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Oakland Police Use Snitches To Go After Priest
Oakland CA--In a spate of non-ending attacks on St. Patrick's Abbey and Father Donald Weeks, the Oakland Police Department (OPD) dug up some snitches for their latest attack against the priest.
Oakland Officials tried to use Cary Verse as their poster child to convince voters to weaken Measure EE by allowing passage of the Nuisance Eviction Ordinance (NEO) to occur without a fight.
With Verse out of town and in San Jose, Councilman De La Fuente had investigators and his Police Goons go after Father Weeks with all guns blazing to dig up any dirt possible to be used against the priest.
Father Weeks is now being made into the new poster child for De La Fuentes sacrificial alter of dirty politics.
St. Patrick's Abbey at 3700 E. 12th Street, still has 26 men facing eviction at the hands of the dirty work being done by Oakland Officials and are at risk of becoming homeless.
An uncertain fate, now that Father Weeks has been arrested for trumped up charges resulting from the dirty work of nameless snitches provided by Oakland's notorious OPD.
Oakland Officials tried to use Cary Verse as their poster child to convince voters to weaken Measure EE by allowing passage of the Nuisance Eviction Ordinance (NEO) to occur without a fight.
With Verse out of town and in San Jose, Councilman De La Fuente had investigators and his Police Goons go after Father Weeks with all guns blazing to dig up any dirt possible to be used against the priest.
Father Weeks is now being made into the new poster child for De La Fuentes sacrificial alter of dirty politics.
St. Patrick's Abbey at 3700 E. 12th Street, still has 26 men facing eviction at the hands of the dirty work being done by Oakland Officials and are at risk of becoming homeless.
An uncertain fate, now that Father Weeks has been arrested for trumped up charges resulting from the dirty work of nameless snitches provided by Oakland's notorious OPD.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/2004/03/30/weeks30.DTL
Sex charges for Oakland priest who housed predator Verse
Bay City News Tuesday, March 30, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oakland police announced today that they have arrested the Rev. Donald Weeks of St. Patrick's Abbey for alleged unlawful sexual activity over what they describe as a lengthy period of time.
Oakland attorney John Burris, who has represented Weeks on other matters, said that Weeks, who is in his 60s, collapsed after being arrested today, apparently from a stress-related diabetic attack, and has been hospitalized.
Weeks runs a transitional housing program at St. Patrick's Abbey that came under scrutiny from Oakland officials several weeks ago when he agreed to house convicted sex offender Cary Verse. Verse moved out after staying at the facility for only a few days, but Oakland officials have asked Weeks and the approximately 24 residents there to move out because they say the facility is in violation of city zoning, fire and building codes.
Oakland Lt. Mike Yoell said in a news release that Oakland police investigators, members of the Alameda County S.A.F.E. task force and state parole agents served arrest and search warrants at the abbey at 11 a.m. today.
Yoell said the attention surrounding Verse's stay "provoked confidential informants to provide information to Oakland police investigators surrounding Father Weeks and his alleged involvement in unlawful sexual activity over a lengthy period of time.''
Yoell said, "Father Weeks was taken into Oakland police custody without incident. The search of his residence will continue for several hours.''
Copyright 2004 by Bay City News, Inc.
Sex charges for Oakland priest who housed predator Verse
Bay City News Tuesday, March 30, 2004
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oakland police announced today that they have arrested the Rev. Donald Weeks of St. Patrick's Abbey for alleged unlawful sexual activity over what they describe as a lengthy period of time.
Oakland attorney John Burris, who has represented Weeks on other matters, said that Weeks, who is in his 60s, collapsed after being arrested today, apparently from a stress-related diabetic attack, and has been hospitalized.
Weeks runs a transitional housing program at St. Patrick's Abbey that came under scrutiny from Oakland officials several weeks ago when he agreed to house convicted sex offender Cary Verse. Verse moved out after staying at the facility for only a few days, but Oakland officials have asked Weeks and the approximately 24 residents there to move out because they say the facility is in violation of city zoning, fire and building codes.
Oakland Lt. Mike Yoell said in a news release that Oakland police investigators, members of the Alameda County S.A.F.E. task force and state parole agents served arrest and search warrants at the abbey at 11 a.m. today.
Yoell said the attention surrounding Verse's stay "provoked confidential informants to provide information to Oakland police investigators surrounding Father Weeks and his alleged involvement in unlawful sexual activity over a lengthy period of time.''
Yoell said, "Father Weeks was taken into Oakland police custody without incident. The search of his residence will continue for several hours.''
Copyright 2004 by Bay City News, Inc.
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Ignacio is way out of control. He is abusing his power by sicking his police dogs and building inspector thugs on his rivals. What will he do if he runs for mayor? It makes me cringe just to think about Ignacio in a position of higher power. It's time for the people of the Fruitvale to kick the thug out of office.
Yeah. He also was pretty ridiculous last year when the police opened fire at the docks and he automatically defended them. The fruitvale people aren't going to vote him out of office though, because he is being populist. The alcoholics in the monastery, and the many people coming out of jail (far more numerous than Cary Verse) all need a place to go, and marin county and all other wealthy places will put up a stink, and always make Oakland the path of least resistance, so Oakland ends up with hundreds of ex-felons, and the people there don't like it and will also favor driving them out. which doesn't solve the problem of the nonintegration back into society, which makes reoffense more likely.
The Article about Ignacio De La Fuente, and the Nuisance Eviction Ordinance(NEO), includes coverage of Father Weeks' encounter with Ignacio De La Fuente and Lt Yoell.
http://www.indybay.org/poverty/#1942
Some background on why Lt Yoell is notorious for being abusive in the black community.
http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/03/1675690.php
Maybe their is more going on here between Lt Yoell, the OPD and Ignacio De La Fuente and the politicians. There is definitely some sinister collusion of sorts going on within these 2 stories, even the Chronicle story above seems to pick up on it.
But of course everyone knows that the struggle is over a better Oakland, where we can all have a place to live, and cops will be cops. It just sucks that they are trying so hard to push on certain communities in this community, and they will be pushing them right into prison, some shitty job, or the military. Not much choice there, other than to leave Oakland, or stay and fight the power.
See ya on the streets...
See ya April 6th at City Hall in Oakland at 5:45pm...
To Fight the NEO and ongoing Police Abuse
for more info check out links above...
See ya April 7th at Oakland Police Headquarters at 4pm,
then join Bikes not Bombs as they ride on West Oakland,
or join the march on the Port of Oakland starting at the West Oakland BART at 5pm
for more info check out:
http://www.indybay.org/antiwar/#1919
http://www.indybay.org/poverty/#1942
Some background on why Lt Yoell is notorious for being abusive in the black community.
http://www.indybay.org/news/2004/03/1675690.php
Maybe their is more going on here between Lt Yoell, the OPD and Ignacio De La Fuente and the politicians. There is definitely some sinister collusion of sorts going on within these 2 stories, even the Chronicle story above seems to pick up on it.
But of course everyone knows that the struggle is over a better Oakland, where we can all have a place to live, and cops will be cops. It just sucks that they are trying so hard to push on certain communities in this community, and they will be pushing them right into prison, some shitty job, or the military. Not much choice there, other than to leave Oakland, or stay and fight the power.
See ya on the streets...
See ya April 6th at City Hall in Oakland at 5:45pm...
To Fight the NEO and ongoing Police Abuse
for more info check out links above...
See ya April 7th at Oakland Police Headquarters at 4pm,
then join Bikes not Bombs as they ride on West Oakland,
or join the march on the Port of Oakland starting at the West Oakland BART at 5pm
for more info check out:
http://www.indybay.org/antiwar/#1919
OAKLAND
Priest who ran halfway house arrested
Minister helped predator -- now accused of abuse
Jim Herron Zamora and Kelly St. John, Chronicle Staff Writers Wednesday, March 31, 2004
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/03/31/WEEKS.TMP
The Oakland priest who drew widespread condemnation for sheltering convicted sexual predator Cary Verse earlier this month was arrested Tuesday amid accusations that he sexually abused a teenager who came to him several years ago for drug abuse counseling, authorities said.
The Rev. Donald Weeks, who has for five years run a halfway house for drug and alcohol addicts at St. Patrick's Abbey, was arrested at 11 a.m. at the abbey. The 60-year-old minister, who is diabetic, was briefly hospitalized after complaining of dizziness and pain and was to be booked into Oakland City Jail on Tuesday night.
Police and prosecutors would not disclose the specific charges against him, but Nancy O'Malley, chief assistant district attorney in Alameda County said Weeks could be arraigned as early as this afternoon.
"We don't have all the police reports yet, but we expect to charge him with multiple counts of sexual assault'' with a minor, she said.
Attorney John Burris, who is representing Weeks in a civil lawsuit against the City of Oakland alleging police brutality, said Weeks had known of the investigation before his arrest and denied wrongdoing.
"He has made it very clear that there has been no inappropriate contact with anyone under the age of 18,'' Burris said. "He has maintained that he is innocent of any criminal activity.''
Oakland police Lt. Mike Yoell said police had learned of the alleged crimes, said to have occurred when the victim was 16 or 17, about two weeks ago from an informant. Authorities later found the alleged victim, who is now 26 and confirmed the allegations.
"We had to track him down,'' Yoell said. "But he cooperated with the investigation.''
Neither Yoell nor O'Malley would discuss further details.
Donny Ratcliff, acting administrator and chaplain at the abbey, said Tuesday that the charges against Weeks were bogus and characterized his arrest as retribution for having briefly sheltered Verse earlier this month.
The alleged victim is a recovering drug abuser and friend of Weeks who spent five years at the abbey, Ratcliff said. He first met Weeks through one of Weeks' previous ministries, he said. Weeks ran the Holy Angels ministry at 9424 International Blvd. in Oakland from 1995 until 1999.
"This is really ridiculous," Ratcliff said. "By him taking this man under his wing, they are alleging this is something sexual when it wasn't."
Police and state parole agents arrived at the abbey at about 10 a.m. They removed Weeks' computer hard drive, personal papers, photographs, videotapes and a VCR, Ratcliff said.
"They went through his personal Bibles," Ratcliff said. "They tore up his bed. They went through his drawers. They were even looking in the toilet."
Ratcliff said Weeks' arrest had temporarily halted the abbey's relocation to 39th Avenue in Oakland.
"The person that wanted to rent to us is scared now," he said.
Weeks founded the abbey five years ago to serve as a transitional housing program for recovering drug addicts and alcoholics.
It housed about 24 residents and six church officials in relative anonymity in the Fruitvale District until Verse arrived March 11. His presence outraged neighbors and city officials, who took a closer look. Building inspectors subsequently found that building violated several building and zoning codes and ordered residents to move out.
Verse moved to San Jose on March 15.
E-mail the writers at jzamora [at] sfchronicle.com and kstjohn [at] sfchronicle.com.
Page B - 1
Priest who ran halfway house arrested
Minister helped predator -- now accused of abuse
Jim Herron Zamora and Kelly St. John, Chronicle Staff Writers Wednesday, March 31, 2004
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/03/31/WEEKS.TMP
The Oakland priest who drew widespread condemnation for sheltering convicted sexual predator Cary Verse earlier this month was arrested Tuesday amid accusations that he sexually abused a teenager who came to him several years ago for drug abuse counseling, authorities said.
The Rev. Donald Weeks, who has for five years run a halfway house for drug and alcohol addicts at St. Patrick's Abbey, was arrested at 11 a.m. at the abbey. The 60-year-old minister, who is diabetic, was briefly hospitalized after complaining of dizziness and pain and was to be booked into Oakland City Jail on Tuesday night.
Police and prosecutors would not disclose the specific charges against him, but Nancy O'Malley, chief assistant district attorney in Alameda County said Weeks could be arraigned as early as this afternoon.
"We don't have all the police reports yet, but we expect to charge him with multiple counts of sexual assault'' with a minor, she said.
Attorney John Burris, who is representing Weeks in a civil lawsuit against the City of Oakland alleging police brutality, said Weeks had known of the investigation before his arrest and denied wrongdoing.
"He has made it very clear that there has been no inappropriate contact with anyone under the age of 18,'' Burris said. "He has maintained that he is innocent of any criminal activity.''
Oakland police Lt. Mike Yoell said police had learned of the alleged crimes, said to have occurred when the victim was 16 or 17, about two weeks ago from an informant. Authorities later found the alleged victim, who is now 26 and confirmed the allegations.
"We had to track him down,'' Yoell said. "But he cooperated with the investigation.''
Neither Yoell nor O'Malley would discuss further details.
Donny Ratcliff, acting administrator and chaplain at the abbey, said Tuesday that the charges against Weeks were bogus and characterized his arrest as retribution for having briefly sheltered Verse earlier this month.
The alleged victim is a recovering drug abuser and friend of Weeks who spent five years at the abbey, Ratcliff said. He first met Weeks through one of Weeks' previous ministries, he said. Weeks ran the Holy Angels ministry at 9424 International Blvd. in Oakland from 1995 until 1999.
"This is really ridiculous," Ratcliff said. "By him taking this man under his wing, they are alleging this is something sexual when it wasn't."
Police and state parole agents arrived at the abbey at about 10 a.m. They removed Weeks' computer hard drive, personal papers, photographs, videotapes and a VCR, Ratcliff said.
"They went through his personal Bibles," Ratcliff said. "They tore up his bed. They went through his drawers. They were even looking in the toilet."
Ratcliff said Weeks' arrest had temporarily halted the abbey's relocation to 39th Avenue in Oakland.
"The person that wanted to rent to us is scared now," he said.
Weeks founded the abbey five years ago to serve as a transitional housing program for recovering drug addicts and alcoholics.
It housed about 24 residents and six church officials in relative anonymity in the Fruitvale District until Verse arrived March 11. His presence outraged neighbors and city officials, who took a closer look. Building inspectors subsequently found that building violated several building and zoning codes and ordered residents to move out.
Verse moved to San Jose on March 15.
E-mail the writers at jzamora [at] sfchronicle.com and kstjohn [at] sfchronicle.com.
Page B - 1
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