Oakland slum-lord hotel owner goes to prison for arson plot - Bay Area Indymedia
Oakland slum-lord hotel owner goes to prison for arson plot
By Lynda Carson -- August 31, 2011
Oakland - After pleading guilty on June 22 to one count of solicitation to commit arson, notorious Oakland hotel owner Richard Earl Singer, a wealthy Tiburon slum-lord millionaire, was sentenced to 27 months in prison earlier today for hiring someone to burn down his hotel. Singer was also fined $60,000 and upon release from prison will be on parole for three years.
Singer was arrested after federal authorities were tipped off about the arson plot, and the scheme to burn down the Hotel Menlo (a.k.a. Menlo Hotel) was stopped after two informants contacted federal authorities and told them that Singer wanted to hire someone to burn down the hotel. One of the informants assisted federal authorities involved in the investigation.
According to federal officials, on or about January 10, 2011, Singer did knowingly and with intent attempt to hire someone to burn down the occupied low-income residential hotel owned by Singer at that time.
Allegedly, Singer handed over a check for $1,500 so the arsonist could buy the materials needed to burn down the hotel, and he agreed to pay the arsonist an additional $63,500 around 48 hours after the hotel burned down. Federal officials said that Singer wanted to collect a maximum insurance payment.
A few days before Singer was sentenced, former hotel resident Wade Mcallister said, "I lived at the Menlo Hotel for three years, and was the initiator of a lawsuit against Richard Singer and the Menlo Hotel. I believe that he placed my life and the lives of other tenants at risk and in serious danger, and I hope that justice is served. I hope they give him life in prison for his malicious actions."
Camellia Rougeaux, a former employee of Singer at the Menlo Hotel and Ridge Hotel, said, "Richard Singer is as crooked as a three dollar bill. I think that he should get the maximum sentence, and be forced to volunteer with low-income individuals because he does not care about people, and is only out to make money."
According to a federal affidavit dated Jan. 13, 2011, it says that two people informed federal authorities about the arson plot involving Singer, and that one of the informants used to work for the management company operating the Menlo Hotel for Singer. The affidavit also says that the informant that worked at the Menlo Hotel revealed to federal authorities that he is currently facing charges for embezzling funds from the Girl Scouts in Monterey County. A police report reflects allegations by the Girl Scouts of overpayment of payroll checks for around $52,000, and unauthorized credit charges of approximately $1,800, according to the affidavit.
As recent as Aug. 24, the Ventura County Reporter covered the story about a press release from the Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast, revealing that a former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) named Samuel Manning, is facing charges for embezzling more than $50,000 during his employment with the Girl Scouts.
A story also appeared on the front page of The Salinas Californian earlier today about Samuel Manning, the ex-CFO of the Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast, for embezzling over $50,000 from the Girl Scouts.
Additionally, in a dispute between Bleyle Elevator, Inc., and the Menlo Hotel, an April 2, 2010 letter from Curtis Bleyle of Bleyle Elevator, Inc., to Richard Singer, including Ryan Nathan, Samuel Manning, and Joel McCall of the management company RMD Services, threatened to cancel it's services because the elevators allegedly were being operated in an unsafe manner at the Menlo Hotel. RMD Services used to manage the Menlo Hotel, and Samuel Manning worked for RMD Services at the hotel.
The same Samuel Manning from the Menlo Hotel, is the same Samuel Manning facing charges for embezzling more than $50,000 from the Girl Scouts, and is scheduled for a jury trial in Monterey County on 9/12/2011, case number CRSS092209A. Click here... http://tinyurl.com/3h7t3rd
Both the Menlo Hotel and Ridge Hotel faced lawsuits due to uninhabitable conditions, while Singer was the owner.
Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com
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Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHx_UohG14rotDGnzAMCG7hgFA2wQ&url=http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/08/31/18689205.php
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