The Franklin Files

Shadowman · Senior Member

RE: Paul Bonacci

Shadowman · Senior Member

THE COURT: Okay. Exhibit 1 is received.

Q. (By Mr. DeCamp) Rusty, when did you leave Nebraska?

A. Which time?

Q. When did you leave Nebraska when you left Larry King? I don't know what to even ask I guess because I want to find out when you left.

A. Okay. I left Larry King, it would have, they got raided in November. I left I believe in May or June prior to that. Cause I knew something was wrong. I wanted no part of it. Did not know who I could trust. So I just kept my mouth quiet. I went, hid out on one of the abandoned farm places that we owned. And stayed there. I kept pretty much under wraps and then I went back to see some friends in Omaha, big mistake. Next thing I know, very shortly after that here comes the FBI knocking. They just basically came right in mom's house, period. She opened the screen door, they just pushed their way in. No search warrant, nothing. Went through the place. They came back, I wasn't home, they came back a week later. I met them at mom's place. They went through mom's place again. I mean, they went through it. They insisted that I take them over to my place. And they, I wanted a search warrant. They go, well, we can get one. We are, you know, it's better if you just let us do it. And, you know, being young I didn't know what to do. And that. You get flustered and they put you on the spot, so I let them come over. Showed them what I had. And that was pretty much it. They went through the bottom part of the house. They didn't go through the upstairs. I just told them it was my personal stuff up there, they didn't bother going up there. Didn't go through the outside buildings, nothing. After that I went out and pretty much from then on I went to just living in the van because they told me at that point that I'd best just shut up and be quiet. Be very wise to not be found. That's one of their parting statements. And I became quite worried. I went from one place to the next to the next. Often I would try not to spend more than three weeks in one place. Sometimes I would start feeling comfortable and then see if I could move in. And see if I could start a life. And ultimately somebody would pop up and remind me not to bring any of this up. They went as far as on my van, I bought a used van and got it registered, everything was okay, and next thing I know I was getting pulled over. Every time I got pulled over it came back as a two door vehicle, a two door car. So the cops would always pull me over thinking that I had wrong plates. So they could basically keep track of me wherever I went in the country. Id go to the DMV, have it supposedly switch it back, next thing I know I was getting stopped again. Moved to a different state, had it changed, told them when I got it registered that this is what the situation is. Oh, yeah, we got it taken care of. Next thing I know, getting pulled over for two door car. On a van.

THE COURT: We're going to take a recess now.

THE WITNESS: Okay.

THE COURT: For 15 minutes.

(10:33 to 10:49 a.m., recessed.)

THE COURT: Mr. DeCamp.

MR. DECAMP: Thank you, Your Honor.

Q. (By Mr. DeCamp) You understand, Rusty, you're still under oath?

A. Yes.

Q. You're under oath in a federal courtroom?

A. Yes.

Q. Federal judge. I want to go back just briefly to Chief Wadman.

A. Yes.

Q. The policeman in Omaha. Did you have any other opportunities to see him at parties or anywhere elsewhere there would have been a contact with you or Larry King or in the mix?

A. He had been there, I hadn't had personal contact with him. I'd seen him, you know, or he was pointed out as who he was to me. That way. And that's how I got to know basically who he was.

Q. So you're saying he was physically present at some of these parties?

A. Oh, yes.

Q. On more than one occasion?

A. Oh, yes.

Q. And you personally were with him in a limousine when Larry King, according to you, handed him this money?

A. I wasn't in his limousine, it was in his Mercedes, his white Mercedes.

Q. And the police chief himself physically personally told you not to worry or something like that?

A. Yeah.

Q. What did he say if you recall?

A. That was basically what the gist of it was. Larry expounded on that after he left. He was, basically he got it, he looked through, seen what was in the envelope. I hadn't seen what was in the envelope before he'd open it up. I could see what was in it. Pulled out enough to where I could see there was hundred dollar bills and a lot of them. And I knew Larry was very good about being quite generous, as he put it, to keep his affiliations. And he used to kill them with kindness. Somebody was bothering him with something or that he would just basically pad their pockets or whatever they, whatever their vice or their needs may be. Whether it be money, special gifts, whether the gifts be tangible merchandise or people. He just, he was good at arranging things and manipulating.

Q. Did he have any other methods of keeping people supporting him or not revealing some of his activities?

A. He'd get them in there, first off make them feel like they were. wanted. And, you
know, they deserved to be there and they were unwanted by the rest of the world and he
was basically their
guardian and savior. And then after you got in a while and he started to get his hooks
into you to where he was getting what he wanted, if you wanted to get away there were
some rather drastic threats made.

Q. What would those threats be?

A. He would either threaten bodily harm or in some cases actually went as far as to do away with people.

Q. Did he ever threaten you?

A. Oh, yes.

Q. Why?

A. Basically because I didn't want to play his game.

Q. What was his game?

A. He was pretty much, as far as I could tell, into the gay prostitution bit for politicians and wealthy businessmen. And that he had little kids and gay prostitutes. And it was never put in those words but, you know, a friend, go visit such and such. Or we're going to have a party, we'd like you to come. Or you're supposed to be here. He would get extremely upset if I was to be at a party and I would arrive, for some reason have to leave all of a sudden. Or not show up at all. And that was the thing there. He had on several occasions there was references he'd made to me where he would flat out say, well, I can tell you this because there's no way to prove it. It's your word against mine. I'm an influential business person. I've got clout. You're nobody so they're not going to believe you. And --

Q. Who told you that?

A. Larry King. And –

Q. Did you ever hear him telling somebody else that?

A. He's told various people that. That's just, it was very well known. And if it wasn't told directly by him it was --

Q. Do you know –

A. -- through some of the other people that worked with him.

Q. Do you know if he ever carried out any of those so-called threats that you talked about?

A. I know one he told me flat you out he did, it was taken care of. This was another deal I believe through Wadman. Where it was covered up to be made to look like a suicide.

Q. Who was that?

A. Chuck Rogers, I believe, Charlie Rogers.

Q. There was a Charlie Rogers?

A. Charlie Rogers. What happened was he had his head blown off with a shotgun. They said it was a suicide. Larry flat out told me they'd had it done to him. And that it was made to look like it. And made to be covered up as, that I could be taken out the exact same wayjust as easy if I didn't go along with everything.

Q. You're telling me that Larry King told you personally face to face that he had arranged the death or killing of Charlie Rogers?

Shadowman · Senior Member

. Yeah. And he threatened my life to boot. Since then I've had, in my travels I've had various instances where people have come up out of the blue, made references to Larry, to the credit union. I've received little notes on like windshield on my van or left on my driver's seat. Various places around. Usually it's an acorn with fire. I received one of these in El Cajon, California outside of San Diego one night. I was at a grocery store, I came back out and there was one of these on my windshield wiper.

Q. What is it?

A. It, it's usually a small piece of paper, two, three inches square and has like a doodling, looks like high school kids doodling or something like that. And it usually has an acorn with fire. That's something Larry used to do. And he told me that that basically just means drop it. Or you're going to get burned. And that's, he'd mentioned that on more than one occasion. I knew where it came from. And it was basically meant to cause to trigger an effect, you know. That straighten up and whatever. In many ways I believe it could be like Noreen mentioned, like multi personality, splitting off multi personalities. I believe Larry was into that very much. Especially with the kids that he abducted.

Q. Rusty, some of these things sound a little crazy.

A. Oh, yeah.

Q. Have you been examined by a psychiatrist?

A. Oh, yes. Dr. Beverly Brillsky.

Q. And you spent an incredible amount of time under investigation by Dr. Brillsky at the request of the state of Oregon, is that correct?

A. Eight and a half months.

Q. Is it not true that Dr. Brillsky found you completely sane and also believed your story of what you're telling right here?

A. Yeah.

Q. And for that reason you had to go to trial didn't you?

A. Yeah.

Q. I mean, you had to be, you ended up convicted?

A. Yeah, convicted of it. During this time at the Oregon state hospital in Salem, Dr. Beverly Brillsky told me in person there wasn't a thing wrong with me. The anxiety was one thing, but that could be very understandable under a situation like this. And a personality disorder is what she had to list because she had to put something. You know, she says this is something I can put on the report because I have to have something to justify my keeping you here this long. Because normally, when I was sent down there they told me to begin with I would be there three days. Okay. This was another thing finagled by Fishback. Ron Fishback, my public defender out there. There was some very interesting things. I couldn't get any cooperation hardly whatsoever from anywhere I would turn out there. Judge, whatever. While I was at the Oregon state hospital we would be allowed to go outside for an hour a day for rec. And on at least one occasion that I know of for sure I was videotaped by a car that did not belong there. Okay. The staff was notified. And they weren't able to catch the people. It was specifically of me who was videotaped as being there. I was in a part of the yard with no one else, that's where the camera was pointed to. So the other thing is on these little acorn and the fire like I mentioned before, I didn't get to that, I wanted to. In El Cajon after I received that I stayed in my van for a few minutes to gather myself back together because I was quite shaken. Pulled out of the parking lot and I hadn't drove but maybe a mile when I got shot at. And it was very, very close. Again I'd received another one of those notes up here in Oregon and I got shot at again. That was east of Eugene. That case they got the passenger's side mirror on my van. And I believe it was a red Corvette that actually what I was shot from. It took out the mirror. So, you know, there's just, coming here is really, I feel like I'm going out on a limb.

Q. So why did you come here?

A. Well, basically there's a lot of people who were put through absolute hell because –

Q. Of your participation in some of the things with Larry or what?

A. Well, not so much my participation.

Q. Your involvement?

A. Because I couldn't, I couldn't stop what I knew or had an idea what was going on.

Q. Your parents, are you talking about?

A. What's that?

Q. Are you talking about your parents having suffered?

A. Oh yeah, they have. But moreso the people that were involved like Paul Bonacci and some of the other kids. I've had privy to a lot of things most people would not. I've always been good at listening very attentively even though it may not look like it. And often times I could pull out things that were being said and why they were being said and put the parts together and make it fit. Because of the events that were transpiring. But, you know, it's, Id like to see everything straightened out. I don't think it ever actually can be. Because the stories have, they're enormous, the whole story of Franklin ordeal and everything involved with it. It's absolutely incredible. It's hard to believe. Most people if I mentioned anything about this to anybody, oh yeah, yeah, right, yeah, blow me off. And I would show them pictures of say the private jets or some of the things that happened, it was just like, I guess that could have happened. Sometimes I would take, and there were days when we'd go from one session to the next to the next to the next to the next. And that, on a private jet. And I'd just drop post card in the mail and there would be half a dozen post cards with the same date on them all over the country coming in. But, you know, it's just, Id like to be able to not have to look over my shoulder. Id like to get a new life. It pretty much, everything that's come about because of this has ruined what life I have had. You know, I don't know what actually is possible. I may just be hanging myself out on a limb right now.

Q. Have I in any way encouraged you to tell anything here that is not absolutely the truth?

A. No.

Q. Are you telling absolutely the truth?

A. Yes.

Q. You understand you're in federal oath?

A. Yes.

Q. In a federal courtroom?

A. Yes.

Q. And I asked you come even though we started out adversarial, as you recall, cause I came there to look at pictures to prove Franklin --

A. Yes.

Q. -- once with the State Patrol of Oregon?

A. And I was scared to death of having you there. That's when I was made to believe by Mr. Fishback and the rest that I should keep Mr. John DeCamp as far away from as possible from me. This is what I've been told ever since day one after the place had been raided. Was you do not get even close to this man.

Shadowman · Senior Member

Q. Did you have an opportunity to have any other pictures that were not seized by the patrol?

A. Oh, yes.

Q. Where are they?

A. Some were given to the FBI, some were given to Gary Caradori, that's basically what I had given him was what made him decide that he had enough to --

Q. Where did you give them to him? Did you meet him personally?

A. Yes.

Q. Where did you meet him?

A. Actually there were a couple of different occasions. I'd given him a little bit prior to July. Location I can't remember exactly where I gave those to him.

Q. Was it here?

A. It was in Nebraska.

Q. Did you give anything to him outside of Nebraska?

A. Shortly after the 4th of July I believe it was the day that he was killed.

Q. Where were you then?

A. Out by Chicago.

Q. What did you give him?

A. A lot of pictures. Some computer disks. Paperwork. A wide variety of everything.

Q. You're telling us under oath that you met and gave materials to Gary Caradori in Chicago that did what?

A. Well, it would have, if it would have got here, probably blew everything wide open. Instead he's now dead, along with his son.

Q. Do you remember what the pictures were?

A. Various people at parties of Larry King's. Some things they'd done, the drugs, stuff like that. Things that could possibly use to incriminate somebody or blackmail someone. That'ssomething, I've been in the photography for the art end of it. And if it, if I had something that I felt would be detrimental to somebody I always made sure that it was either kept away or destroyed. That I never wanted harm to come to anybody. From, from pictures that I had taken.

Q. From your contact with Larry King did you know if he has any assets, assets, money, property?

A. He was adamant having blind accounts, mainly in the Cayman Islands. I believe they were arranged for through contacts from his wife, I believe her parents were doctors in the Cayman Islands. And there were things that were said, I didn't quite get the gist of everything on it. I did have a list of account numbers at one time. He would buy rather pricey things at times, whether it be jewelry or such. Put money, stuff like that. And he also had a large supply of cash that he'd keep, I don't know exactly where at this point. But that was just in case something happened, he needed to get away, he always had something to go on. He mentioned that. It was the only wise thing to do. He always made himself out to be this astute businessman who was upstanding citizen, all this and that. But every once in a while in complete private just one on one with him then he would let his guard down and say something or other.

Q. Okay, Rusty, I'm about done. Just a final couple of questions. You've told a pretty incredible tale here today.

A. Uh-huh.

Q. Touched, essentially you've said, for example, that Larry King killed or arranged the killing of a man named Charlie Rogers, is that right?

A. Yes, that's what he told me.

Q. You said Mr. Wadman, for example, was

A. He's on the take.

Q. And was not telling the truth about you when, and was covering up your relationship with King.

A. Yeah.

Q. When the legislature was trying to find out, is that correct? You've said there's parties that Wadman and you said Alan Baer I believe, Larry King and other prominent people were at?

A. Yes.

Q. Do you know that a girl is in prison named Alisha Owen for, I don't know, 10 or 15 years for saying she had a relationship with Mr. Wadman, saying, for example, that she went to these parties and they occurred and they occurred at the Twin Towers and Larry King and Alan Baer were there and are you aware of that?

A. Yeah. Yes, I was aware of her being in prison for that. And as far as Alisha Owen, I knew of her existence and that. As far personal contact of my own, I do not remember any at this point. If I got to look through my pictures if they still exist I may be able to find some. At one point somebody had said that I had taken some, I did not know if it was me or the other photographer that was posing as me. So --

Q. Do you have a scar on your right shoulder?

A. There might be a small indention, if I remember right. No major scar.

Q. Do you have anything you want to add? Any information at all you want to impart?

A. Well, first off, the lady that, at the, I'm trying to remember her name, that had the daughter at the Twin Towers that originally made the report and stated that I had, you know, just a small blond mustache and that, as far as I can remember I've never had a beard shorter than that except for the time that I spent in the Army. And as soon as I got out of the Army I've had a beard ever since, there's not been a day it's been off.

MR. DECAMP: May approach the witness, Your Honor?

THE COURT: You may.

Q. (By Mr. DeCamp) Will you show me that picture? Is that one of the ones that was in this suitcase?

A. Yes, it was.

Q. And this is you back at the time when you were with Larry King?

A. I believe that was actually in the apartment.

Q. Which apartment?

A. 3B on Twin Towers.

MR. DECAMP: Your Honor, I'd like to offer this in evidence.

THE COURT: It may be marked.

Q. (By Mr. DeCamp) And you identified some other pictures of Larry King in Washington for example. Is the note -

MR. DECAMP: The witness is writing something, Your Honor.

A. On the back of this as far as I can remember I put who the people are.

Q. (By Mr. DeCamp) And who are the people?

A. The man with the dark looks like Navy blue suit with the red tie and white shirt, that is Larry King. The man with the light blue suit behind him is a Dr. Waterman. Next to that, the lady in the colorful coat is I believe his cousin and that was his attorney at the credit union. And then the two guys were basically some of Larry's playmates.

Q. Okay. And where would this picture have been taken?

A. I believe it was in New York City or possibly Washington, D. C..

Q. And when would it have been taken?

A. Probably the spring of 1988.

MR. DECAMP: Your Honor, I'd like to offer that into evidence.

THE COURT: It will be marked, is it Exhibit 3?

THE CLERK: Exhibit 3.

THE COURT: All right. Exhibits 2 and 3 are received.

Q. (By Mr. DeCamp) There were some big pictures of Larry King and some place -- do you know where they are?

A. There.

Q. What is this picture?

A. That is Larry King at the black history museum, I think that's the name of it. In Harlem, it's in New York City.

Q. And you would have been with him?

A. Along with, Dr. Waterman and, let's see, trying to think. There was a bunch of us. The attorney.

Shadowman · Senior Member

Q. How would you have traveled there?

A. The private jet.

Q. Whose private jet?

A. Larry's, Larry chartered one or had one.

Q. Did you frequently travel on this jet with him?

A. Quite often.

Q. And where all did you travel, do you remember?

A. Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, DC, New Orleans.

Q. Sometimes have children on the airplane?

A. Yes.

Q. Young people?

A. Yeah.

Q. How young?

A. There was one situation went back to Washington, D. C. he had probably 10, 12 years old.

Q. Boys, girls?

A. Both.

Q. And this would have been what year approximately you took this, you know?

A. That would have been the spring of 88.

MR. DECAMP: May I offer this in evidence, Your Honor?

THE COURT: About when did you say, what was the date?

THE WITNESS: Spring of 88.

THE COURT: 88.

Q. (by Mr. DeCamp) And do you recognize this picture?

THE COURT: Exhibit 4 is received.

A. That's inside his mansion at Embassy Row in Washington, D. C.

Q. (By Mr. DeCamp) When you say his mansion, whose mansion?

A. Larry King's.

Q. And were you in that mansion?

A. Yeah. I stayed upstairs at, my room was in straight up from the stairway.

Q. What did you do there?

A. Take pictures of everything from flower garden to parties.

Q. There were parties there?

A. Oh, yes.

Q. Who attended the parties?

A. Prominent business people, very prominent high ranking government officials, politicians. The younger people. Usually what would transpire was they would have a party and then a party after the party type of deal. And that was pretty much it.

Q. I'm not sure I understand a party and then a party after the party. What's the party after the party?

A. The party after the party was more of a sex type deal. That's what Larry would --
Q. These old politicians were having sex with each other?

A. Or people that Larry would bring.

Q. Who were these people Larry brought for them?

A. Some younger people. Some of these playmates or pals that Larry had acquired. He'd have different people in different cities. Like in Minneapolis, that was very popular for him at that time was to go up to Minneapolis, The Gay 90's was a club up there that he frequented.

Q. Did you take pictures of these parties?

A. I took pictures at some of the parties, yes. When it got to where they'd do, get into sexual stuff and that I tried to avoid doing things like that though that I didn't want used against people. And didn't want to get myself tangled in to it. So I would make whatever excuse to try to avoid it whenever possible.

MR. DECAMP: Your Honor, may I offer this?

THE COURT: Exhibit 5 is received.

MR. DECAMP: Thank you, Your Honor.

Q. (By Mr. DeCamp) You mentioned parties, pictures, a lot of pictures apparently took for Larry?

A. Oh, yes.

Q. Is that correct? When I was in Oregon during the 45 minutes I had I saw more pictures than I thought could exist in a whole museum in a lifetime. And diaries apparently written by you, is that correct?

A. Yes. I always kept notebooks. I have a full sized one similar to this numbered from I to 28 so I have every hour of the day. And for the most part I've tried to keep them accurate unless I was doing something to where it may come back and haunt me. Like providing things for Gary Caradori or things like that I would cover the diary up by doing something so if somebody picked it up to read through it they wouldn't see that I was the one who provided something and Id be tracked down.