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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Physician Says SoCal Gypsy Clan|Bilked His Daughter for $1.3 Million

SANTA ANA, Calif. (CN) - A doctor claims the Stevens Gypsy Family Clan conned his daughter out of $1.3 million through threats, lies and coercion, and "the drugging of plaintiff's daughter over a six year period by a friendly, cooperative physician." He claims the Gypsy clan operates nine psychic and palm- and card-reading outlets in Southern California.

The doctor claims the scam starts with the Gypsy asking for "$100 to $180 to pay for a 'blessed candle' to help chase away the evil spirits and protect the victim while the spiritualist looks into their 'case.'

"The spiritualist then tells the victim that, although the darkness around them is strong, her powers are stronger and that she can remove it. She'll set up some dollar amount needed for the special work to be done. This may be in the hundreds of dollars - she's working up to the big scam and needs to test and build on her control over the intended victim ..."

The doctor claims his daughter was victimized by Rachel Stevens, now dead, and was passed on to other members of the clan. They allegedly persuaded his daughter, among other things, that "her mother had hired a man to cut up her face, because her mother was jealous of her; her mother had hired a man to kill her; her mother had slashed a tire on her car; her mother had turned people against her; her mother blocked her from getting a good job; [that] defendants were licensed counselors and psychics and that the city tested them for their psychic ability ... [that] many people had died trying to protect her from her mother's evil energy; her mother had killed her grandmother, failure to comply with defendants' constant demands for money would result in her father (the plaintiff herein) dying, as well as her; her mother's black magic and evil would spread over the earth; defendants had ties with the Italian Mafia; and defendants were her true 'family,' and she needed to do as the was instructed by defendants."

The doctor claims that the clan bilked his daughter out of "not less than $1,311,000." He claims that "defendants with the aid of their undue influence practiced against [his daughter] and their false claims made to [his daughter] as set forth above, and with the aid of prescription drugs prescribed by Fernando Montelongo, M.D., convinced [his daughter] to obtain money from her father, plaintiff herein, under the guise of needing monies to make a movie." He adds that "no such movie ever existed, and defendants even had [his daughter] pawn her $6,000 video camera."

The complaint continues: "During the course of a year and a half, defendants bilked plaintiffs out of the sum of not less than $1,311,000. Such monies were thereupon divided up between the various defendants sued herein pursuant to their oral partnership agreement."

The doctor says the Gypsies' scheme collapsed when his daughter was arrested "for attempting to extract additional monies from plaintiff." He says his daughter has entered drug rehab and psychological counseling.

Here are the defendants: Cathy Stevens, Bob Anthony Stevens aka Black Bob, Steve Bobby Stevens aka White Bob, Mary Kristina Merino, Ted Stevens, and the Stevens Gypsy Family Clan. Ted Stevens is named as the clan's "Gypsy King" or "rom baro."

The clan allegedly operates out of these places: Angela Psychic of Playa Del Rey, Doreena's of Santa Monica, Linda's Psychic Shop of Venice, Mrs. Stevens Palm & Card Reader of Anaheim, Psychic Palm & Card Reader of Santa Ana, Real Psychic Readings of Laguna Beach, Diane's Psychic and Palm Readings of Costa Mesa, Angela's Psychic of Newport Beach, and Angela's Psychic Readings of Newport Beach.

The plaintiff is represented in Orange County Superior Court by William Weinberg of Orange.

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