A.C. Crispin and Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware have (At Last!) started up a blog to give updates and warnings about scammers and others who would take advantage of writers seeking publication.

Ann dropped me a note Monday, after I'd posted about the new blog on the Usenet newsgroup misc.writing, because (at long last!) one of their long-time scammers hit the wall, pleaded guilty, and awaits sentencing.

As mentioned on the blog Monday,

Kelly O'Donnell/Martha Ivery/6 other aliases has just pleaded guilty in Federal Court to ALL 15 COUNTS OF FRAUD (INCLUDING BANKRUPTCY FRAUD) SHE WAS CHARGED WITH!

Sentencing was set for April 28th, 2006. Victoria and I are planning to be there in court that day.

Folks, this means JAIL TIME. Several years of it. We're hoping for about five.

For those who don't know about the work these two anti-scamming wunderkinds have done for years, they have been out in the forefront, maintaining the Writer Beware site, exposing questionable practices, naming names and providing hundreds and hundreds of hours in pursuit of scammers and crooks who prey on writers. They'd made Martha Ivery a pet project seven years ago and have doggedly pursued her.

According to Crispin, quoted in the Times Union, "This case, unlike the other ones we followed, really got personal. She made death threats to us, and stalked us online. I plan to go to the sentencing."

   posted by Sal Towse at  9:44 AM|| |