That statement was made by Sean Lankford,  father and husband of two of the 10 SBC do-gooders imprisoned in Haiti, charged with criminal association and child kidnapping.
I don’t know what the world thinks, but this time the families  of the US do-gooders sitting in a Haitian jail are in the spotlight for making a poor choice.
Turns out the guy they hired in the Dominican Republic to represent the Americans charged with criminal conspiracy has a criminal record in the US and is wanted on human smuggling charges in El Salvador. His wife has been convicted charged in the human smuggling case and is in a Salvador jail.
He isn’t a lawyer, isn’t a representative of the Jewish community in the Dominican Republic, wasn’t in the US military and US officials deny he ever worked undercover in any human smuggling operations in the US.
He  went into hiding when the New York Times broke the story Thursday that he wasn’t who he represented himself as. His real name is Jorge Anibal Torres Puello and he may have inserted himself into this case because of his possible ties to Laura Silsby.
He falsely portrayed himself as a lawyer in the Dominican Republic. He wrongly claimed to be the leader of the country’s Sephardic Jewish community. And he initially told reporters he had never been to El Salvador, but now says he has deep connections to the Central American country, including five children there.
Arrest warrants identify him as Jorge Anibal Torres Puello. Around Santo Domingo he was also known as Jorge Torres, Yoram Torres and Jorge Migdal.
The Americans in Haiti, detained for allegedly trying to take 33 children out of the country without proper documents after the earthquake, knew him as Jorge Puello.
Puello says his role in the case is as a misunderstood do-gooder who volunteered to help the detained Americans after reading about their case on the Internet.
The Idaho Statesman says Puello didn’t work for Central Baptist Church in Idaho.
Torres Puello told reporters that the Central Valley Baptist Church hired him. But pastors Clint Henry and Drew Ham said otherwise Saturday.
“Puello contacted the church and was among many names given to the family in their hour of need,” Henry said via e-mail.
“Puello does not work for the church,” Ham said. “He was brought on as legal counsel by some of the families.”
Torres Puello called the church to offer his services two days after the arrest, The New York Times reported. After failing to contact any of the approved lawyers provided by the U.S. embassy, two relatives called and accepted Torres Puello’s offers of pro-bono assistance, the Times quoted lawyer Terry Michaelson saying.
Sean Lankford of Meridian, whose wife and daughter are being held in Haiti, also told The Associated Press that Torres Puello first contacted relatives by calling the church.
“He helped us find the lawyer we have now. He helped us gather evidence. Before him, we really were having a hard time finding anyone at all” to represent the church workers in Haiti, said Lankford.
More at the blog Haiti Vox.
The Daily Bastardette has more on Puello, including a tie in to Canada with a letter of introduction from a synagogue when he called himself Jorge Torres. He says he spent 18 months in a Canadian jail.
Silsby and Puello may be tied in through Dominican real estate deals, and he may have received up to 40 thousand dollars from the US families/churches, who it now appears got themselves involved with a human trafficker.
Here is the Interpol alert.
It is believed the imprisoned Southern Baptists will be given a provisional release until their trial.
Update: On Wednesday, 8 of the Americans were released, and escorted by US consul officials to a waiting plane.
Laura Silsby and Charisa Coulter (Silsby nanny) remain in a Haitian jail will be questioned about their prior trip to Haiti. The 8 will be required to return to Haiti if there are further legal proceedings.
Meantime Puello remains on the run. It has been confirmed he was in Canada in 2003, attempting to avoid charges in the US.
Oh dear it just gets worse.
It is possible to cross-post this with links to you?
Sure Stuart, help yourself.
You might want to read Stop Baptist Predators, they have good background, especially on SBC react since the arrests.
The real estate connection if it bears out is chilling.
Those brochures the do-gooders were passing out takes on sinister tones.
There is more out on the El Savador evidence since he admitted he was the guy they were looking for.
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‘Wasn’t who he represented himself as’, Hmmm. rather a theme right now don’t you think and quite an understatement ‘to boot’.
There are always those who’s ‘sewer like existance’ will make an appearance in such circumstances, of confusion, chaos, and mayhem.
As the Lord continues to remove the veils from our eyes and the fear ‘to confront’ what we see and then gives the boldness and honour to ‘steadfastly pursue truth we shall slowly and surely overcome those who’s hiddeness prevails. NOT IN WAR BUT IN HIM.
Truth in him is far more powerful than those who wish to hide theirs.
You can insult the highest in the land when the words you send are coated in love not hate. He removes the sting from the words and the truth he coat’s so that you may receive its fullness.
Then the living word becomes just that.
http://www.wikio.com/themes/Jorge Puello
We know Silsby lied, Puello is now known as an international fugitive and liar. There are lies of omission/commission all the way to Idaho and Central Baptist Church. SBC leaders in Idaho are getting their lawyers to distance themselves as fast as they can.
It’s a follow the money story and it goes back further than 10 days ago.
I think some of these 10 SBC’ers are conned naive do-gooders.
I no longer think all of them are.
The plot thickens in a way that is most dismaying! More embarrassment for the U.S. too. Hope they get to the bottom of this quagmire. What can one say about those who prey on the vulnerable and disadvantaged in order to enrich themselves? Not much – just makes me feel sick and sad.
I get this feeling about Laura Silsby being like a mini-cult leader – it makes me wonder how much responsibility cult followers bear, and can they be construed as victims at least to some extent? Manipulated, lied to, used, perhaps dominated. It’s impossible to eliminate the element of trust completely in all human interaction, and there will always be those who eploit that. I just pray that IF there are any ‘innocent’ here, they will not be dealt with harshly.
Hopesome, i’m hearing you all along, am struggling to understand some (many) things, but am wondering about the offense of the cross..I will look again at how Jesus spoke, and to whom, with all these things in mind. But even so, i realize it’s not just about ‘knowing’, it’s about ‘being’, “In Him we live and move and have our being”, and wonder how do I get “there” from “here”… Also am wondering about the spirit of Elijah (John the Baptist) that we are to expect prior to our Lord’s coming – his ministry was very stinging. The law and the letter of the word has never stopped being a tutor, as far as i understand, to lead us to Christ. It’s my understanding that somehow in Jesus all these things are wrapped up in Him simultaneously – both mercy and justice, and only He knows when and how to bring each of these to bear appropriately and in proper degree and with a perfect heart. Many miles to go in this race as we press on towards the mark, but with His help we’ll get ‘there’….! keeping my “eyes” open and praying for more light..
Therese if you allow him to take you to your truth then he’ll take you to his. It hurts though when you see the hidden agendas in peoples hearts especially among those who are supposed to ‘love you’.
When the wheat from the chaff process begins its fine and your full of enthusiasm, by the tme its finished then so are you!. He then becomes your enabler and no matter what you are faced with its ok.
Lies have many ‘colours’ and therefore we need many ways in which to answer them and when you are dealing with the biggest LIAR OF THEM ALL then you need not only to counter him, but then to go beyond him ready for the next affront and accusation (s).
Puello’s ‘clothing’ hides from us who he really is. Jesus reveals. The SB’s have been ‘drawn to him’ and visa versa, either because he ‘sees their weakness’s’ or because of something more sinister.
As we let go of our ‘clothing’ then we begn to take on his and get more and more protected in the process.
When you see Jessa Bentley being taken over by someone elses ‘spirit’ then you understand that that can also ‘play a part’ in how and what manifests among us.
Rats are among us ‘in all their glory’ BUT SO IS HE IN HIS.