By Richard Leiby Sun Staff writer

CLEARWATER State prosecutors believe two men, acting on instruction from the Church of Scientology, recently set up local front businesses so that members could make harassing phone calls and conduct other illegal activities without being linked to the sect.

Documents filed Friday in circuit court by the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office, suggest the activities occurred within the past six months and may be ongoing The alleged front groups are not identified in the: documents.

The men who. set up the the companies, according to prosecutors, are John Bittner and Charles "Chuck" Nelson, also known as Paul Daniels. They are reputed to be members of the church, but a local spokesman said he had never heard of them.

The allegations are revealed in a transcript of questions put to Scientology "guardian" Douglas Sadwick, who was sentenced to 90 days in jail earlier this week for refusing to co operate in State Attorney James T. Russell's probe of Scientologists alleged crimes.

Prosecutors brought an additional contempt-of-court charge, against Sadwick Friday, and a circuit Judge ordered him to appear in court next week to show cause for his, refusal to answer a series of questions. The questions asked during an interrogation Monday, relate to Sadwick's work in the churches Information Bureau, which he heads its files and activities.

The alleged activities prosecutors want to know about include burglary, illegal electronic surveillance and extortion, according to the transcript.

Investigators believe Bittner and Nelson . were instructed by the, sect to., "rent certain places", establish "phony businesses," and secure telephones for use by members of the Information Bureau.

That way calls could be, made "that would not reflect back to the telephone numbers of the Church of Scientology., for the purpose, of making harassing telephone calls and for other purposes." the transcript states.

Prosecutors' questions indicate the activities occurred within the past six months. At one point during Sadwick's. questioning, a prosecutor said, "We are talking about, events that occurred, or for that matter we beleive. are occurring that constitute violations of the felony laws of the State of Florida."

Sadwick, who has been, granted blanket immunity, refused to state whether he knew, Bittner or Nelson or or knew of files in his office regarding their activities.

Local Scientology spokesman Milt Wolf said Friday that he was also asked about Bittner and Nelson when he was questioned by prosecutors last month.

"I told them I never heard their names and I didn't even know that these people exist," Wolfe said. Wolfe was also found in contempt for refusing to answer questions in the investigation and sentenced to 45 days in jail. He is free pending appeal.

Sadwick was originally found in contempt 10 days ago when he refused to supply an employe roster of the Information Bureau, formerly called the Intelligence Bureau. Sadwick is free on bond pending appeal of his contempt. citation and three-month jail term.

Before he was sentenced by Circuit Judge John S. Andrews Monday, Sadwick was interrogated for about an hour. The transcript shows. that he refused on constitutional grounds to answer nearly every question, including:

* Who directed him to come to Clearwater in late March?

* Who he replaced as head of the Information Bureau?

* What other positions he had held in Scientology.

* Who is his immediate underling in the bureau?

* Whether he was ever briefed on the nature of his current duties?

Assistant State Attorney Allen Alweiss said Friday that Sadwick's refusals represented a "clear pattern of obstruction."

At one point during the questioning, Sadwick, who says he is a Scientology minister, invoked the priest-penitent confidentiality rule.

The transcript shows a prosecutor was puzzled about how that applied to the question of whether Sadwick had been briefed on his duties.

"I am talking about crimes," the prosecutor states in the transcript. "I am talking about burglaries. I am talking about illegal electronic surveillance. I am talking about extortion plots, things of that nature. If you received a briefing about that, would that have been a priest-penitent relationship?

Sadwick's attorney has argued that his client's refusal to. answer questions is based on the First Amendment freedoms of religion and association and other constitutional rights. The questions create a "chilling effect" on Scientologists' rights to practice their religion, he, argues.

Sadwick may get another jail term for refusing to answer the questions if Andrews finds him in direct contempt of Court. Andrews ordered Sadwick to appear in court at 1: 15 p.m. next Friday to defend his refusal.

-END-

I'd prefer to die speaking my mind than live fearing to speak. The only thing that always works in scientology are its lawyers The internet is the liberty tree of the new millennium Secrets are the mortar binding lies as bricks together into prisons for the mind Support http://www.lermanet.com - mentioned 4 January 2000 in The Washington Post's - 'Reliable Source' column re "Scientologist with no HEAD"

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