Anglican Watch believes prison sentence appropriate for Jeff Piatt

Sources close to the matter tell Anglican Watch that hearings will be held this Wednesday for several persons charged with defiant trespass after refusing to comply with the directive from the St. Paul’s vestry not to enter the property. Those charged allegedly include:

• Jeff Piatt
• Maria and Leigh Hopper
• Anne Bosch
• Marc Denbeaux
• Jane Moser
• Joe and Vicki Solis
• Rusty, Louise, and Martine Miller

It is the position of Anglican Watch that Jeff Piatt, and possibly others, deserve serious consequences in this matter, potentially to include jail time. While we are not authorized to speak on behalf of the parish, we are forwarding our recommendations in writing to the court. As such, the views expressed represent those of our staff.

Our reasons for this recommendation:

1. Jeff’s questionable veracity in this matter, including his initial claim that he and his wife would never return to St. Paul’s, while today he claims he wants to be “let in.”
2. The threats and efforts at intimidation, in writing from protestors, including statements about how they will not be going away any time soon.
3. The entry by the protestors on the property in defiance of written warnings from the St. Paul’s vestry not to enter, and efforts by the protestors to intimidate parishioners and force entry into the church building.
4. The theft of church financial records by Jeff Piatt and Beth Abrahamson..
5. The ongoing pattern of questionable business practices by Jeff Piatt and Beth Abrahamson.
6. Other fabrications by the group, including fictitious descriptions of Pastor Jill’s meeting with the mayor.
7. Debbie Piatt’s claims that Jill is a “sinister minister,” which, in light of issues with Montvale Landscaping’s questionable PPP loan, the theft of business records, and “reimbursement” checks made to family members, sounds very much like a case of projection on Debbie’s part.
8. Defamatory statements by several of the protestors alleging that Pastor Jill has misused funds, left families in a lurch by closing the preschool, and is mentally ill.
9. Anne Bosch’s self-serving claims that she wishes only to be around positive people. We’d welcome her explanation as to how that aligns with her apparent defiant trespass.
10. The fabrication by one of the trespassers, who claimed to be part of the baptismal family that Sunday.

We also note that neither Piatt nor Abrahamson has returned the church’s financial records. That in itself speaks volumes to the personal and professional integrity of these individuals and warrants criminal investigation. We also believe that the situation with the protestors increasingly appears to involve a pattern and practice of illegal activity, as well as criminal and civil conspiracy.

As always, Anglican Watch welcomes emailed comments from the Piatts, Beth Abrahamson, and others if they believe they can justify their conduct, if they believethere are mistakes in our reporting, or if they deny illegally taking the church’s business records.

Lastly, while predicting the future is always an iffy proposition at best, Anglican Watch predicts that we will see at least two persons connected with this matter face felony criminal charges in the near future.

Time will tell.