June 26, 1997
Dear Elaine Chiu,
I wish to bring to your attention the fact that certain personal property has not been returned to me since my release from jail. This personal property has been taken or is being held by Dorchen Leidholdt and Dayawathie Rankoth. I believe that they have no intention of returning any of it. I further believe that they engineered my false arrest on June 11, 1997 primarily for the purpose of stealing this personal property.
They are holding my $2,000 Pentium 90 computer, including monitor, keyboard and mouse. This computer actually does not belong to me. It is the personal property of Richard Bozulich of Tokyo, Japan. Mr. Bozulich loaned me his computer and allowed me to use it so I could help him with his book publishing businesses, including The Ishi Press. Understandably, Mr. Bozulich has been demanding the return of his computer in view of the recent developments.
My wife, Dayawathie Rankoth, informed me a few days before my arrest that Dorchen Leidholdt of Sanctuary for Families, Inc. had come to our apartment at 1581 Park avenue, Apt. 4G and had removed all of my clothing, including my pants, shirts and dirty underwear. According to Dayawathie Rankoth, Dorchen Leidholdt had done this to use my clothing as evidence that I was living in the subject apartment. Actually, I have never disputed this point. To the contrary, Dorchen Leidholdt falsely alleged in the papers she filed that I was not living in the subject apartment.
In addition, I am told that after engineering my arrest, Dorchen Leidholdt removed all of my computer disks, including both CD ROMs and floppy disks. I assume that she has been looking at my data files on my computer disks so that she can find any evidence in connection with the cases that she has brought against me. Also, Dorchen Leidholdt has taken all of my personal papers and records which I had been keeping in the subject apartment.
In short, every article of clothing that I own or possess, with the exception of the clothing I was wearing at the time that I was arrested, has been taken by Dorchen Leidholdt. Furthermore, all of the personal papers and records that I was keeping in the apartment have been removed and possibly even destroyed.
However, by far the greatest importance is the Pentium computer, plus a smaller 386 computer that I had also been keeping in the apartment. This other computer was there primarily for my children, Michael, George and Anusha. The 386 computer is also on loan to me.
This Pentium computer contains all of my records and files on the hard disk. I need to access this material every day in order to make a living. In addition, I use this computer to maintain my more than 400 pages on the World Wide Web at www.ishipress.com . This web site provides valuable information to the public about organizations such as Sanctuary for Families, Inc. I get an average of between 5000-7000 hits per day on my web site.
I have set up this Pentium computer to access my Internet accounts and to maintain my web pages. Because of not having access to my computer, plus my false arrest by Dorchen Leidholdt and Sanctuary for Families, Inc., I have not been able to update my web pages and I have not been able to read my e-mail for nearly one month. My unread e-mail is in danger of expiring. The computer contains confidential Internet password information that might be wrongly used by a malicious person such as Dorchen Leidholdt.
I have tried to communicate through various intermediaries, including my legal counsel, with Dorchen Leidholdt and Dayawathie Rankoth my urgent need to obtain my computer, my clothing and my papers and records. So far, they have not responded. It does not appear that they have any intention of returning any of my personal property. Indeed, I believe that they sought to have me arrested was to stop me from getting my stuff back.
I am sending a copy of this letter to Dorchen Leidholdt. If she does not respond with the immediate return of my computers, my clothing and my personal records, I request that criminal proceedings be brought against her and against Dayawathie Rankoth for their theft of these items.
Very Truly Yours,
Ismael Sloan
349-97-13858
CC:
Dorchen Leidholdt
Sanctuary for Families, Inc.
105 Chambers Street
New York NY 10013
Kweku Vanderpuye
Legal Aid Society
80 Lafayette Street
New York NY 10013
Anthony M. Wilger
67 Wall Street, Suite 2411
New York NY 10005-3198
Officer Carmen Bonilla
23rd Police Precinct
102nd Street and Third Avenue
New York NY 10029
Richard Bozulich
CPO Box 2126
Tokyo, Japan