As a longtime fan of auto racing, as a spectator and short track volunteer with an inside view, I discovered things I wish weren’t true in researching this case. As well, there are coincidences I can’t ignore and won’t for the sake of the victims. I welcome any, and all that can find more in depth information to which I don’t have access.
DISCLAIMER: Other than documented arrests and convictions the info here is my speculation and suspicion. I am not making accusations. Just connecting dots that seem to connect themselves.
https://voat.co/v/pizzagate/1780820 this is the original post about the sex ring.
https://voat.co/v/pizzagate/1790383 additional post
This whole thing came to the forefront because Bemer purchased the Waterford Speedbowl race track at an auction sale at the track on October 18, 2014 and NASCAR pulled their Whelen Modified traveling series from the track after the arrests in late March this year. Let me be clear, NASCAR does not own this track. It sanctioned their traveling series to race at that track. That means they lease a track and bring in their own people to run the series event. There are many different series at many different tracks throughout the country for which they do this.
Links for updated court info and upcoming hearings for the three arrested.
Bruce Bemer http://www.jud2.ct.gov/crdockets/CaseDetail.aspx?source=Pending&Key=db0325ef-f277-49a4-8c3a-0c8ac8381660
Original arrest date 3/28/17. Next court date: 4/26/17 awaiting plea.
William Trefzger http://www.jud2.ct.gov/crdockets/CaseDetail.aspx?source=Pending&Key=553aa597-ae61-4fd6-8270-54edeebe8d86
Original arrest date 3/29/17. Next court date 5/12/17 pre-trial for not guilty plea.
Robert King http://www.jud2.ct.gov/crdockets/CaseDetail.aspx?source=Pending&Key=954e8acb-3b85-434b-81ac-0811fbaafee3
Original arrest date 3/31/17. Next court date 4/26/17 awaiting plea
Robert King http://www.jud2.ct.gov/crdockets/CaseDetail.aspx?source=Pending&Key=bb5b54e6-ff42-4b39-b295-65e5ff7c1290
Original arrest date 8/13/16. Next court date 4/26/17 pre-trial for not guilty plea. Note this case is for witness tampering and promoting prostitution.
Bruce Bemer garnered publicity back in 2014 when he purchased had the winning bid for the auction for the Speedbowl. The only other bidder was Rocco Arbitell, who was also a creditor owed a lot of money by the previous owner. Link to article about the auction day event at the race track.
http://www.theday.com/article/20141018/NWS01/141019760
In the photo of the two men shaking hands Bemer (left) shaking Rocco Arbitell’s hand (right). There were other creditors that filed suit after the auction to stop the sale.see these linkshttp://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20141103/Sports/141109864 http://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20141103/Sports/141109864
This is the article to spare you from having to register to read it. Pay attention to the man in the orange shirt to Bemer’s right, Jerry Collett as there is more on him.
"Waterford — Only a few lonely pairs of clapping hands greeted attorney Garon Camassar’s announcement that Bruce Bemer of Glastonbury had made a winning bid of $1.75 million in the auction of the Waterford Speedbowl racing arena Saturday.
It wasn’t until Speedbowl fan Jerry Collett leaped in front of the attorney to shout that the 64-year-old shoreline oval would continue to operate that fans realized car racing would continue on the track. Cheers erupted from the 100 or so people ringed around Camassar in the Speedbowl parking lot.
“It’s wonderful what you’re doing,” one fan said as he shook Bemer’s hand. Murmurs of “thank you” echoed as racing fans approached the bidder in sporadic waves.
Bemer “was not on anyone’s radar,” said Shawn Courchesne, who maintains the racing blog RaceDayCT and is a frequent face at Speedbowl events. Multiple people at the auction said they didn’t even know who Bemer was.
“I’m shocked, just shocked because I felt like I kind of knew most of the players here,” Courchesne said, calling Bemer a “mystery man.”
Only two parties aside from Speedbowl creditors Rocco Arbitell and business partner Peter Borrelli showed up to bid at the noontime auction. Creditors often cast the first bid in foreclosure auctions to protect their assets, according to Camassar, whom New London Superior Court appointed as Committee of Sale.
Both bidders — Bemer, CEO of Bemer Petroleum, and a couple who own a body shop in Montville — told The Day before the auction that they intended to keep the track running. No one arrived seeking to develop the land for the industrial uses for which it is zoned.
Arbitell and Borrelli filed for foreclosure against track owner Terry Eames in 2008, and six parties have since been added as creditors in the foreclosure. The track was slated for sale at auction on Halloween in 2009. The auction was canceled when Eames filed for bankruptcy.
The Speedbowl slipped into foreclosure for the first time in 2006. Eames sold 8 acres of overflow parking space at the Speedbowl to Harvey Industries in 2006 for $1.6 million, to make good with Washington Mutual, his creditor at the time. Arbitell and Borrelli came onto the scene in 2007, when they lent Eames $750,000 to cover the remainder of his debt to the bank.
As fans and racers celebrated in the grassy parking lot of the 26.7 acre property Saturday, Eames stood off in a clearing. He focused his eyes on his smartphone as he texted, his back turned to a Speedbowl sign advertising the “Smacktoberfest” demolition derby event scheduled to start an hour after the auction. Smacktoberfest was the last racing event of the season.
Looking up from his phone, he said he found it difficult to comment on the situation because he hadn’t yet spoken with his attorney.
“It’s definitely not a home run,” said Eames of the sale, which still has to be approved by New London Superior Court before it’s official.
Eames in April estimated that he owed $1.9 million to his various creditors. The appraised value of the track and land together is $2.8 million.
Bemer said he and Eames were in discussions about whether the soon-to-be former owner of the track would stay involved in operations.
“I just thought Terry seemed to do a decent job,” Bemer said.
Fans and racers are split in their opinions of Eames’ approach to running the track. Some have said that Eames mismanaged the track.
Collett, now a preacher, (emphasis mine) said he knew Bemer from past involvement in the oil and gas industry. He said Bemer first told him in the spring that he was interested in the property. Collett said he advised the executive to wait until the auction to purchase.
Bemer’s bid turned the tide, if not for Eames, then for most of the crowd Saturday.
Tess Townsend
YT link of Bemer after his winning bid announcement (courtesty of @exposethecriminals). Could he be less enthusiastic?!! He was very tight lipped about his previous racing involvement basically saying he'd been a racing spectator; and, also involved in motorcycle racing.
Link to Yankee Racer article says he sponsored Bruce D'Alessandro at different nearby track.
http://yankeeracer.com/2015/04/30/2015-new-london-waterford-speedbowl-season-preview/
"The New London-Waterford Speedbowl will kick off their 2015 season this Saturday night. Bruce Bemer purchased the track last October at a foreclosure auction for 1.75 million dollars. Bemer has always enjoyed the sport of auto racing. He sponsored Bruce D’Alessandro in the modifieds at Riverside Park Speedway. Bemer looked into the sale when it onto the market last year. Bemer had planned to attend the foreclosure auction to keep it as a race track and not have it developed into something else." Why lie?
As of April 18,2017 another victim has filed suit against Bemer and Trefzger.
http://www.courant.com/breaking-news/hc-bruce-bemer-sexual-assault-lawsuit-0419-20170418-story.html
The lawsuit also names William Trefzger of Westport, although he is not accused of sexually assaulting the victim, who was 15 at the time, Ferry said.
Trefzger was named in the suit, Ferry said, because he is alleging a violation of the state's Corrupt Organizations and Racketeering Activity Act. "I believe [Trefzger is] culpable as a party to this scheme that snared my client," Ferry said.
https://patch.com/connecticut/waterford/speedbowl-owner-bruce-bemer-sued-again-sexual-assault-report another link to same vicitm's suit to freeze $5mil of Bemer's assets.
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cult_of_philanthropy ago
submission continued
Now for some of the other names I feel are involved or are coincidentally suspicious. Jerry Collett he was the man in the orange shirt standing next to Bemer when Bemer was announced as the winning bidder at the racetrack on Oct 18, 2014. He initimates that he advised Bemer on the purchase of the racetrack. Jerry Collett owner of Jerry Collett Signs 35 Grant Neck Rd, Waterford CT 06385. My emphasis in bold in the sub, “he is now a preacher”. I was unable to find info of any affiliation with any congregation to substantiate that statement. Maybe someone else can. What I did find on his Linkedin profile which lists his location Ocala, FL, is that he is a Senior Consultant with Yo-Babe Consulting, LLC. I could find no info on this company using various search engines. Need help with this one too, please and thanks. The side bar of other people on his Linkedin had the name Caroline Doughty of Old Lyme CT also is a Senior Consultant with Yo-Babe and a bus driver for M&J Bus. More digging needs to be done on Mr. Jerry Collett. Bruce D’Alessandro: Hometown – East Hartford, CT. He the driver Bemer sponsored at Riverside Park Speedway, Agawam, MA. D’Alessandro racing career spans from 1986-1996 at the various short tracks around his hometown. He also race in the NASCAR Whelen Modified racing series. http://www.racing-reference.info/drivdet/dalesbr01/1995/N Here are the stats of his career. If there is one thing they’re particular about in racing, it’s keeping accurate stats. As many do in the short track world do, he went on to bigger things and is now a mechanic with NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing; and, is currently living in Huntersville, NC. I’ve included him because it was seeing JGR that reminded me of events in the last few months with big, sudden changes within the JGR organization . Yes, that’s Joe Gibbs as in former Washington Redskins coach. First, in Jan 11,2017, JGR driver, Carl Edwards announced he was leaving racing. http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2017/1/11/timeline-carl-edwards-moving-down-joe-gibbs-racing-daniel-suarez-moving-up.html Gibbs tried to talk him out of it but he said he wanted to leave to pursue other things while he still had his health. This is odd to me given he hasn’t won a championship and he has said winning a championship is everything in the sport. His sudden departure was a shock to the racing community and his fans. I’m not saying he is involved with Bemer. Here’s his Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Edwards I find it interesting that someone who only attended 3 semsters of college can be a substitute teacher. I’ve yet to find any official record of such position. Need help with that please n thanks. Edwards also flies his own plane and won an appeal to put in a private airstrip near his home in Columbia, MO. Another note here, Edwards says he was raised Christian but refuses to talk about it in interviews. Huh, refuses? Another link to information about Carl Edwards off track activities. http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-carl-edwards-dwyre-20151001-column.html
Next up on the JGR sudden departures list with New England short track ties: Dave Rogers, JGR crew chief https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Rogers_(NASCAR) Dave Rogers was Carl Edwards crew chief until Edwards announced his departure. On 3/29/17 Rogers unexpectedly, took an indefinite leave of absence from JGR for personal reasons. (This was one day after Bruce Bemer’s arrest. Coincidence?) Another surprise and shock to the racing community. Dave Rogers hometown is Marshfield, VT and in his youth he attended short track races with his dad. This is another dot back to the New England area of short track racing. Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Rogers_(NASCAR) http://www.truespeedcommunication.com/media_kits/no._18_mms_%7C_interstate_batteries/2013%20Dave%20Rogers%20Bio.pdf ‘ “The job offers I did have were with big ‘Corporate America’ type companies, and that’s not what I wanted to commit my life to at all,” Rogers said. “That’s when I got serious about racing, and I learned about GMI (the General Motors Institute in Flint, Mich.), which is known as Kettering U., and I fell in love with their vehicle dynamics program. There was a professor there named Dr. Tuttle, and I let him know what I wanted to do. He gave me an assistantship to teach manufacturing processes. In return, I got a graduate education in mechanical engineering. I studied vehicle dynamics, and I got my masters in 1998.” Rogers’ time at GMI was thoroughly committed to his studies, with one exception – working with a Late Model stock car team at Auto City Speedway in Clio, Mich.”’ He doesn’t name the team, but I’m trying to find that team name. Next dot: Ed Kosiski co-owner/promoter of I80 Speedway in Greenwood, Nebraska. I found this story via comments on the Bemer arrest wondering why NASCAR pulled its’ Whelen Modified Series from the Speedbowl and not the I80 Speedway after Kosiski’s conviction of attempted assault on an underage prostitute, (for the record I don’t like minors trapped by predators being called prostitutes). Links to arrest and conviction of Ed Kosiski. His conviction was in Dec 2011. http://www.onedirt.com/news/i-80-speedway-co-owner-kosiski-sentenced-to-8-16-years-in-prison/ http://www.dirtracingforum.com/showthread.php/10262-Ed-Kosiski-sentenced-to-8-to-16-years-in-prison! http://www.nonpareilonline.com/archive/speedway-owner-faces-prison-in-sex-case/article_5ad04852-1f2a-5c5f-accb-f89f8bbaf6a3.html I give kudos to the prosecutor for standing her ground on his sentencing after the defense wanted to use the “upstanding citizen” reason for probation with no incarceration. This man has ties back to Carl Edwards. In 2007, Carl Edwards approached Ed Kosiski about getting his younger brother, Kenny Edwards, into racing at I80 Speedway, then named Greenwood Speedway Park. http://journalstar.com/sports/curt-mckeever-carl-edwards-little-brother-making-mark/article_42d2d7f7-7aad-5607-a625-131b38dddc83.html I’m including this, because from the articles about Kosiski’s arrest and conviction, his predatory behavior began in 2008. The journalstar story mentions that Kenny stayed at the Kosiski residence 3 nights a week while learning to race. I’ve found very little online regarding Kenny and Carl’s wiki didn’t even mention he had a younger brother he helped get into the sport. At the time Kenny was racing in the hornet (4 cylinders) division near his hometown. This link is really the only thing I’ve really found. http://gokennyedwards.com/kennyedwards/index.html.
Ability Beyond This is the residential home from which Robert King found his victims for Bemer. I have done some research into them. They have locations throughout CT and NY servicing approx. 2,500 individuals both residentially and non-residentially. They are headquartered in Milford, CT is just 10 minutes from Danbury. Tom Fanning, the founder, stepped down as CEO April 4, 2017. He was succeeded by Nancy Davis Bunt who was the company’s COO. Coincidentally, they have a location in Chappaqua, NY. There is much more digging that needs to be done on this company. As the new president, Davis Bunt wants to look into cost saving measures like remote monitoring. I’ve looked at Linkedin profiles of the board until I’m blue in the face. I just don’t have it in me right now after all that went into this submission on the race track issues. Please help where you can. Police have stated there are more victims in the Bruce Bemer/William Trefzger/Robert King case. Let’s help more victims of these horrible predators get the help they need.