Women testify they addressed bogus hate letters for Haitian political refugee

Two women romantically involved with a Haitian political refugee testified yesterday that they addressed some bogus hate mail for him.

Frantz Cadet, 48, is accused of targeting himself with more than 100 fake hate letters to gain money and other assistance from the Southside Nazarene Church in Chesterfield County, where he worked.

His trial began yesterday in federal court for mail fraud and lying to a federal agent.

The indictment alleges that his motives included keeping his janitorial job with the church where he also worshipped and where he received some $23,000 in assistance.

The two women, who did not know about each other, testified he told them the letters would be used for legitimate church purposes.

They said that Cadet, the married father of six, told them his wife was dead and even introduced her to them as his sister.

Among other things, the letters told the recipients that Cadet was a criminal, a terrorist, and not a Christian, and contained racial slurs. "This is a white church if you don't know," read one letter. Another threatened Cadet's life.

Pastor Jerome Hancock testified that the anonymous letters were supposedly written by a member of the congregation, and that frustrated him.

"This is not the way we are," Hancock testified. He said he made a public announcement and the congregation rallied around Cadet and his family, longtime members there.

One of those who heard Hancock's was Judy A. Sykes, an FBI agent attending the church one evening.

"My ears perked up, because what I do is civil rights, and I was very concerned that this could be a hate-crime violation," Sykes said.

She said she interviewed Cadet, who denied any involvement. However, later DNA testing by the FBI and a private laboratory of 20 randomly selected letters identified Cadet's DNA and that of some of his children on some of the letters, she said.

Testimony from staff members of the church showed that Cadet's van had been stolen and burned and that the tires on a replacement van were slashed.

Contact Frank Green at (804) 649-6340 or .