Freezone news: LRH 2.0 indicted by grand jury, new center opens in Buenos Aires
When we got an Anderson County, Tennessee law enforcement official on the phone last November to tell him we were inquiring about someone in his jail, we explained that although the inmate appeared as “Lafayette Ronald Hubbard” in his records, we also knew the prisoner as a California ex-con named Justin Craig.
At that point, we were told that in Tennessee, Craig/Hubbard was also known by yet another name.
“His street name is ‘the Beast’,” the law enforcement official told us.
Whoa. Well, ‘the Beast’ was certainly amassing an interesting record, after claiming to be the reincarnation of Scientology’s founder and, as “LRH 2.0,” the source of a new, improved version of the Bridge to Total Freedom he called “Esperianism.”
Oldtimers tell us that it’s not unusual since the death of L. Ron Hubbard in 1986 for claimants to show up saying they’re the reincarnation of the Great Thetan. But Craig/LRH 2.0 generated a surprising amount of buzz and attention when he showed up on the scene among Scientology “independents” or “Freezoners” in the Seattle area.
We had a lot of fun in 2018 messaging with “Lafayette” and revealing that as Craig he had a pretty extensive criminal background, including some attempted carjackings and a four-year prison sentence in California.
And now, in Tennessee, he was facing some pretty serious charges, but they had been forwarded to a grand jury and so we just had to wait to see how things were going to turn out.
This past week we learned that the grand jury has indicted LRH 2.0 on multiple charges, and he was arraigned again yesterday. According to the indictments, which we obtained from the county, Craig/LRH 2.0 is facing trial on these counts which originally put him in Anderson County jail in October: Assault with serious bodily injury; possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell; possession of fentanyl with intent to sell; and possession of baggies and scales used for packaging of controlled substances.
He’s also facing three counts for “recklessly causing bodily harm” on December 31 to three persons, who were presumably fellow inmates or jail guards.
The great thing about the Scientology Freezone is that there are still former Church of Scientology members who think Justin Craig was actually a new manifestation of Hubbard, and was releasing a better Bridge. Only a few months ago some of these charmingly gullible folks were talking about raising money to bail him out ahead of trial.
In other Freezone news, chalk one up for the believers in Buenos Aires, who recently opened up a new “Ron’s Org” there. Yes, a physical space for Scientology practiced outside the official church, a rarity in the world of independent Hubbardism.
And it comes at a time when David Miscavige has still not opened any of the promised new Ideal Orgs that were nearly finished when the pandemic hit, in places like Austin and Chicago.
Dave’s still holding back on opening his new cathedrals, but the indies in Buenos Aires beat him to the punch.
Tsk, tsk, Dave.
Thank you for reading today’s story here at Substack. For the full picture of what’s happening today in the world of Scientology, please join the conversation at tonyortega.org, where we’ve been reporting daily on David Miscavige’s cabal since 2012. There you’ll find additional stories, and our popular regular daily features:
Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history
Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea
Overheard in the Freezone: Indie Hubbardism, one thought at a time
Past is Prologue: From this week in history at alt.religion.scientology
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Hmmm, conning people right and left, using drugs, the only difference I can see between LRH and LRH 2.0 is that this guy doesn’t have enough resources not to get caught.
The 10 or so indies in the new center look older than me, and I invented dirt. I think the indie movement will die of attrition as people see the light or die off. 1950’s technology just isn’t that appealing to the younger generation.
Like any FSM (actually every Clam) with a bone in its mouth, every mark in Argentina at risk of the hard sell and all that goes along with $cieno indoctrination. Ron's Org??? Perhaps a softer sell, but still all that Les Dane stuff will be used. I wonder who is the driving force there?
Lron 2.0 is heading for many years in a Tennessee prison. Fentanyl??? I hope the new and improved Purif can fix that.