Gerald Garner (AKA Goldberg) - Dr. Ron Lapin's Lawyer

by OrphanCrow 9 Replies latest watchtower scandals

  • OrphanCrow
    OrphanCrow

    I have posted this information on another thread, but I think it is important enough to have its own thread.

    I have been doing research into the roots of "bloodless medicine" and naturally, the "bloodless surgeon" Ron Lapin that the JWs hail as a hero, has come under my scrutiny.

    This post concerns the lawyer Gerald Garner, who represented Ron Lapin during the 80s and 90s when Lapin was being investigated for dangerous medical practices, and for being too eager to slice open patients by burning them with a cauterizing knife.

    Garner was received to the New York bar in 1961, and was suspended in New York in 1984 for his role in an adoption proceeding. Basically, Garner arranged adoptions that weren't legal - he used false names and didn't follow the State's laws on adoptions. He was also disbarred in Columbia in 1992

    https://scholar.google.ca/scholar_case?case=11145297023382297619&q=gerald+garner&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

    https://scholar.google.ca/scholar_case?case=12533363518124515899&q=gerald+garner&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

    https://scholar.google.ca/scholar_case?case=11760209690709182259&q=gerald+garner&hl=en&as_sdt=2006

    Garner and Lapin met sometime before Gene Church published his book No Man's Blood in 1983.

    http://roman142.blogspot.ca/2014/09/no-mans-blood-gene-church-1986-version-1.html

    As they ate breakfast, Lapin recalled how he’d first met Gerry Garner two years before at Dr. Kaller’s Fourth of July party. There was something about this burly guy with his Jewish modification of an Afro hair style and a mischievous smile that instantly captured Lapin’s attention. As they sat around a small table near the crowded swimming pool — trying to converse over discordant sounds created by twenty children and a handful of adults frolicking in the water — Lapin had the pleasure of gaining insight into one of the sharpest legal minds around. He had always admired creative thinkers; but in Gerry, he saw the epitome, the zenith.
    “You have a dissecting, diabolical mind,” Lapin said, devouring a piece of barbequed roast beef. Garner seemed unimpressed by the compliment. He simply continued to drink his protein meal, determined to stick to his diet even in the thick of a hedonistic, gastronomic orgy.
    He told Lapin that between his two offices — one in New York and the other in Fullerton, a distant suburb of Los Angeles — he’d amassed a flight schedule that could match or even surpass that of most commercial pilots.
    In a most prophetic statement, Lapin told Garner before he left, “If I ever get into trouble, I mean real trouble, I’d like you to defend me.”
    “Be more than glad to. As a matter of fact, I’d be honored,” Garner replied as the two shook hands.
    Right then it didn’t occur to Lapin just how soon he’d need Garner’s services, or that they’d end up being the very closest of friends.
    Their friendship sprang from deep mutual respect for one another’s professional abilities, and was strengthened by their common Jewish heritage. It was brought more sharply into focus by other shared experiences: the seemingly tireless ability to be in perpetual motion and the shared background of having had a difficult childhood.

    Gerald Garner was involved in several law cases that concerned Jehovah's Witnesses and was the CEO for Coast Medical Plaza for many years before he died in 2002.

    He was also involved in a huge banking scandal.

    http://www.shspoon.stirsite.com/dalrae.html

    Garner also founded Garner Health Law and after his death, his legacy of corruption and fraud lived on:

    Coast Plaza Doctors Hospital and the Estate of Former CEO Pay $4.1 Million to Settle Medicare Fraud Claims

    It was while I was researching Gerald Garner that I ran across a facebook page that concerned his shady adoption practices during the 70s and 80s. There are adoptees that are searching for their birth families and are having difficulties because their adoption processes were handled by a "black market lawyer".

    https://www.facebook.com/VictimsOfAttorneyGeraldGarner

    Just posting this here, what I and 2 others have found out to date, and hoping for any new information or shares to help us in our search for our family. In another odd twist, this same criminal attorney was arrested and tried in Ohio as well for attempted baby stealing. So now we can add THAT state to the list of possible sites where I and many others may have been born and taken from.
    The Attorney who did the adoption was disbarred, for fraud, filing false adoption and false birth certificate records. I was born in 1975, but the day is now questionable. I have 9-1 on my certificate which is most likely false. It has also come to light the attorney was arrested and tried for baby stealing in ohio in the mid 1970's (1977) as well so we can now add that state to the list of possibles along with California, New York, New Jersey. I have also included below some additional links about the criminal attorney and his family who were also apparently all criminals as well, it ran in the family. If ANYONE knows ANYTHING please contact me... He at one time was a partner at Garner & Kreinces in New York.
    This criminal and his associates had over 40 years to destroy lives and families and they did a bang up job of it. It's time to take our history back, to get our families back.
    We've had what appears to be 'good samaritans' forward info to us, using what may be aliases to avoid connection. If you are one of those people, we gladly accept your anonymous help, not everyone who now passes along info to us knew what this criminal attorney was doing, some just had 'creepy feelings' about him and his cronies, but never any real proof until they started connecting dots. This being said, if you were connected to him or involved with him in any way, you probably have information relevant you don't even realize will help us. Therefore, private message me whatever you remember or have and we will take it from there with regards to research.

    The reason I am posting this here is because Gerald Garner had extensive involvement with Jehovah's Witness families and it may be possible that some of his illegal adoptions came from the JW community. If anyone has any information that may be helpful to the adoptees that were victimized by this lawyer, I am sure that it would make some people very happy.

  • OrphanCrow
    OrphanCrow

    I have been corresponding with one of the adoptees and told her that I posted her facebook link here:

    Thank you for posting there as well. The people who bought me were apparently told I came from Jewish parents, via DNA I know I have no Jew in me at all so this might be a lead that pans out.
  • OrphanCrow
    OrphanCrow

    A couple photos - they are public on facebook.

    https://www.facebook.com/VictimsOfAttorneyGeraldGarner

    And from another facebook page

    https://www.facebook.com/SarahsSearch/info?tab=page_info


    Here's some information about me: I was born on April 8, 1975 in La Mirada, CA. My adoption paperwork has me listed as Baby Girl Travers but I'm also listed on the California Birth Index as Baby Girl Green. The lawyer involved with my adoption was Gerald J. Garner from Garner & Kreinces in Harrison, NY. From my research I have discovered that Mr. Garner made regular trips to California to convince young mothers to give up their children for adoption. Most of these Californian babies were adopted to couples in NY, NJ, and CT. Mr. Garner lost his license for a period of time for falsifying records in an adoption. I'm sure there are many people who were greatly affected by this man's actions.

    Mr. Garner's "regular trips to California" often involved JW doctors, patients, and hospitals. It is possible that young unwed JW girls from the JW community were targeted in Garner's adoption business.

  • millie210
    millie210

    Another fascinating topic.

    Keep up the good work OrphanCrow!

  • OrphanCrow
    OrphanCrow

    Millie, the deeper I dig into JW history, the stranger and more disturbing things become. This particular discovery - that the lawyer - who represented Dr.Lapin and the JWs in their medical legal battles - was also a "baby broker" who took advantage of his positioning in the medical and legal world, to profit from vulnerable women, is almost beyond comprehension for me.

    This hits a personal chord for me. I empathize with these adoptees who are looking for their families. My mother was adopted back in the 30s and when I found that out, at the age of five, my world changed. When I was older, I undertook a quest to find out who my "real" grandmother was. It took me over 30 years before I found her. I never got to meet her, but I have photos of her and finally when I saw pictures of my grandmother, for the first time in my life, I found someone who looks like me.

    What Gerald Garner did, by his illegal adoption practices, was wrong beyond wrong. I truly hope that his wrongs are righted in some way, some day, for these adoptees and their families. What he did wasn't right.

  • steve2
    steve2

    This is worthy of further investigation.

  • Dagney
    Dagney

    Well this was interesting. Coast Medical was a BIG deal here back in the day 1980's, I'm from Orange Co. A former JW doctor friend from Sweden became friends with Dr. Lapin and the staff there and told me stories of lavish lunches and dinners at the expense of the medical center. That didn't set well with him or me.

    Something seemed amiss with that place, although at the time it seemed like a "provision from Jah" that we now had a place that would perform bloodless surgery. I remember attending seminars at hotels put on by the medical center regarding bloodless surgery. I do know a sister who had a bloodless surgery from Dr. Lapin who eventually passed, and we always wondered about it...my gf would remember more. I do remember Dr. Lapin had lots of issues, then again, doctors tend to. His lawyer was a piece of work I guess.

    Strange times it was.

  • OrphanCrow
    OrphanCrow

    Here is another Garner Baby who is looking for her family:

    http://www.angelfire.com/de3/pbn/New_York.htm

    I was born: 3-13-72. I am looking for my: Birthmother. Place of Birth: Englewood, New Jersey. Sex: Female. Hospital: Englewood Hospital. Adoption Handled by: Attorney Gerald Garner. State of Adoption: Queens? New York. Refer to Case Number: DA-2809NY.

    Englewood Hospital is another hospital that is a favorite destination for Jehovah's Witnesses. Many JWs have been patients at that hospital over the years - it is one of the hospitals that is used extensively for medical research in the JW community.

    Dagney: Well this was interesting. Coast Medical was a BIG deal here back in the day 1980's, I'm from Orange Co.

    Dageny, if you found that interesting, you may find some of the information on another thread interesting, too. It is a long thread and the Ron Lapin story begins on page 7:

    http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/315890005/lorenz-reibling-gives-interview-about-real-estate?size=20&page=7

  • rebel8
    rebel8
    You rock.
  • OrphanCrow
    OrphanCrow

    And another Garner Baby:

    https://adoption.com/forums/thread/32459/mom-im-looking-for-you-dob-6-21-77/

    MOM IM LOOKING FOR YOU... DOB: 6/21/77
    Originally Posted By Deanne
    I was born 6/21/77 in white plains ny?? i was adopted through a lawyer named Gerald Garner ang a Robert Fray. I was told that my Biological Parent mother was from cali and she traveled to ny to have me.
    I have been searching for many years... in this time i have found out that Gerald Garner was disbared for falsifing adoption papers. so im not sure that all the information that i have been given is so correct!
    if anyone has any information... my life would be complete...EMAIL: [email protected]
    thank you!!!

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