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Tales from Arizona: Massive Fraud, Mass Grave, Massacre
No, this is not a tale from the 1800s, although you might find some themes and players in common with the excellent account of Henry Lafayette Dodge’s service. These three stories all broke since early October. First we learned of an Arizona native, from an old family, engaged in massive immigration and adoption fraud. Then we learned of a mass grave near a Mexican coastal town, long regarded by middle class Arizonans as their beach home community, nicknamed “Rocky Point.” Finally, while mulling over these two stories, Arizona and a neighboring Mexican state became national news with the shocking slaughter of nine women and children on a Mexican highway, almost certainly at the hands of an identifiable cartel. All of these stories are tied to the enormous wealth of the American nation, enabling appetites unrestrained by moral sentiments.
Massive Fraud Centered in Arizona’s Valley of the Sun:
In early October, news broke that Maricopa County Assessor Paul D Peterson had been indicted in a massive adoption and immigration fraud case. As the state and local government cast about for a legal way to remove this elected official from his office, I quickly captured his official biography.* He brazenly touted his adoption activities, apparently secure in his status as a fifth generation Arizonan and a staunch member of the Republican establishment.