Bail Increased For Suspect In Alleged Plot To Recruit, Train Fake Spies
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Police say he preyed on young men in a sick plan to capitalize on their patriotism.
Lawrence Bottone was hit with a new indictment Tuesday for an alleged plot to make victims think they were being trained as spies.
The man who allegedly held fake security seminars at Westchester Community College saw his bail jacked up to $250,000 Tuesday in an expanding probe of alleged kidnapping and torture of young men who thought they were being trained as spies.
"He's a monster in my opinion, he's the real deal, a sexual predator," said Westchester Police Sgt. James Genesi.
After doing time for a similar scene 15 years ago in Connecticut, Bottone allegedly recruited young men for his "international security training" at malls and shopping centers in Rockland County, Westchester County, Bridgeport, New Haven and Hartford.
WCBS 880's Catherine Cioffi reports: Bottone Arraigned On 29-Count Indictment
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Police said he used the community college as a training center, holding sessions in the gym, the nearby woods and at one point chaining a "recruit" to a chain link fence.
Police said Bottone looked the part with glasses, grey hair and dressed like a professor. He was charming, flattering, saying perhaps, "You look like you'd do well in intelligence work or clandestine service. Maybe you could join my program?"
At least five young men bought the idea and ended up, police said, as victims of Bottone, so conditioned by him that they first thought detectives sent to investigate the case were part of a test they were supposed to pass.
"Part of his program was to make them believe, 'you know the police are gonna come and talk to you,''' said Sgt. Genesi. "It's hard for our detectives to convince these guys to say 'no this isn't part of no program, there's no such program involved. This guy's merely a predator and you're a victim.'"
If convicted, Bottone could face more than 100 years in prison.
Westchester Police said anyone who remembers being approached by Bottone should contact them immediately.
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