Scientologists Found Guilty In U.S. Copspiracy Case

By Timothy S. Robinson case, "If this continues, I'm going to ation. One member was found guilty Washinston Post Writer • trial." • U.S. .District of conspiracy to steal government doe- Judge Charles It Ri- Ultimately, however, the nine de- chey yesterday found nine members fendants—whith their attorneys still uments and,one was found guilty of a of the Church of Scientology guilty of claiming their refusal to agree that break-in at 'a Justice Department of-. various roles in a massive criminal the government's evidence was factu- fice. • conspiracy to plant church spies in ally correct—marched around the de- The Church of Scientology again government agencies, break into gov- fense table to sign the government's yesterday maintained that it has "al- ernment offices and ; electronically "stipulation of evidence" against ways been official church policy to up- "bug" at least one Internal Revenue them. Mary Sue Hubbard, the wife of hold the laws of the land. The church Service meeting. Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard did not and does not condone viola- Richey, whose ruling came after the and the alleged leader of the conspir- tions of this policy." It said, however, federal government acy, signed first. the individual defendants will have to submitted nearly speak for themselves. 300 pages of evidence .against the The rare procedure followed before church, did not set a sentencing date Richey is not a guilty plea. It is part Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond pending a presentence investigation of a plea arrangement enforced by the Banoun told a reporter later yester- that usually takes about one month., judge in which the government's evi- day, however, that his study of thou- Eight of the defendants could receive dence is accepted. the defendants are sands of pages of documents seized in a maximum sentence of five years in found guilty, and they can still appeal searches of church property shows to prison; one could be sentenced to a legal issues to a higher court. They him "overwhelming evidence to the maximum of one year. could not appeal if they pleaded contrary, namely that the Church of Richey's pronouncement of guilt 'guilty. Scientology . . . approved, condoned, came after a three-hour hearing Under the process, both sides avoid and engaged in gross and widespread marked by bitter squabbling :among a lengthy trial. In this case, the Scien- illegality." - attorneys for both sides. over sug- tologists can still litigate on appeal U.S. Attorney Carl S. Rauh said his: gested last-minute changes in the their contention that the government office was "very • satisfied" by the wording of the evidence presented. raids in which mounds of church doc- guilty verdicts and would recommend uments were seized and used against that "substantial prison terms" be im; At one point, when it appeared the, them were illegal. posed for most of the defendants. carefully worked out agreement might Seven of the defendants were found The guilty verdicts against the de- fall through, Richey said between guilty yesterday of conspiracy to ob- fendants end the major phase of a loud and acrimonious exchanges struct justice for their roles in a cov- criminal investigation of the group among the 20 or so attorneys in the erup of the spying and burglary oper- See SCIENTOLOGY, C5,,,Col. 1 Scientologists Convicted in Conspiracy SCIENTOLOGY, From Cl ernment began soon after it was Depty Guardian, and Guardian World- rounded by former writer Hubbard in Wide. - that began in June, 1976, when two All the defendants are from the Los :church spies were apprehended while the early 1950s. The church claims it was discriminated against by the IRS Angeles area. Two of the church's photocopying government files in the leaders in England also have been U.S. Courthouse here. when some of its branches did not re- charged and are awaiting extradition. - The investigation led to two mas- ceive tax-exempt status as did other Convicted of conspiring to obstruct sive government raids—authori'ed by religions. search warrants who legality is still justice yesterday were Mary Sue Other government agencies that are Hubbard, Henning Heldt, Duke Sni- being challenged by the church—of accused by the church of improperly church locations here and in Los An- der, Richard Weigand, Gregory Wil- spying on church activities and mem- lardson, Cindy Raymond and Gerald geles on July 8, 1977. bers include Air Force intelligence, Church spokesman have said that Bennett Wolfe. Convicted of conspir- any actions its members took in infil- the Secret Service, the Food and Drug ing to steal documents was Mitchell Administration and the Coast Guard. Hermann. Convicted of theft was trating government agencies and tr add five into government offices Sharon Thomas. Fr ' were in response to a 29-year cam- Scientology, which is described by The evidence presented to the paign of harassment against the the church as an "applied religious court by the government shows that church by the government. philosophy" that believes in the basic church spies committed scores of It has prepared documents showing good of man, is a worldwide organiza- break-ins at government offices here what it calls a "picture of harassment tion with headquarters in England and elsewhere to obtain secret files of international proportions" by the and the U.S. about the church and other groups. government, replete with allegedly The nine members found guilty yes- Its burglars often were rewarded by false information about the church in terday include the church's highest of- the church for successful efforts in ,,.`government files. ficials in the U.S., and persons with government agencies, The evidence The church's troubles with the gov- church titles such as Guardian and said.