Boot camp leader headed to court for kidnapping

[Reptorian]

PASADENA - Boot camp instructor and at-risk youth advocate Kelvin "Sarge" McFarland will head to court June 13 on charges of false imprisonment, extortion, child abuse, unlawful use of a badge and kidnapping a 14-year-old girl.

McFarland is accused of handcuffing the victim on May 16 and transporting her to a family member's home, where he allegedly extorted $100 from the family by insisting that the girl was truant from school and should be enrolled in McFarland's Family 1st Growth Camp, according to Lt. Phlunte Riddle of the Pasadena Police Department.

"(The family) paid him for the boot camp," she said. "They thought they didn't have a choice."

McFarland's attire, which included a shirt with a one-inch mock badge emblazoned on his chest, led the family to believe he was a truant officer with the Pasadena Unified School District, she said.

But it was "his vernacular, the way (McFarland) spoke" that ultimately convinced the family to pay the boot camp instructor, said police Lt. Tracey Ibarra.

Questions about McFarland's story surfaced when the victim's father met with PUSD officials days later, Ibarra said.

"(The father) went to the school to ask whether the schools were involved, believing it to be a truancy issue," she said. "The district determined that the parents should contact the Pasadena police."

Police believe McFarland, who remains in custody on $285,000 bail, may have run the scam on other families in
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the city, Riddle said.

Former Pasadena mayor and McFarland's lawyer Bill Paparian blasted the Pasadena Police Department for commenting on the case and sullying the reputation of "well respected" member of the community.

"It is unfortunate that the police department is making statements publicly," Paparian said. "It's certainly not consistent from what I have come to expect from the Pasadena Police Department. I am not going to discuss specifics of the case publicly. It's going to be addressed in court."

McFarland has a record of arrests stretches back 20 years.

In 2000, he was arrested in West Covina and charged with one count of misdemeanor battery. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 60 days in jail and was placed on three years non-supervised probation, according to Sandi Gibbons, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman.

In 2005, McFarland was arrested in Pomona for driving under the influence, driving while having .08 blood alcohol and driving with a suspended license, all misdemeanors. He pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license. McFarland was sentenced to one year for the DUI, Gibbons said.

In 2009, McFarland was arrested in Pomona for one count of driving with a suspended license. He pleaded no contest on June 3 of this year to driving with a suspended license and sentenced to jail 34 days, Gibbons said.

In 1991, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor open alcohol container, driving while impaired and speeding, both traffic infractions, according to court records.

McFarland's record cost him a job a Sarge's Community Based Training, another boot camp for troubled teens in Pasadena and Altadena. its director said Tuesday.

"I fired him because he couldn't pass a criminal background check," said Keith "Sarge" Gibbs, who owns and operates Sarge's Community Based Training.

Gibbs said he parted ways with McFarland close to two years ago.

Paparian said McFarland "up into this point has enjoyed a very positive relationship with judges and with high ranking officials in this community."

Supporters of McFarland and his program said the boot camp instructor plays an "instrumental role" in reforming wayward teens, especially those who have been seduced by gang life.

"I used to be a gang member, he took me out of that," said David Robledo, a 16-year-old Pasadena cadet in McFarland's program. "I used to be a drug addict and he took me out of that. He is my role model."

Family 1st Growth Camp board member Elpidio Estolaf said he was aware of some of McFarland's past indiscretions and said those incidents don't reflect the strides McFarland has made in his life.

"He has had some issues in the past in terms of alcoholism in the past...a person can change," Estolaf said.

[.Manicrose.]

FINISH HIM

[flann]

I'm in So. Cal, so I heard this in the news awhile ago. Sounded like a mass brainwash to me. And then people started backing the guy up and I was like 'It's working'

Edit:

@ .Manicrose.

[Amortisatie]

.Manicrose. Wrote:FINISH HIM

Well said

[Aya]

This is what happens when stupid people have kids. Don't get me wrong, I sympathize with the victim. But had the parents known their rights this would've never happened. Or at the very least it would've ended when he brought the girl home.

A simple understanding of US law (including the constitution) would've made these parents aware that:

1)You can not be punished for a crime (I.e bootcamp) without being first first convicted
2) You can not be convicted without being first tried in a court setting
3) You can not be tried for a crime without first a formal charge and after recieving said charge have access to counsel
4) You can not be subjected to cruel or unusual punishment. Boot camp is unusual no matter what your crime is, and most juvy systems won't initiate it unless the offender volunteers. And being sent to boot camp for a first offend is cruel no matter what you think of the camps themselves.
5) No officer under any circumstance may solicit money from citizens.





Knowledge is power. Those who don't have that power are presto those who do.

[TheCancer]

Quote:This is what happens when stupid people have kids.

Amen. In fact, that goes for the whole 'boot camp' phenomenon. Stupid people having their stupid kids sent to a stupid place run by stupid people.

[The Desert Fox]

Fuck. Yes.

[momsi]

Poor kids! He should be punished for what he did.

[momsi]

by the way, is there any news thread for this guy? I wanted to read more on what he did

[Blobthe15]

http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_18225855

Original link

[Sunbourn]

Quote:Former Pasadena mayor and McFarland's lawyer Bill Paparian blasted the Pasadena Police Department for commenting on the case and sullying the reputation of "well respected" member of the community.

Quote:McFarland has a record of arrests stretches back 20 years.

lol, nice try, but I'd go with another defense.

[IllusoryDeath]

Amortisatie Wrote:

.Manicrose. Wrote:FINISH HIM

Well said

Ohhoho yes.