Editing Scientology (section)

=== Criminal behavior ===
{{see also|Operation Snow White|Operation Freakout|Scientology and law}}
[[File:Paulette cooper.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Author [[Paulette Cooper]] was indicted for making bomb threats after she was [[Frameup|framed]] by agents of the Church of Scientology.]]

In 1978, a number of Scientologists, including L.&nbsp;Ron Hubbard's wife [[Mary Sue Hubbard]] (who was second in command in the organization at the time), were convicted of perpetrating what was at the time the largest incident of domestic espionage in the history of the United States, called "[[Operation Snow White]]". This involved infiltrating, wiretapping, and stealing documents from the offices of Federal attorneys and the Internal Revenue Service.<ref name="nr4186">{{Cite book|title = National Reporting, 1941–1986|last = Ficsher|first = Erika|publisher = Walter de Gruyter|page = 302}}</ref> L.&nbsp;Ron Hubbard was convicted ''[[trial in absentia|in absentia]]'' by French authorities of engaging in fraud and sentenced to four years in prison.<ref name=Mo99>{{Cite news|first=Lucy |last=Morgan |title=Abroad: Critics public and private keep pressure on Scientology |url=http://www.sptimes.com/News/32999/Worldandnation/Abroad__Critics_publi.html |newspaper=[[St. Petersburg Times]] |date=March 29, 1999 |access-date=November 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071219080712/http://www.sptimes.com/News/32999/Worldandnation/Abroad__Critics_publi.html |archive-date=December 19, 2007 }}</ref> The head of the French Church of Scientology was convicted at the same trial and given a suspended one-year prison sentence.<ref>''Catholic Sentinel'', March 17, 1978</ref>

An FBI raid on the Church of Scientology's headquarters revealed documentation that detailed Scientology's criminal actions against various critics of the organization. In "[[Operation Freakout]]", agents of the organization attempted to destroy [[Paulette Cooper]], author of ''The Scandal of Scientology'', an early book that had been critical of the movement.<ref name="sptimes1979">{{Cite web |url=http://sptimes.com/2006/webspecials06/scientology/Scientology_Special_Report.pdf |title=Scientology: An in-depth profile of a new force in Clearwater |date=1979 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809193839/http://sptimes.com/2006/webspecials06/scientology/Scientology_Special_Report.pdf |archive-date=August 9, 2007 |first=Charles |last=Stafford |publisher=[[St Petersburg Times]] }} {{Cite web |url=https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/bette-swenson-orsini-and-charles-stafford |title=The 1980 Pulitzer Prize Winner in National Reporting |website=[[Pulitzer Prize|The Pulitzer Prizes]]}}</ref> Among these documents was a plan to frame [[Gabe Cazares]], the mayor of [[Clearwater, Florida|Clearwater]], Florida, with a staged hit-and-run accident. Nine individuals related to the case were prosecuted on charges of theft, burglary, conspiracy, and other crimes.

In 1988, Scientology president [[Heber Jentzsch]] and ten other members of the organization were arrested in Spain on various charges including illicit association, coercion, fraud, and labor law violations.<ref name="SPTHarassment"/> In October 2009, the Church of Scientology was found guilty of organized fraud in France.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE59Q1HD20091027 |title=Scientology convicted for fraud in France, escapes ban |work=Reuters |date=October 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114182557/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE59Q1HD20091027 |archive-date=January 14, 2010 |url-status=dead }}, ''Reuters'', October 27, 2009</ref> The sentence was confirmed by the [[Court of appeal (France)|court of appeal]] in February 2012, and by the supreme [[Court of Cassation (France)|Court of Cassation]] in October 2013.<ref name=afpFraud12>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/french-court-upholds-scientology-fraud-conviction/ |title=French court upholds Scientology fraud conviction |website=[[CBS News]] |date=February 2, 2012 }}, ''AFP'', February 2, 2012</ref><ref name=TorygrFraud13>{{Cite news |title=Scientology's fraud conviction upheld in France |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10384877/Scientologys-fraud-conviction-upheld-in-France.html |access-date=July 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140530065306/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10384877/Scientologys-fraud-conviction-upheld-in-France.html |archive-date=May 30, 2014 |url-status=live |location=London |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |agency=[[Agence France Presse|AFP]] |date=October 17, 2013}}</ref> In 2012, Belgian prosecutors indicted Scientology as a criminal organization engaged in fraud
and extortion.<ref name="thewire">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thewire.com/global/2012/12/belgium-scientology-charges/60398/|publisher=thewire.com|title=Could Belgium Bring Down Scientology? – The Atlantic|work=The Wire |access-date=March 13, 2017|date=December 28, 2012}}</ref><ref name="tonyortega2">{{Cite web|url=http://tonyortega.org/2014/03/27/belgium-will-try-two-scientology-organizations-and-10-scientologists-for-fraud/|publisher=tonyortega.org|title=Belgium will try two Scientology organizations and 10 Scientologists for fraud ' The Underground Bunker|access-date=March 13, 2017}}</ref><ref name="tonyortega3">{{Cite web|url=http://tonyortega.org/2014/01/11/our-man-in-europe-reports-on-belgiums-criminal-prosecution-of-scientology/|publisher=tonyortega.org|title=Our man in Europe reports on Belgium's criminal prosecution of Scientology ' The Underground Bunker|access-date=March 13, 2017}}</ref> In March 2016, the Church of Scientology was acquitted of all charges, and demands to close its Belgian branch and European headquarters were dismissed.<ref name="abc">{{Cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-12/belgium-court-acquits-scientology-of-charges/7241800|publisher=abc.net.au|title=Scientology: Belgium court acquits church of organised crime charges (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)|newspaper=ABC News|access-date=March 13, 2017|date=March 11, 2016|last1=Lewins|first1=Dean}}</ref>