In May of 2008, Kristin Ruggiero used a pay-per-minute cell phone to frame her ex-husband for sending threatening messages. (See: Bogus text messages and a false report gets Ruggiero 7 1/2-12) “She was bitter about Jeffrey Ruggiero moving on with his life, and wanted to gain an edge in family court, assistant county attorney Jerome Blanchard said.” Ruggiero jeopardized her ex-husband’s career and deprived their daughter of a meaningful relationship with her father. Ruggiero was found guilty of 12 counts of falsifying evidence (one for each phony text message) and one count of giving a false report to police. The prosecutor said, “It’s a great day for the real victims of domestic violence”. The Judge called Ruggiero a “pathological liar”. Not only did they throw the book at her on the original charges, sentenced to 7 1/2-12 years in prison, the states attorney investigated Ruggiero for additional crimes surrounding the trial and subsequently prosecuted her for perjury, witness tampering and related charges. That’s how they deter false police reports, falsifying evidence and even perjury in New Hampshire. Not only did Ms. Ruggiero and her accomplices learn a lesson, everyone in that county and many in the state were indirectly deterred from similar criminal behavior.
Last month Tiffany Marie Smith, of Dover, Delaware was finally arrested. She had made 14 false police reports that resulted in nine false arrests of her ex-husband, Gordon Smith, the last one a terrifying experience for him, at gunpoint. She also perjured herself countless times using the false reports and resulting false arrests to obtain protection from abuse orders and file motions of civil contempt of those abuse orders. The woman is a maniacal, devious and evil individual. She used the police and courts for purposes of criminal harassment and as weapons of destruction against her ex-husband for a period of over three years. She was falsifying evidence back in July of 2010, if not before. (See: attempted frame) She was conspiring with others in her crimes against him at least back to August 9, 2010. (See: Tiffany, sister and boyfriend false report Aug. 9) Kristin Ruggiero’s crimes pale in comparison.
October 10, 2012, Tiffany Smith is scheduled for arraignment in the Kent County, Delaware, Court of Common Pleas on the charges of filing three separate false reports. She was arraigned last month on the felony misstatement to police in the last false report where she cut herself and lay in a ditch in an effort to frame Gordon Smith for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. She wrote threatening letters allegedly from her ex-husband. Similar to the Ruggiero case but much worse, many more false reports, with more serious charges and over a longer period of time. Mr. Ruggiero was able to resume his career, in the Coast Guard, that had only briefly been interrupted. Mr. Smith has been financially decimated in the last three and a half years and has been unable to find employment befitting his experience and expertise. Mr. Ruggiero was able to be vindicated and resume his life after a period of months where he was jailed for a week and faced the possibility of prison. Mr. Smith waited over three years to be vindicated during which time he suffered some twenty criminal charges and the daily threat that at any time Tiffany Smith could call and get a warrant on him, based solely on an unproven allegation and he could go to prison. Mr. Ruggiero got justice for the hell that he went through and the citizens of the state of New Hampshire got justice for the waste of police and prosecutorial resources and set an example for other would be Kristin Ruggieros. Mr. Smith is waiting to see if he will get justice for the hell he went through.
October 10th is an opportunity for Delaware Deputy Attorney General Gregory Babowal to add charges of falsifying the phony threatening notes, that were underlying in several false reports (see: Tiffany Marie Smith Perjury & False Reports)and harassment. It is also an opportunity for him to charge her with conspiracy and false report to the police on August 9, 2010, crimes that though known by police and prosecutors, and proven by an investigation after the false arrest of Gordon Smith, have thus far gone unpunished. It is also an opportunity for DAG Babowal to charge her with falsifying evidence and false report to the police for the July 22, 2010, failed attempt to have Gordon Smith arrested, with her first phony threatening letter.
Most of Ms. Smith’s false reports were she said, he said, and there was not enough evidence to prosecute Gordon Smith but conversely there is not enough evidence to prosecute Tiffany Smith for false reports either. Of the 14 false reports five never got off the ground with police. Of the remaining that resulted in his false arrest, in only six is there sufficient evidence of false reports to take to trial and get a conviction against Tiffany Smith. That is a problem for many other victims of the crime of false report to police. Not enough evidence to exonerate them and remove the cloud suspicion of the accusation and prosecute the real criminals. Not every false report to police can be proven.
When Ms. Smith produced two phony letters, on August 18, Mr. Smith was hit with a plethora of charges, felony stalking and seven misdemeanors. Ms. Smith has only been charged with three false reports, of the five between July 28 and August 28 and making a false statement in a felony investigation. Why weren’t the charges of falsifying evidence and harassment included? Already it seems that she’s headed for getting off with only a slap on the wrist in Delaware.
Had Tiffany Smith been in New Hampshire and seen what happened to Kristin Ruggiero in 2008 maybe she would not have begun her onslaught, of false reports against Gordon Smith. Maybe she wouldn’t have destroyed his career and put him in fear for his life and liberty. Maybe her sons wouldn’t have been deprived of a normal healthy relationship with their father in their early lives. Certainly, others that saw Ruggiero slammed by the Courts in NH were deterred and that is a big benefit and it is, as that prosecutor said, “a victory for the real victims of domestic violence”. What will happen in Delaware? What lessons will the would be Tiffany Smiths learn?
Not for Gordon Smith but for the sake of all those falsely accused, for men and women everywhere, Tiffany Smith must be prosecuted fully on the charges that she has already been arrested for and additionally charged with falsifying evidence, criminal harassment and with, at a minimum, the false report and criminal conspiracy of August 9, 2010. That is the only way to have justice in Delaware.
Call the office of the Attorney General Joseph Biden and tell the prosecutors that we demand justice. Let them know that people, not just in Kent County or Delaware are watching but people around the world are watching to see what example they set. Will the state’s attorney in Delaware condone falsifying evidence, conspiracy and false reports or will they do what the state’s attorney did in New Hampshire and show that these crimes won’t be tolerated?
(The Chief of Criminal Division in Kent County is Ken Haltom and the prosecuting Deputy Attorney General is Greg Babowal and their phone number is 302-739-4211 and their fax is 302-739-7652. AG Biden’s office is 302-577-8500 and the email address for all of them is Attorney.General@state.DE.US
This is the second court appearance for Tiffany Smith. Let’s make sure that the current charges hold and additional charges be filed.)
Note from Dean Esmay: At this writing, despite multiple hearings Gordon Smith still has a bogus Protection from Abuse order against him due to legalistic footdraggign. He has still not gotten custody of his children and although he has been granted visitation, other officials are dragging their heels on getting him more than limited visitation. In the meantime, Tiffany remains uncharged with multiple crimes, among which Catherine Gibson is one of her victims since some of the exact same “crimes” Tiffany reported against Gordon were also reported against Catherine. We support Catherine’s efforts for justice for herself as well as for Gordon and his children. Tiffany Marie Smith needs to pay the full penalty for her crimes, otherwise Beau Biden and the entire state of Delaware will have established that it’s easy to get away with filing false police reports and lying to police investigators if you’re a woman in Delaware. Are you listening or what, Delaware?
