Mr. Michael J. Ciotti and his wife Georgia, residents of Queen Creek for more than twenty years, are disheartened at the blatant indifference and apathy they have been shown from the Bishop of the Mormon Church. Mr. and Mrs. Ciotti are the parents of Jessie Ciotti, age 18, and a student at Basha high school in Queen Creek. Jessie has a history of critical medical issues and is under the care of medical professionals who have prescribed a regimen of prescription medications to be taken on a daily basis. Jessie Ciotti is actually Mrs. Ciotti’s grandson, one of four children borne of her adopted daughter, April, from a previous marriage. April, at a young age, met an older, more experienced manipulative man, Johnny Dale White, who had an extensive past involving drug abuse and criminal convictions. April life with White was transient abusive and erratic, however, resulted in the births of four children, one girl and three boys, all born in the early-to-mid nineties. One of the children passed away at the age of six weeks, believed to be the victim of child abuse but this can not be confirmed due to the refusal of Johnny Dale White to cooperate with police and the couple’s constant moving. Michael and Georgia Ciotti were married in 1993 and shortly thereafter, the decision was made to help Georgia’s grandchildren. The Ciottis hired a private investigator and spent tens of thousands of dollars in litigation; in 1997, the adoption of Georgia’s three remaining grandchildren was ordered by the Court. The Ciottis are to be applauded for willfully volunteering to take on the needs and issues of the three grandchildren they adopted; given the abuse and neglect they were subjected to, their combined medical and psychological needs promise to be both financially and emotionally overwhelming enough to dissuade most from minimal involvement and most certainly, adoption. Given this information, it makes the actions of the Haney family that much more heinous. Troy Kevin Haney and his wife, Shannon Laree Haney, who attended the SAME Mormon Church as the Ciottis, simply decided to take care and control of Jessie, the Ciotti’s son. Mr. and Mrs. Haney, in fact, refer to Jessie as THEIR son, and the Haney children call Jessie Ciotti their brother; they disallow any communication between Jessie and his parents and biological siblings. Any attempts by the Ciottis to speak to their son, even at Church, have been met with verbal threats of physical assault by Troy Haney and his son. Phone calls to the Haney household go completely ignored. Even though the Haneys have been apprised of Jessie’s medical condition, they insist that they will decide what is best for Jessie. With nowhere else to turn for assistance, the Ciotti’s asked the bishop of their Church for help. The Bishop arranged for the Ciottis and Jessie to meet in his office; progress was being made but was quickly thwarted by Troy Haney standing outside the door of the Bishop’s office; when Jessie saw Mr. Haney, he stopped talking and would not even make eye contact with his parents. The Bishop followed up the meeting with a vague and ambiguous letter stating that “everything will work out.” In fact, things cannot have turned more horrifically for the worse during the weeks that have passed since the meeting. The Haneys own Haney's Family Jewelers located at 5022 South Power Road in Queen Creek. Todd Haney informed the Bishop that he was training Jessie in watch repair, which is a blatant lie. Jessie actually works as a “sign spinner” to promote the store and their practice of buying gold from potential customers in desperate need of cash. The Ciottis asked the local police to visit the Haney home and check on the wellness and well-being of their son; when the police arrived, no one answered the door, even though there was a car parked outside the home. Troy Haney, however, told the Bishop that the police completed the well-check visit and had determined that everything was all right, obviously an unequivocal falsehood. The Ciottis have been informed by teachers and administration at Basha High School that they have been instructed by Mrs. Haney to not disclose any information regarding Jessie to them, and that they will not be welcome to attend Jessie’s graduation ceremony; if the Ciotti’s were to attend anyway, Jessie may or may not be included in the ceremony. The Ciottis become further distraught on a daily basis with regard to Jessies health issues; Jesse has lost an unhealthy amount of weight and the Haneys boldly state that they have no interest in learning Jessie’s medical history and subsequent needs. Jessie has ceased to communicate with his lifelong friends, parents, siblings and other relatives. Most recently, the Mr. and Mrs. Haney have filed for a protective order in the Mesa Court, and Jessie has filed the same (none of which allege any wrongdoing by Mr. or Mrs. Ciotti); all three filings have been dismissed by the Judge. The Haneys, in conjunction with the Mormon Church, are efforting to send Jessie away on a two-year unpaid mission on behalf of the Mormon Church. The behaviors of the Haneys are identical to the aberrant, twisted conduct of infamous cults in days gone by. The Ciottis assert that Jessie has been and continues to be the innocent victim of monumental brainwashing and mental manipulation tactics employed by Todd and Shannon Haney, and fear for Jessie’s health, safety and well-being with each hour that passes. The urgency for help for Jessie and the Ciotti family is undeniable and it is apparent that there will be no help from the Church of The Latter Day Saints, the Court or law enforcement, while the safety and well-being of an 18-year-old-boy goes completely ignored, which in and of itself is a heinous act on the part of humanity.
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