$1M Bail For Pa. Woman In Abduction Hoax

Missing Mom Found At Disney World With Daughter Waives Extradition; Had Flown To Fla. With Fake ID

(CBS/AP)  A woman accused of staging an abduction hoax that began near Philadelphia and ended at Florida's Walt Disney World was returned to Pennsylvania in police custody on Friday and was held on $1 million bail.

A drained-looking Bonnie Sweeten appeared in an Orlando, Fla., courtroom for a brief hearing Friday morning before detectives from Bucks County, Pa., escorted her to the airport for the flight home.

On Friday night she was taken to a court in the Philadelphia suburb of Richboro for an arraignment on misdemeanor identity theft and false-reporting charges.

A judge, in setting the bail, said he thought she was a flight risk.

Sweeten can be released if she posts 10 percent of the bail amount, or $100,000.

Defense lawyer Louis R. Busico told reporters before the court appearance that Sweeten, 38, is not a flight risk and was not running from the law when she went to Florida with her 9-year-old daughter.

"It's not a crime to take your kid to Disney World," Busico said.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 4.

Local police also are investigating whether Sweeten stole money from a family member, a former employer or others, but no related charges have been filed.

Sweeten phoned 911 on Tuesday from downtown Philadelphia and told dispatchers that she and her daughter had been carjacked and stuffed in the trunk of a Cadillac near their suburban home. The call touched off a frantic search that ended 30 hours later at a Disney World hotel.

Sweeten had withdrawn $12,000 from several bank accounts and flown to Florida with her daughter under the name of a former co-worker whose driver's license she had taken in a ruse, authorities said.

CBS Station KYW reports that, according to Bucks County District Attorney Michelle Henry, Sweeten had "duped" Jillian Jenkinson into giving her the license by saying it was needed to fix a discrepancy with a 401(k) plan. Sweeten then presented it as her own to board a flight to Orlando, Henry said.

Sweeten paid cash for the one-way tickets and for a three-night hotel stay inside the park.

Some law enforcement officials privately questioned the ease with which she bought the airline tickets and flew under the friend's name. A Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman argued that Sweeten bore a "strong resemblance" to the other woman.

"The key point here is that every individual, regardless of what name they use, is being thoroughly screened at the checkpoint to make sure that they don't have any guns and explosives," said Ann Davis, a TSA spokeswoman in Boston.

Neither the county prosecutor nor county detectives handling the case returned phone messages Friday about the pending theft investigation, something authorities confirmed earlier in the week.

Sweeten and her husband, landscaper Richard L. "Larry" Sweeten, bought a newly constructed, 2400-square-foot home in late 2006 for $425,000. She has two other daughters, ages 15 years and 8 months.

Middle daughter Julia Rakoczy is back in Pennsylvania after being reunited with her father, Anthony Rakoczy, at an Orlando police station on Thursday afternoon. Rakoczy still lives near Sweeten, his ex-wife, and spoke well of her in interviews this week.

Larry Sweeten said that he is struggling to sort out the rumors of theft and marriage problems surrounding the case. Appearing Friday on NBC's "Today" show, he said he wanted to know "more than anybody" what caused his wife to flee. He was unaware of any money problems but said she handled nearly all of their finances.

"I might be behind on my mortgage," Sweeten said.


To watch video from CBS Station KYW click on the video player below.

[toldyouso29]

Tawana Brawley
Posted by IndianaGuy at 8:16 AM : Jun 2, 2009


According to the news articles, Tawana Brawley only cried "rape" and the case against the Prosecutor and others accused was rife with questions--but it was decided she lied. For raping a black teen, those who were charged would have gotten maybe 5 to 7 years of their lives stolen away. But in the case of whites accusing "black men" the crimes committed by the whites are murder and in this case kidnapping. Had the black men been convicted, the price would have been 25 to life in Prison or maybe even the death penalty.

The comparison PALES by comparison. Pun intended.

[IndianaGuy]

"Personally I consider this a "hate crime". Bonnie Sweeten "Fakes Kidnapping" and claims to be locked in the trunk of a car with her daughter by 2 "Black Men". Another Susan Smith who drowned her kids and who also blamed it on "Black Men" sending racist and haters into a frenzy and unsettling and disrupting the "Black" community."

Tawana Brawley

[toldyouso29]

Black men are always at risk when dealing with unsavory White females who at their convenience can throw Black men to racist wolves in waiting with made up lies and exaggerations. How many Black men had their cars pulled over, were harassed and searched because of this lie? There are a lot of Bonnie Sweeten's and Susan Smith's out there too!
Posted by cbsantispin at 9:12 AM : May 30, 2009


If you have a problem with "unsavory white females" throwing black men to the wolves when they deal with them--sounds like your problem is not with the females but with the stupid black men, who don't see the potential problems and exploitation in crossing color lines for a bit of pooontangerang--after all, nobody told them or forced them to go out with or deal with the "unsavory" white females--like the saying goes--if you mess with cr@@@@@P it will get all over ya. LOL

[toldyouso29]

Yep. Picture this: Bush, Cheney and Rove release a memo letting the US citizens know that an unknown black man told them Saddam had WMD and told the US to invade Iraq. Stay tuned for more info. LOL

[rrozsa]

The lady brought all this upon herself, including the high bail amount, by calling in a 9-1-1 call, reporting a kidnapping, which resulted in an amber alert and media frenzy. If the lady and her child had actually been missing due to a violent crime, the media coverage would have been beneficial in helping to find them. As it is, due to all the media coverage of the "disappearance", this woman's so-called misdemeandors initiated an angry public outcry, which in turn pressured the powers-that-be to set a high bail and throw the proverbial book at her.

If she had just stolen an ID and gone off to Disney World with her kid, without the fraudulent 9-1-1 call, all this would have been a civil case at best, and none of us would have ever even heard of her.

[jincstress]

BUT...the guy who kidnapped, bound & raped the young woman in Tennessee is out on bail? She KNEW her attacker and if it werent for the pizza guy seeing her bound wrists...that monster would have killed her- but this woman who abducts her own kid is somehow more of threat to society?

[YCantWeAllGetAlong]

There is definitely something we are not being told. There is a lot to this story that needs to be told. The media is going on sketchy, sporadic reports.

[cyberus-2009]

A million dollars bail for 2 misdemeanor charges while the guy that kidnapped, transported 200miles to a remote cabin and raped a woman (google pizza delivery kidnap) gets $800k bond .. whats wrong with this system?

[cregis]

How did she come up with the $100,000? Embezzeled funds? Money of the week money?

[Dgunner]

Maybe just maybe the prozac wasn't working or the paxil was too strong or she may just be a idiot whose prozac and paxil isn't working. maybe she wasn't getting enough attention and the check the world owes her is running a little late. In any case lock your bedroom doors girls the crazy b--ch may snatch you up and run you off to the waterslide with life jackets and bologna sandwiches.

[nishaboston]

Idiot would have been better off saying two white men kidnapped her, the story would have been more believable!

[number1GI]

Yeah she looks kinda off

[tfcrow]

For thosef who are complaining about the high bail. She is under suspision for stealing up to $1,000,000.00 from her charity, co-workers, their 401k and famiy. They should have given her ten million in bail. If she wanted to see goofy, she should have combed her hair.

[incog-nito]

$1 million bail for "misdemeanor identity theft and false-reporting charges"? Looks like our privatized prison system is working well. They need more people in there. She'll probably get 10 years and kid put away in juvie until 18.

Be careful next time you get a speeding ticket.

[skeetchamp]

she shouldn't be allowed bail at any cost. imagine the hurt feelings of the two daughters she abandoned.

[Schipperkes]

One Million Dollars bail? That is simply ridiculous on misdemeanor charges. IMO this judge has wayyyyyy overreached and in doing so has entered the arena of sexism. What is really behind this? That's easy... the TSB is upset because a messed-up mom managed to go through airport security, and travel under a name not her own, and embarrass them. Not an excuse to demand a million dollars bail! Only one more example of homeland security's male cow excrement being spread across our judicial system.

[nishaboston]

When you think of cases like Charles Stewart, Susan Smith and that nutty lady in Western PA who said a black guy carved B for Barack on her face this type of stuff makes you sick. I do question the 1 million dollar bail, i mean not even murderers get that much. Lady deserves to be in a mental institution because she is obviously disturbed and she deserves time for making a false police call claiming she has been kidnapped and for stealing someones ID. Also what kind of woman leaves her 8 month old baby behind and takes her other daughter to Disney world. The whole story is weird.

[Libertarian1776]

This women poses no danger to the public.
I think the bail is excessive.
Expensive for the State too!
Why don't the just put a GPS ankle bracelet on her.

[cbsantispin]

"It's not a crime to take your kid to Disney World," Busico said.

Personally I consider this a "hate crime". Bonnie Sweeten "Fakes Kidnapping" and claims to be locked in the trunk of a car with her daughter by 2 "Black Men". Another Susan Smith who drowned her kids and who also blamed it on "Black Men" sending racist and haters into a frenzy and unsettling and disrupting the "Black" community. I totally disagree that this is not a crime and its just a take your kid to "Disney World" situation. Black men are always at risk when dealing with unsavory White females who at their convenience can throw Black men to racist wolves in waiting with made up lies and exaggerations. How many Black men had their cars pulled over, were harassed and searched because of this lie? There are a lot of Bonnie Sweeten's and Susan Smith's out there too!

[mrs_trepidatious]

Good! Maybe hard time will teach this hussy to mend her ways and seek Jesus!