Rick Ross was interviewed by John Sweeney for his Scientology and Me BBC Panorama show. On the the show, Ross tried to downplay the information that has been posted about him on Religious Freedom Watch, falsely claiming that it was only about things that he had done in his youth, trying to make it seem petty that anyone would have reason to want to inform the public about such trivial things. Aside from the fact that Ross staged a phony jewelry heist with a buddy and made off with $100,000 worth of jewelry – and was later caught, he has also engaged in criminal kidnappings for hire as an adult. Ross may not believe this is a crime, but fortunately the authorities still do and he was arrested for this. Though he got off on the criminal case, he did not do so well when he was sued for the illegal kidnapping by the victim. The jury in the case was not impressed with Ross’s conduct and hit him with the largest known damages judgment in a kidnap deprogramming case (over $3 million in compensatory and civil damages). At the trial Ross testified that he had acted in this way in the past and would continue deprogramming in the future. In light of this, the line that Ross feeds the media, i.e. that he is a reformed criminal, does not hold water.
Ross’s statements in the media have been dishonest and misleading. His activities as an adult have been clearly against the law.
Anyone with information about any further criminal deprogrammings or any other illegal activity that Ross has been involved in should write to Religious Freedom Watch so that this can be documented and brought to the attention of the authorities.
I read your website for the first time after watching the BBC Panorama program, which did not impress me at all because it was, in my opinion, a one way street story, or rather a no story.
I am impressed with your website. Keep up the good work.
Sam