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Ron Farrell's publicity release and more

Greetings:

I received an unwelcomed letter from Ron Farrell's criminal defense lawyer
today and it has prompted me to write the following. 

Recently, several among you have pointed out that the January 22nd press
release issued on behalf of Ron Farrell contains my address and questioned
my involvement in its creation.  

I had nothing to do with this release--or any other such efforts on behalf
of Ron.  My office is in a thirty floor high-rise in Times Square which
contains hundreds of offices--including several public relations firms.  I
had never heard of the firm Ron hired, but they do indeed exist.  I learned
that Ron was referred to the firm by the criminal lawyer who represented
him in the Brazilian incident.  I was also informed that Ron wrote the
press release himself and that it was vetted by his lawyer.  

The letter I received from Ron's lawyer was a result of my visit to the
public relations firm.  I was curious.  The letter contained an explicit
warning that I should cease making false remarks about Ron; of course, I
did nothing of the sort.

The irony is that as I have not been an outspoken critic of Ron, a few of
you have questioned whether I've been representing him in a host of various
matters.  As it regards the Brazilian incident, I have always believed that
a statement from Ron would be assistive in shedding light on what precisely
occurred there.

Some of you have not seen the press release referred to.  In all fairness,
given Ron's desire to tell his side of what took place in Brazil, I've
scanned the release and present it for your consideration:

------------------------------------------------------------------

(Intro)

Special to Sky & Telescope

Would you please consider exploring matters with the meteorite businessmen
framed and jailed in Brazil (they are now fugitives) and abandoned by the
US consulate?  The full ordeal has not been reported in the US; there are
other American, European, Japanese and African Businessmen, framed and
abused, currently languishing in Rio's jail.  In light of recent rapes in
Guatemala, killing of Americans in Costa Rica and Chile, there may be a
pattern of violence in certain Third-world countries.

(Headline)  

Yankee, Stay Home!!

American Businessmen Framed, Jailed, Abused, Robbed; Facts Justify Putting
Blame on Rio and Washington.  A tale of Meteorites, "Madam Curator," and
the Police State Ordeal to be Aired at Coming Minerals Show in Tucson.

(Body)

Last June, meteorite broker Ronald E. Farrell, 42, of New Haven, and
mineralogist Frederick J. Marcelli, 67, Cortaro (near Tucson), Arizona, met
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the scheduled purpose of exchanging
meteorite specimens with Brazilian authorities.  What ensued was a
nightmare: they were set up by officials working in concert with Federal
Police and "framed" for "the theft of national treasures;" spent four
months in incarceration, mostly in a 6-man cell holding 13 other Brazilians
and foreigners, including murderers, drug dealers and rapists, as well as
innocent men.  Farrell and Marcelli were robbed of their rights, property,
health, reputations, and were beaten and further abused.


Compounding the injustices were some US consulate staffers that did little
to assist the two Americans.  At least one official asked for a cash payoff
to secure legal help; Mrs. Farrell was even "billed" a delivery fee for
services.  US Senators from Arizona, Ohio and Connecticut were contacted
but were unhelpful.  The US State Department told Mrs. Farrell that her
attempts to get attention to her husband's travail were "a nuisance."
Subsequently, private, multinational legal efforts "liberated" the men, who
are back in the US.  Details of their ordeal are likely to emerge January
29th at the Tucson International Minerals and Meteorites Show.
Shortly after Farrell and Marcelli were "arrested," two Brazilian attorneys
suggested they lie about what really happened, to obtain less severe
"justice," such as a heavy fine and expulsion.  The men refused to confess
to a crime they did not commit, and relied on an abundance of fact,
evidence, witnesses and testimony to prove their innocence.  Their refusal
led to considerable suffering and life-threatening consequences, in a
nation where the Federal Police are above the law and the court system.

Foreigners, especially business persons, engineers and scientists,
respectively thought to be affluent and/or highly skilled, are easy prey
for similar setups and detention, warns Farrell: "Our ordeal should alert
American and other businessmen and tourists to such dangers and outrage."

Farrell and Marcelli's chief accuser and a likely co-conspirator, Mrs. M.
Elizabeth Zucolotto, was angling for a curator's position despite
questionable credentials and experience.  She exploited the affair and
manipulated Rio's media to subsequently gain the appointment.  A crusader
for the repatriation of Brazilian meteorites and antiquities "questionably
obtained" over generations by various Western institutions, Zucolotto made
scapegoats of the Americans.

As Farrell is prepared to document to the world press, the entire incident
is part of a growing pattern of "reverse colonialism," marked by bribery,
extortion, conspiracy against innocent parties.  Similar goings-on have
taken place in Egypt, Sudan, Chile, Costa Rica and elsewhere.

"Brazil is a Third world nation where some officials are accustomed to
bribery, self-dealing, Gestapo-like acts", he said.  "Marcelli and I were
convenient "fall guys" for the earlier "sins" of governments and
institutions, as well as victims of what appears to be an international
plot that was hatched before we arrived in Rio."

The "purloined" meteorites, which neither American saw or handled, had an
estimated worth of $42,000, which is a fraction of what it cost the
businessmen during their inquisition.  A valuable meteorite commands $200
(and up) a carat, or, $1000 per gram.  Less precious but rarer than
diamonds, some meteorites are worth an estimated $10,000 per gram.

While the meteorite business is gaining more prominence, as recently
reported in business outlets, this affair could have severe consequences
for the precious stones business, which is a much larger part of the
Brazilian economy, and which attracts dealers, collectors, brokers,
institutional officials and others from many other nations.  Farrell and
Marcelli met other framed and imprisoned foreign nationals, including
Americans, Europeans, Asians and Africans, in the jail.  One foreign
businessman has been languishing in a cell for eight years; another being
held is a noted nuclear physicist.  Mr. Marcelli, though free, is in ill
health.


"Foreigners are simply not comfortable with Police States that deprive
them of their rights and put their lives and property at risk.. Once
alerted, they'll take their business elsewhere," he opines.  Farrell adds,
"There could even be a domino effect that will hurt tourism, trade, and
international relations."  He said, "if it weren't for the private
liberation efforts, Fred and I would either be dead or still rotting away
in that jail cell."

*****

To arrange an interview of Mr. Farrell, Call M. Leeds, 212-819-0769
  
(END)