Michael Geilenfeld arrives at U.S. Bankruptcy Court, July 9, 2015, in Portland, Maine. Geilenfeld, an American founding father of a Haitian orphanage who’s accused of sexually abusing 4 boys there greater than a decade in the past, has been ordered to be despatched from Colorado to Florida to face prosecution. AP FILE PHOTO
DENVER — An American founding father of a Haitian orphanage who’s accused of sexually abusing 4 boys there greater than a decade in the past has been ordered to be despatched from Colorado to Florida to face prosecution.
Michael Geilenfeld, 71, was arrested in Colorado on Jan. 20 after being indicted in Florida, accused of touring from Miami to Haiti between 2010 and 2016 “for the purpose of engaging in any illicit sexual conduct with another person under 18.” The cost he faces carries a penalty of as much as 30 years in jail within the occasion of a conviction.
In a courtroom order signed Tuesday and launched Wednesday, a federal Justice of the Peace decide in Denver mentioned U.S. marshals ought to take Geilenfeld to authorities in federal courtroom in Florida’s southern district. The order didn’t clarify why.
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Earlier this month, the Justice of the Peace decide, Scott Varholak, dominated that Geilenfeld might be launched from a suburban Denver federal jail to reside in a midway home in Colorado whereas he’s prosecuted. But federal prosecutors appealed his choice in Florida. Varholak stopped his order from taking impact till a decide in Florida dominated on the matter.
Geilenfeld’s legal professional in Colorado, Brian Leedy, was out of the workplace and didn’t instantly return an e-mail searching for touch upon the order or the allegations towards Geilenfeld. A Massachusetts legal professional who additionally has represented Geilenfeld, Robert Oberkoetter, didn’t instantly return a phone name or an e-mail searching for remark.
Geilenfeld, who has confronted previous accusations of abusing boys, advised Varholak at one courtroom listening to that he was being held in isolation and solely allowed out of his cell for 2 hours every morning.
At Geilenfeld’s most up-to-date listening to, Leedy mentioned Geilenfeld had the help of a “large community of individuals” who’ve supported him for 20 years and would assist him get backwards and forwards to courtroom dates in Florida.
Prosecutors argued that Geilenfeld, who they are saying allegedly abused about 20 kids over many years, may attempt to intimidate his victims if he’s freed. They additionally mentioned he poses a flight danger since, given his age, any conviction may put him behind bars for the remainder of his life.
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Varholak known as the allegations towards Geilenfeld “beyond troubling” however mentioned the federal government had not offered sufficient particulars to point out he had truly threatened anybody or that he commited any abuse for the reason that time alleged within the indictment.
Haitian authorities arrested Geilenfeld in September 2014 based mostly on allegations introduced by Paul Kendrick, a toddler advocate in Maine. Kendrick accused him of being a serial pedophile after talking to younger males who mentioned they have been abused by Geilenfeld as boys in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital the place he based the orphanage in 1985.
Geilenfeld known as the claims “vicious, vile lies,” and his case was dismissed in 2015 after he spent 237 days in jail in Haiti.
He and a charity related to the orphanage, Hearts for Haiti, sued Kendrick in federal courtroom in Maine, blaming Kendrick for Geilenfeld’s imprisonment, harm to his status and the lack of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in donations.
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Kendrick’s insurance coverage corporations ended the lawsuit in 2019 by paying $3 million to Hearts with Haiti, however nothing to Geilenfeld.