Thread: IL-Kenyan refugees or con artists? Carmelite sisters give $8

Kenyan refugees or con artists? Carmelite sisters give $800,000 to couple

By Steve Schmadeke | Tribune reporter
March 19, 2009

A married Near North Side couple claiming to be Kenyan refugees whose lives were in danger managed to scam more than $800,000 from an order of Carmelite sisters in Wisconsin, federal agents allege.

Angela Purity Martin-Mulu, 35, and Edward Bosire, 39, also took nearly $20,000 from a Carmelite monastery in Des Plaines, according to an FBI affidavit filed in Milwaukee.

The two are being held in the federal lockup in Chicago on a mail fraud charge and are due in court in Chicago on Friday. They are awaiting a hearing on facing the charges in Milwaukee.

The husband-and-wife team posed as brother and sister, accepting meals, gas for their car, cash and other aid even though one Illinois bank account held by Martin-Mulu registered $582,831 in deposits from 2003 to 2008, according to the affidavit. At least $24,000 was spent in casinos.

"You feel like you've been stepped on," said Mother Marie Andre, superior at the Carmelite monastery in Des Plaines. The two were apparently targeting Carmelite ministries—Martin-Mulu had a national list of them in her purse when she was detained by security at the Empress Casino in Joliet last year, according to the FBI.

Andre said the two sat in her office, at times sobbing as they told hard-luck stories involving insurance problems, auto repairs and other pressing expenses. As they did in Wisconsin, they said their father was a high-ranking Kenyan official whose life was in danger and they had fled illegally to the U.S., she said.

They said they would face certain death if deported. The FBI determined that the two were in the U.S. legally.

Martin-Mulu and Bosire arrived at the Carmelite monastery in Pewaukee, Wis., in late 2004 and began receiving help shortly after. The couple received checks to pay for treatments for medical conditions Martin-Mulu alleged they had, such as pneumonia, malaria and tuberculosis. There was no record of such care at Northwestern Memorial Hospital or a Wisconsin hospital where the two said they were treated, according to the FBI.

There also was no record they attended Roosevelt University, even though they had sought money from the monastery for tuition and fees.

sschmadeke@tribune.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... 4958.story

Ah, those magical Kenyan genes - "Yes, you can; Yes, you can!" (have anything you want if you want it badly enough - evidently).

praying on the church's that are bending over backwards to give them amnesty

you get what you pay for church's of this former great nation that has been reduced to rubble from criminal politicians and the Banksters

If you are goofy enough to believe these people then I guess you are fair game just like the rest of us

As a Catholic, I feel so helpless when giving to my church collections. I know that a lot of truly charitable work is done but then also there is this. Just where did the order get its money? From those who contribute in all the church services every Sat and Sun all across America. At one time I felt as if I was doing as the Bible asked of me as a Christian but now I am often suspicious where that contribution will end up. For instance, in my diocese there was an interest in starting a Haitian refugee center. Curiously, there are no Haitian refugees in my region. Not to worry, the church will just import some!

And for those who are Protestant, many of the denominations are going insane over who can smuggle illegals into this country the most. One friend has told me how disgusted he is over his church playing that game. They have an "Underground Railway" to move Mexicans from Texas to the North East. We have everyone working against this country now from schools to government to churches. Can the end for us be far off?

Seems to me they deserve what they got thier pandering to illegals is not my fault it is their own fault they knew these people were here Illegally.

A married Near North Side couple claiming to be Kenyan refugees whose lives were in danger managed to scam more than $800,000 from an order of Carmelite sisters in Wisconsin, federal agents allege.

Didn't the Carmelite sisters think something was up when they donated almost a million dollars to just 2 people?

As a Catholic and long-time supporter of the Carmelite nuns....I am absolutely outraged at this story...my heart breaks. The Carmelite's are devout women of charity....their innocent goodness and life-long commitment to help those in need made them easy marks for these horrible, evil people. They were simply outwitted by purposeful, evil, greedy criminals...and I do hope that the silver lining is that Catholics will be more questioning regarding the recipients of their charity......at the very least if charity is given to take care of emergency needs....verify with the providers, and pay them directly (utilities, hospitals, doctors) .....that would probably avoid much of this type of criminal activity and heartache.

I can't even comment anymore on this....tears are flowing This is sad.