CHAPTER 20: TROY BONER STEPS FORWARD
Under immense pressure from the F.B.I., Troy Boner recanted the testimony he had provided Gary Caradori, about the criminal activities of some of Omaha's elite citizens. His recantation was crucial to the Douglas County Grand Jury's findings of July 1990, that all the charges of child sexual abuse and related criminal activity was a "carefully crafted hoax."
Later, a conscience-stricken Troy sought me out and re-stated his original charges. His story was recorded in an affidavit he swore before a notary public on October 27, 1993. This affidavit is printed in full below.
***
Troy Boner, being first duly sworn, does depose and say of his own knowledge and experience as follows:
REASONS FOR THIS AFFIDAVIT:
I am making this affidavit freely and voluntarily and for the protection of myself and my family now and in the future; second, because it is right to do; and finally, because I want to undo some of the damage and injury I have caused and to help force legitimate and honest investigations of such matters as my brother's death, Gary Caradori's death and all circumstances surrounding my allegations herein, particularly the allegations that I lied to the grand jury and at the Alisha Owen trial but that such lies were caused by others including particularly the F.B.I. I, and my mother and family, are exhausted from living in fear of death or injury as a result of my personal involvement in the Franklin matters which ended up in my testifying at the Grand Jury hearings as well as at the Alisha Owen Trial. I lied at the Grand Jury hearings and I lied at the Alisha Owen trial. I lied when I "recanted" my original testimony to Gary Caradori. I lied because I truly believed and still do believe that it was a situation where I must either "lie or die," and at the insistence primarily of the Federal Bureau of Investigation officials who were dealing with me at that time, specifically Mr. Mott and Mr. Culver.
The purpose of this affidavit, very simply, is to provide John De Camp the information he requires to file an action seeking protection for me and for my family from various individuals and the F.B.I. so that my true story can be told without fear of death or injury to myself or my family and so that others in a similar situation to myself can also come forward safely and tell their stories which I believe will prove very clearly that what I am saying in this affidavit is true. I am also certain now that only by telling the truth as openly and publicly as I can will I ever stand a chance of providing protection for myself and my family for the future. I have asked John De Camp to do whatever is necessary to seek Witness Protection, including Federal Witness Protection if possible, for myself and my mother and my pregnant fiancee and child-to-be. Yes, I know full well the very great risk I run by taking this action but I and my mother and family can not go on the way we are and I can not live with myself unless I take this action.
I will be as brief as possible in this affidavit but I will also try to answer the questions that have to be answered in the situation I am in.
WHY JOHN DE CAMP IS MY ATTORNEY FOR THIS UNDERTAKING:
I know some of the people I am accusing in this affidavit, and the legal action accompanying it, will immediately claim that John De Camp somehow contacted me and convinced me to take this action for his purposes. So he has told me.
The exact opposite is true. Never have I spoken with John De Camp prior to this and he has never contacted me directly or indirectly. I had a friend of mine contact John De Camp several weeks ago and bring him to a meeting with me and my family at a secret location. At the time, John De Camp did not even know he was coming to meet me or my family. He thought he was being brought to meet a girl who needed representation on some matter. I searched him before our meeting began. We both agreed -- with my entire family present -- that anything said at the meeting could not and would not be recorded or ever used against me or to hurt me by John De Camp if I did not want to go ahead with this action. He agreed. I proceeded, along with my mother, to detail for John De Camp the fact that I had lied; why I had no choice but to lie; and many other facts. I then asked John De Camp whether he would represent me in helping to correct matters. I told him I went to him not because I liked him or knew him but because I felt he was the only honest one in this entire mess who could and would do something about my situation and who would not back down when the going got tough and who would "stick by me thru thick and thin if I (Troy) was telling the truth absolutely." He promised to do this so long as I told the truth and would agree to comply with any lie detector or other truth test he or any legitimate investigative officials might ask for no matter what and so long as I and my family were doing this action not for money damages but for our safety and to get the truth told and myself and my mother and other kids protected.
John De Camp also told me that he could not and would not represent me and my family in this effort if he, De Camp, believed that I was lying or if he believed he had any conflict of interest between myself and any other clients of his, specifically Alisha Owen and Paul Bonacci. After researching and investigating what I, Troy Boner, had told him, De Camp said he would represent me and my family on a Pro Bono basis seeking only such compensation for representation as a Court might provide him. He also agreed to assist in any way he could personally in helping procure a secure and safe environment for me and my fiancee and child-to-be and to procure such other assistance for us as was possible thru social agencies or other groups or government agencies able to assist me and my family. He specifically refused in advance to provide any personal financial assistance in any way saying that he felt that would raise questions as to the correctness of his work on this case. I have included this information in this affidavit at his, De Camp's, request, to answer in advance questions he said others would ask.
MY ORIGINAL STORY TO GARY CARADORI:
What I told Gary Caradori in the original taped interviews Gary had with me was the truth. It is still the truth. From about age 14 to 17, I was seriously involved in sexual and drug and related activities with a wide range of individuals but primarily and specifically Alan Baer, Larry King, Robert Wadman, Peter Citron, Eugene Mahoney, and others of prominence and wealth whom I will identify for any legitimate investigative officials who seriously wish to correct the problems and stop the conduct these individuals are and were engaged in rather than cover up that conduct.
It has been repeatedly publicly stated that my story and the stories told by Alisha Owen, Paul Bonacci, and a large number of other young people not previously identified who were simply intimidated from talking or who were ridiculed, were a "Carefully Crafted Hoax." The stories were not a hoax. The only carefully crafted thing that occurred was in fact the cover-up of the facts and the subsequent conviction of Alisha Owen and the original Grand Jury Investigation. In short, there was a carefully crafted cover-up by the very people who were supposed to be exposing the conduct of these people rather than covering it up. And, yes, I was a very, very critical element in that cover-up but that participation by me was done because of threat and promise made to me primarily from the F.B,I., and Mr. Mark Delman, the attorney arranged for me by others.
I repeat. The original story I told on taped interview to Gary Caradori was in fact substantially the truth and substantially accurate. I say substantially because I am sure on some points I exaggerated and on some points I did not remember exactly the date or place or time of this or that event or particular person or persons involved. But, specifically, the material and substantive facts about the (1) Parties that took place at Twin Towers; (2) the use of myself and other children as drug couriers for Alan Baer and Larry King, (3) the involvement of Alisha Owen at the parties and as a drug courier also and her involvement with former Omaha Police Chief Robert Wadman; (4) my relationship with Alan Baer sexually and otherwise as well as the involvement of a number of other children with him; (5) Wadman's presence and participation at these parties in question; (6) my delivering Alisha Owen personally to Bob Wadman on several occasions; (7) my involvement sexually as a boy with Eugene Mahoney, the former Game and Parks man; (8) Peter Citron's presence and involvement in the parties and related sexual activities and filmings, were all true, correct and accurate on the material facts. And, contrary to what the F.B.I. and others tried to get me to say and what I did say and in saying did lie about under pressure and threat and promise from the F.B.I. and others, Gary Caradori did not intimidate, threaten, coach, make up things or in any way improperly or falsely portray the information I provided him. He simply asked me to tell the truth, no matter what it was, and that is essentially what I did with him. He told me that was the law; that I had to report these things about Child Abuse under the state laws. But that was the only pressure of any kind he applied. And I know now it is the state law and all I want to do is comply with that law without fear of me or my family being hurt or killed for having complied with that law.
MY CONTACT WITH THE F.B.I. AND WHY I LIED AFTER THAT CONTACT:
After telling my story to Gary Caradori, I was assured that it was most important that everything I knew be kept absolutely secret. That I should talk to no one or reveal what I had provided Caradori or the Legislative Committee. Everybody, including Caradori and the Committee and the Feds told me this. I know now that this was the stupidest thing I could do and that my following their very instructions to conceal things in fact made me and my family subject to and victims of later threats and intimidation. That is one of the main reasons that I have definitely determined that I will now conceal nothing from any legitimate investigative source -- including the press. I am certain that had the press really known what was happening and all the facts that they would have done a far better investigation than others and would not have allowed the cover-up to occur. I will explain later why I now believe this to be the case.
In my first contact with the F.B.I., the F.B.I. officials, particularly Mickey Mott and Mr. Culver, made it clear to me that (1) They were only interested in disproving everything I had told them; that (2) they were taking the position that "... we know you are lying and we are only trying to figure out why and who is your leader who is having you lie"; and that (3) "if you will tell us you are lying then we will let you off the hook but if you insist on sticking with the story you told Caradori, then we will stick you in prison for a long, long time. What you told on your tapes to Caradori can land you in prison for twenty years each on a lot of different charges of perjury. If you insist on sticking with your story, you will go down.
When the F.B.I. dealt with me, they made it clear that they had the power to put me in prison -- whether my story to Caradori was true or not -- and the power to put Caradori and others in prison including Alisha for providing the information we did to Caradori. And they made it clear that was what they intended to do unless I "recanted" my original story to Caradori and the Legislative Committee.
The F.B.I. in conjunction with my new attorney, Marc Delman, who was arranged for me by others including particularly Frank Brown of the Television Station in Omaha, made it crystal clear to me that my only hope of staying out of prison was in "recanting" my original story to Gary Caradori, even though my story to Caradori was and is the truth.
To make a long story short, I was put into the following situation by the F.B.I. and my attorney, Marc Delman, and I am confident in my own mind that they knew exactly what they were doing although I still do not understand all the reasons why they wanted me to lie or who they were doing this for: I had to lie to stay out of prison and I had to say that the truth was a lie and that the lies they wanted me to tell were the truth. So, when I went before the Grand Jury, at the insistence and instruction of Marc Delman and the F.B.I., I told the Grand Jury what the F.B.I. and Delman wanted me to tell the Grand Jury which is that the story to Gary Caradori was a "hoax." But, as stated, the exact opposite is true.
Some time after my testimony to the Grand Jury, Gary Caradori was killed. I have no proof but I do believe he was deliberately killed. But, someone else will have to determine this because I acknowledge I have no information to prove or disprove this. Immediately after Gary Caradori was killed, and because I did believe he had been killed as part of a cover-up and as a result of my lies to the grand jury, I immediately called his home (from the Red Lion Hotel) at which time I spoke to his wife Sandie and told her I had in fact lied to the Grand Jury and that I was going to help straighten it out now. She suggested I go to Senator Schmit and provide him that information. This I immediately did and told Senator Schmit personally in his office that I had lied to the Grand Jury and that what I told Gary Caradori was the truth and that I only lied out of fear that the F.B.I. and others, particularly my attorney Marc Delman, would hurt me or my family and particularly because they promised me they would put me in jail if I did not say what the F.B.I. and Delman wanted me to say which I, and I am sure they also knew was a lie.
I also met Senator Bernice Labedz at the Caradori funeral and agreed I would meet her and Senator Schmit for lunch immediately following the funeral at which time we would go over my alleged "recantation" and I would provide her and the Committee all the facts. At the funeral, however, the F.B.I. agents, particularly Mickey Mott made it clear to me thru their actions that they knew what I was up to and gave me the clear impression that I was in "great danger" if I went ahead and met with the Legislative Committee and tried to tell them the truth. So, immediately following the funeral, I told my mother, who was with me, that we were not going to the meeting with the Senators and I was going to stick with my lies to the Grand Jury because of what I feared the F.B.I. or others associated with them or whom they were protecting would do to me or the members of my family.
Later, Senator Labedz called me and asked why I did not show up at the meeting. At first I pretended like I did not know what she was talking about because by this time I was really scared especially because of Caradori's death. Then she said she knew I was scared. So I was honest and I remember I flat told her I was "scared" and could not do anything now. She said she felt sorry for me and that she understood.
Then, Marc Delman and Mickey Mott saw Senator Schmit say on T.V. that I had been in his, Schmit's office, and that my "recantation" had been false. They both called me. Even though Marc Delman knew I had been at Schmit's office and that what Schmit was saying was the truth, he, Delman, asked me whether the conversation had been taped or whether there was any other record of my having been in Schmit's office to talk to Schmit. I told Delman there was no tape or any other record I had been with Schmit & that I had not signed anything. So, acting on Delman's instructions I publicly lied and denied any meeting or discussion with Senator Schmit and Delman publicly did the same and suggested Senator Schmit was lying. Delman then instructed me to deny that I was in Schmit's office and to simply imply that Schmit was lying about all these things. Delman's exact words to me were, "It's your word against his ... as long as there are no tapes." Mickey Mott the F.B.I. man also met again with me and again made it clear that if I told the truth -- in other words, if I recanted my recantation -- that I was in big trouble and would go to prison and for the first time Mickey Mott said something I interpreted then and now to have been a direct and personal threat that later came to pass.
When I told Mickey Mott and Culver the F.B.I. people one time when I was feeling a bit cocky about their threats to me that Alan Baer and others "could not afford" to do anything to hurt me now because too much publicity was focused on me and that they could not afford the risk of doing anything to me, Mott right away told me that they probably would not do anything directly to me, that instead "they will do something to a family member." And, of course that is what happened shortly thereafter after I had met with Schmit and talked to Sandie Caradori and when the F.B.I. and Delman and Baer and others thought I might break away from them, the F.B.I. and Delman, and tell the truth and confirm that I had lied when I testified to the Grand Jury.
I am completely certain in my own mind, which I believe a decent and honest investigation will show, that my brother Shawn was killed as a message to me to stick with my lies and not to back down because they were afraid I might back down and tell the truth at the Alisha Owen trial. After Shawn got killed, I had no doubt at all that they really were as dangerous as I had originally feared; that they would do anything and kill anybody to keep the truth contained and to keep me lying for them; and I complied with every request they wanted me to do or say with respect to the whole so-called Franklin thing.
Before the Alisha Owen trial I was carefully rehearsed by the F.B.I. as to what I would say and what questions would be asked and then after rehearsing everything with the F.B.I., I was taken over to Mr. Moran the prosecutor to go thru the Rehearsal again. I do not know whether Mr. Moran knew I was lying but for sure the F.B.I. had to know because they were the ones who forced me to "recant" in the first place and threatened me with prison if I did not. Additionally, the F.B.I. themselves had actual pictures of me and other prominent individuals in their possession including particularly Alan Baer 1983 picture of he and me in very pornographic sexual acts) as well as checks from Alan Baer to me. So, they had to absolutely know I had a relationship with him and that they were forcing me to lie when I denied such relationships. Additionally, the F.B.I. had seized photos and tapes involving among others myself and a Mr. Andreasen and Larry King. These were video tapes of a party. And I know from having seen tapes at Peter Citron's house that the F.B.I. had access to tapes which clearly documented much of the conduct and the personalities I and other kids had identified as having occurred but which later I lied about before the Grand Jury and again at the Alisha Owen trial when I claimed -- again to satisfy the F.B.I. -- that the events never occurred. I do not know what the F.B.I. ever did with these pictures of me and Baer, for example, but I know they had them because I saw them. So, they, the F.B.I. had to know the real truth all along and had to know what they were doing when they forced me to lie. I am also sure that there are other pictures which would prove the things we kids told Caradori. Why do I say this? Because, the one thing I remember above all else is that these people like Baer, Mahoney, Citron, Andreasen, King, always loved to have pictures of themselves and others, particularly the kids, in weird sexual poses.
MY CREDIBILITY AND THE CREDIBILITY OF THE OTHER KIDS:
I know the first thing that the F.B.I. and Marc Delman and others involved in these Franklin and related matters will say when I submit my affidavit is something like: "You can't believe these kids and you can't believe Troy Boner now. If he lied once, he will lie again. He's a drug addict. He's a sex pervert. Who are you going to believe, these kids with their wild stories or respectable people like Alan Baer or the F.B.I. or Attorney Marc Delman? Besides, these kids were as guilty or more guilty than anybody else. They were using the drugs and they were selling their bodies and they were getting paid well for it and they did it all voluntarily." Or something like this is what they will say. I have heard it before. But, let me give the other side of that story.
Yes, we kids, from early age, sold our bodies. We became drug addicts. We got lots and lots of money from these people. But today we are ruined because of that. And we were turned into sex perverts and drug addicts by these people. In my particular case, just like a lot of other young boys, I was directly turned into a true drug addict by Alan Baer. He was the one who first taught me to mainline and who first directly injected heroin directly into my veins -- same as he did to a lot of other boys. He was the one who made me a prisoner of drug addiction to where he could completely control me and use me to deliver drugs or deliver sex or anything else. Sure, he paid me well, but he also destroyed me in the process. It was Alan Baer who first injected me with a "speed ball", for example. A speed ball is a heroin/cocaine mix that zips you up immediately but brings you down mellow. And it was Marc Delman, my attorney arranged for me by others who claimed I owed him more than $500,000.00 for work he did protecting me, when what he really was doing was having me lie to protect others.
But to those who really want the truth it really is all there for you to find out if you will only check on the things that are available. And the truth is the truth whether it is told by us street kids whom you may not want to believe or the richest and most powerful people in Omaha who you think you have to believe. Same with a lie.
So, here are some things that any honest investigator can check out to see who is lying and who is telling the truth.
I. Marc Delman wrote my script for the [TV] program 48 Hours wherein I claimed that the entire story of myself and the other kids was a "hoax." He promised me ten or fifteen thousand [dollars] for this. I got virtually nothing. 48 Hours told me that they had "paid my attorney." There should be records on this. I think Marc got about $10,500.00 for doing that. And as everyone knows, the 48 Hours program was played on television just before the Alisha Owen jury began their deliberations. Marc Delman also claimed that I had not met with Senator Schmit to tell the truth and I followed his instructions in denying it also. This sure can be checked out. There were people who saw me with Schmit. Same with my contact with Senator Labedz.
II. I saw the picture the F.B.I. had of me and Alan Baer. Some official sure ought to be able to get this picture to prove who is lying -- me or the F.B.I.
III. Lots of kids, other than myself and Alisha and the ones who tried to come forward and tell the truth, know about Alan Baer, Larry King and the major drug dealing activity they and other prominent people were involved in. But, as long as they are scared for their lives because of what happened to Alisha and me, they are not going to say anything. If an honest prosecutor would step in and offer immunity and protection to these kids, many of them young men and women now, I am sure the entire network of drug dealing, use of kids for sex, and related things could be proven and corroborated to everybody's satisfaction.
IV. But, maybe the most important thing that any honest investigator should do is to ask me, Troy Boner, or any of the other kids such as Alisha or Paul Bonacci, to take polygraph, lie detector, tests side by side on the same questions with the people we are accusing of these things. Example, ask Alan Baer if he shot mainline drugs into me and if he is a major drug dealer and if he had sex with me. Ask Eugene Mahoney if he met me at the book store in Council Bluffs and used to regularly pay me to have sex with him as a boy? Ask [...] to take a polygraph test on whether he is a big-time drug dealer. Ask the F.B.I. guys to take a polygraph test on whether they threatened me with jail if I did not say the things they wanted me to say which things were a lie. Ask Marc Delman about the 48 Hours thing and the Schmit meeting.
Obviously, either us kids are lying or the rich prominent people are lying. And just because they are rich and prominent does not mean they are telling the truth or because we are thought of as scum and kids who were supposedly all willingly involved in the drug trafficking and sexual activity does not mean we are lying. And like it or not, if we are not worth protecting then other young kids now and in the future will not be worth protecting either; and the prominent and respectable citizens who took us as children and made us a part of this drug dealing and sex abuse activity will continue without fear to do the same. Maybe to your children next time.
I promised my mother and myself after my lying at Alisha Owen's trial caused her to get convicted that if I ever got the chance to straighten things out I would come forward and do it and set the record straight. I owe it to my brother Shawn.
A couple months ago I met investigators from a British Television Broadcasting Company. They convinced me that they honestly wanted to tell the true story no matter what that story was.
I believed after talking with them that my and my family's safety lies in telling everything particularly to press sources outside Nebraska and not controlled by Nebraskans. I have done this in many hours of tapes with them. They have checked on many of the matters I told them about -- not dealt with in this affidavit and have satisfied themselves that I am telling the truth about my lying to the Grand Jury and to convict Alisha Owen and the reasons why I had to lie, just as I have explained in this affidavit. The reason I mention this is simply to establish that eliminating me or any member of my family will do nothing to suppress the information or keep me from reporting it because I have already done so in many hours of tapes which have been taken outside this country but which will be made available to Federal Authorities and legitimate investigators here and in Washington, D.C.
But right now, I need protection for myself and my family so that I can tell the truth totally and without fear of being punished or jailed for doing it. That is the purpose of this affidavit. To help Mr. De Camp in filing the proper papers to seek that protection. Mr. De Camp has discussed with me the fact that someone may attempt to file perjury charges against me for taking this action at this time. I understand that. I want to repeat one final thing: I told the truth to Gary Caradori. I tried to tell the truth to the F.B.I. and Marc Delman but they did not want to hear the truth and the only thing they wanted was to have me say the truth was in fact a hoax; and they scared me with threats of jail and other things into lying to the Grand Jury and then later into lying for them at the Alisha Owen Trial. I want to tell the truth without fear and to help other kids who are and were in the same situation as I am and was. That is the reason I am doing this.
STATE OF NEBRASKA
COUNTY OF DOUGLAS
Before me a Notary Public on this 27 day of October, 1993, personally appeared Troy Boner, to me personally known, who executed the above affidavit, affirmed the truthfulness of the statements made therein, affirmed that he was voluntarily and willingly signing the affidavit and doing it for the purposes stated therein.
Troy O. Boner
Dated and signed this 27 day of October 1993 by Notary Public Maryann Versaw, State of Nebraska
***
In Chapter 17, "So the Truth Would Never Come Out," the last chapter of the first edition of this book, I charged that "in the case of Larry King and the cadre of people he dealt with closely, boys and girls like Paul Bonacci, Troy Boner, Danny King, and Alisha Owen were used as drug couriers for a national program of illegal narcotics marketing. They were 'throw-away kids.' Because they were teenagers and younger when they were doing this activity, they provided a perfect insulation blanket between the real drug czars, like Larry King or Alan Baer, and the law."
In August 1996, events were to provide dramatic new evidence about this "national program of illegal narcotics marketing."