazilian authorities and those Jesters who went fishing in Brazil are targeted next. Or maybe both. Keep your eye on the UTMB v Shriners lawsuit in Galveston, too. Looks like things are unravelling around the same time if you factor in the Shriners convention over the Fourth in San Antonio.