Down Under, in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, a doomsday cult leader and one of his True Believers came to an undisclosed settlement agreement.
Martin Penney was suing Rocco Leo, formerly a fugitive and leader to the Agape Ministries, a “doomsday cult,” claiming that while a member of the cult, he bought into Rocco’s stories of “poisoned microchips, government beheadings and South Pacific island refuges duped him into parting with $876,000.” Additionally, Penney claimed that he forked over $250,000 to cover “daily incidentals,” such a toilet paper, a $42,000 Ford Fairlane as well as donating $217,000 cash.
Okay, let’s catch our breath here. First of all, Rocco Leo! Ew! Seriously? So gross. You’re going to hand over $876,000 to a guy named Rocco Leo who’s telling you that the world is coming to an end? Also, has there ever been a Ford Fairlane built – ever! – that’s worth $42,000? And then there’s the cult name, Agape Ministries! The only thing agape was my mouth when I read this story.
So, anyway Rocco Leo of Agape Ministries agreed to settle out-of-court with Penney for an undisclosed amount. You think?
Not that it ends Rocco Leo’s troubles. You see, last June, when he was a fugitive, he was located by Fijian authorities holed up in a former resort on the island. When found, he was hanging with his brother Joseph and his sister Mari Antoinette Veneziano. What a family!
Thus, brought back to Australia, Rocco faces another trial in June in which yet another disgruntled one-time True Believer wanting $420,000. On top of that, the Australian Taxation Office is seeking $4.1 million “after stripping the cult of its tax-exempt status as a religion.” And if that isn’t enough, the Holden Hill Magistrates Court has an active warrant for Rocco that requires “his arrest for assault charges dating back to April 2010.”
On the plus side for Rocco, the government has decided not to pursue criminal charges against him for the guns and 35,000 rounds of ammunition discovered on cult properties.
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