Police Report Filed Over an Angry Letter

My question involves defamation in the state of: Florida

My brother is a horrible person. He is ten years older than me. My childhood consisted of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of my brother and my father. My brother is a liar and a thief. My father also is an adept manipulator of the legal system; I'm sure my brother learned everything he knows from my father. Suffice to say my childhood and young adult years were made hell on Earth due to my father and brother.

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer at a relatively young age. My brother took this opportunity to send me a few letters telling me, "I hope you die of breast cancer". 10 years prior in 1998, my brother had sent another nasty letter to my home address. (I never gave him my home address, so I was freaked out at the invasion of privacy). I promptly wrote my brother a letter telling him to NEVER to contact me again. He didn't contact me for about 10 years, but then when I was diagnosed with cancer the harassing letters started again. This was in 2008.

I live in California and my brother lives in Florida, so I've never felt endangered by his letters. I was extremely ticked off, however. My brother was sending me letters telling me he hoped I'd die, and he just gets away with it?! I told my parents about the letters. My father couldn't care less, because he was saying the same words to me, i.e., "You're going to die of breast cancer". My mother has some sympathy for me, but my father controls her emotionally and financially. I have one other brother who is nice, but he lives 500 miles away.

In retrospect, I suppose I should have taken the letters to the cops. But my mind just does not work that deviously. "I hope you die of cancer" is a despicable thing to write to someone, but I don't believe it's a direct threat. And given that my brother is 3,000 miles away, I didn't fear violence. Most importantly, both my dad and my mom told me, "Just let it go. Just put it aside". I took their advice, but simmered inside. I was so caught up in going through cancer treatment that it wasn't that hard to just "put aside" the letters at that time.

I've battled cancer and chronic pain. I've also suffered financially due to the money that my brother stole.

I finally decided to let my brother have a piece of my mind. I haven't spoken to him or seen him since 1994. My only prior contact was my 1998 letter telling him to leave me alone, which he laughed at! (I learned of this through my mother).

A letter expressing a lifetime of anger is not going to be pretty, but in no way did I ever threaten my brother. I simply insulted him. I told him he's pedophile scum, etc. (He arranged to have me raped when I was a teen). My brother is so pathetic that he had to travel all the way to the Phillipines to find a "mail order bride" because no woman in America wanted anything to do with him. He basically bought a prostitute over there. I told him this in the letter. It's a fact. I also told him he's a thief because he stole and sold my parents' home out from under us (long story). My parents are having financial troubles, and he couldn't care less. (My parents paid ALL his college costs, grad school, "gave" him a half million dollar house, etc.).

My brother did not leave home until he was 33 years old. He used my father for money and my mother as a maid, then as soon as he'd ordered his mail order bride, he turned around and sold the home my parents had owned since before he was even born. He threw his mom and sister (me) into the street. I'll never understand why my father still defends my brother after all this, but he does. My father hates me and has always been abusive to me and my mom.

Fast forward to TODAY: My father told me that upon receiving my letter, my brother had filed a police report in Florida. (Knowing my dad, my father was assisting my brother every step of the way.

My father has a LONG history of abusing the legal and police systems and lying to the authorities. Unfortunately, I think that my father's history of lies against me has destroyed my credibility. My father even boasted about this particular "victory". 20 years ago, my dad told horrible lies about me to the cops and had me 5150'd. I was still living at home, so apparently I had ZERO RIGHTS. Actually, my father threatened and bribed the local police and psychiatrists. I don't know how I'll ever get my reputation back after that HELL.

I can only imagine the CRAP that my brother and my father told the local police in Florida. My dad is such a liar! My dad told me he was "staying out of it", yet my dad knew EVERY detail as it unfolded.

Two weeks went by and I heard nothing from any authorities, so I figured that the cops had better things to do and I wouldn't be hearing from them. After all, I did NOT threaten my brother in any way, shape, or form. I simply insulted him. 2 letters in 20 years is "harassment"?! ON what planet?

But today when I awoke there was a message on my answering machine from the police in Florida. (I'm 3,000 miles away, in California). On the message, a female police officer told me that my brother filed a police report for "harassing comminications". She said the reason she was calling was to inform me that if I ever contacted my brother again via mail, phone, email, Facebook----I would face "criminal charges"! The whole thing was so surreal, like a nightmare. I was in tears.

My father called me up soon afterwards, gloating. My dad tried to pretend that he knew NOTHING, which was total B.S., because my dad never even calls me. I did NOT put a return address on the letter, so I don't understand how the cops concluded that *I* was the sender. How was an anonymous letter traced back to me? (I'm well aware of fingerprints and DNA, but I seriously doubt that a small police dept. would spend the money needed for those tests. Besides, they'd need my fingerprints and a DNA sample from me.) My dad acted like the police had done those tests, which I think is total bull.

I feel like I'm being framed for something I didn't do. YES, I sent a letter, but there was nothing wrong with it. I was just expressing my feelings, unless THAT is suddenly ILLEGAL in the USA? (For all I know, my brother added something to the letter). I'm fairly sure that my brother and father told the police horrible lies about me, because they both did that 20 years ago. Send an anonymous letter and get a call from the cops?! What, anyone can just say, "Hey, my sister lives in that city in Calif. I hate her, so she's the one who wrote it"!

Express your feelings to your brother and get a call from police threatening "criminal charges" if you ever contact him again?! How sick is that? ONE letter in 20 years is "harassment"?! BTW, I did NOT keep the letters from my brother telling me he hoped I'd die of cancer! I suppose I should have, but I was so scared that I might die that I didn't want to save those awful letters! I tore them up and put them in the trash. I only kept one envelope to prove my brother had contacted me. I feel like once again I have ZERO RIGHTS. The abusers keep abusing, and the victim remains a victim. I can't afford to hire a lawyer. Even I didn't think my brother would stoop so low as to call the cops on his own sister, but I suppose I should have!

Please, if anyone has any advice I'd greatly appreciate it. Why am I being targeted by the cops when I didn't threaten my brother? I'd always heard that when people are actually threatened or harassed by someone that the cops don't do anything about it! All I did was INSULT my brother----is that illegal? Thanks. Has anyone else been through anything similar?

Ignore all this nonsense and perhaps seek some counseling for your paranoia. You're in California; the police in Florida can do nothing to you.

For your own sanity, stop all contact with your brother and your father.

Gail

Grow up. Stop reading the letters. Stop talking to your dad. Stop sending stupid communications to them.

Though sad, your prior history really has no bearing on your question. Sending you a letter is not an invasion of privacy. Addresses and phone numbers are usually a matter of public record.

That said, how do you know the call was really from the police and that a police report was actually filed? Who's to say it wasn't one of your relatives friends making the call? But that said, it sounds like cutting off any communication with your family isn't such a bad idea after all. For what reason would you possibly want to contact your family again? If this were me I'd refrain from any further contact with them just for the sake of emotional health, get some counseling, and get on with my life.

The reason I'm paranoid is due to the repeated threats that I get from my father. He tells me, "The FBI is investigating you" and "Homeland Security is onto you". Then my dad said something about me violating "Interstate Commerce" laws by sending a letter across state lines. I'm 90% sure this is all B.S., but it IS really scary due to the fact that my rights have been violated in the past by my father.

I don't send letters to my dad and I certainly try NOT to speak to him on the phone. As for my brother, I wanted his letters to STOP, so I thought the best way to do that would be to write a letter telling him so. I don't intend to ever contact him again, especially since the Florida policewoman told me that I would "face criminal charges" if I ever contacted my brother again. Is she telling the truth?

My father threatens me to the point where it terrifies me. I have a general knowledge of the law, but I'm not a lawyer.

Okay, so the Florida police cannot do anything to me in California? How am I to know that, other than to ask. Did I actually do anything ILLEGAL by sending my brother a letter insulting him? If anyone can provide an answer, thank you.

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I know it was a real Florida policewoman because she gave a police department callback phone number, just to answer your question. I too wondered if it might be a prank, but this really was the real deal.

Another odd thing: My dad let it slip that HIS name was on the police report in addition to my brother's name. I asked my dad WHY? "Because I'm the father", he snarled at me. "That's not releveant to anything," I replied. I'm definitely not stupid, and I hate it when my father treats me like I'm an idiot.

Yes, of course I will NEVER contact my brother after this. With my father, the situation is far more complicated. He's married to my mom and they share the same phone number. I can't cut my father out of my life without doing the same to my mom, and I get along well with my mom.

Thanks for the replies.

You don't have to answer the phone when your father calls. You don't even have to give him yor phone number. Given what you have told us, I suggest that you do neither.

You can block your number when you call your mom.

I can't agree more. Find a professional to help you bury that ugly past and begin to move on. You are giving them exactly what they want by answering calls, letters etc. Start healing TODAY.

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Quoting Eva14

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The reason I'm paranoid is due to the repeated threats that I get from my father. He tells me, "The FBI is investigating you" and "Homeland Security is onto you". Then my dad said something about me violating "Interstate Commerce" laws by sending a letter across state lines. I'm 90% sure this is all B.S., but it IS really scary due to the fact that my rights have been violated in the past by my father.

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Let me assure you further - it's 100% BS.

The feds are NOT going to be bothered with you sending a letter to a family member even IF you threatened to drive there and kill them. He's full of hooey and it only goes to show that there is no reason to communicate with him.

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I don't intend to ever contact him again, especially since the Florida policewoman told me that I would "face criminal charges" if I ever contacted my brother again. Is she telling the truth?

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Depending on what was said in the letter,m it MIGHT be a crime to contact him again. But, chances are it would be a misdemeanor at best and something that FL would not remotely consider extraditing for. Realistically, even if it was a crime, the state would not pursue it.

Of course, you are assuming that the message you received was from a police officer. Did they leave a name and contact information? If so, have you affirmed that the number is for the police department and that the officer actually exists? I have had people call other parties and claim to be ME! Nothing like getting a "return" call only to find out you never made the original call.

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Okay, so the Florida police cannot do anything to me in California? How am I to know that, other than to ask. Did I actually do anything ILLEGAL by sending my brother a letter insulting him? If anyone can provide an answer, thank you.

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Insulting, no. There MIGHT be a harassing communications sort of offense for FL, but it's not likely a big crime and - as I said - not likely one that the police or the court will bother with.

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I know it was a real Florida policewoman because she gave a police department callback phone number, just to answer your question. I too wondered if it might be a prank, but this really was the real deal.

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I can go online and get the name and phone number of a police department, too ... doesn't mean I'm really the officer listed in the message.

Next time you get a letter from your brother or father, you simply throw it away, unopened.

Thanks for the replies. I called the phone number of the police officer in Florida, and it was a real number. I got the officer's answering machine, at which point I hung up. I now have no doubt that my brother really DID file a police report against me, with my father's help. My brother is a nasty and vindictive person. All the more reason NOT to communicate with him, I know.

One last question keeps me wondering: How on Earth did the Florida police connect ME to an ANONYMOUS letter? My dad claims the cops did fingerprints and DNA analysis. More LIES, I'm sure.

Neither my fingerprints nor my DNA is on file at any police dept. in the world. Even if it was on file, I'm assuming that conducting DNA and/or fingerprint analysis is complicated and expensive. How would they even be able to get a clear fingerprint after the letter has been handled by multiple postal carriers? A small Florida police dept. is going to conduct these complicated tests when there is NO threat in the letter? I find that VERY hard to believe.

Any guesses as to how the police named ME as the sender? The postmark is from a large city in Calif. Given that my brother used to live in this Calif. city, who knows how many other "enemies" he has? The letter was written by hand, in print rather than script. My father yells about "handwriting analysis", but again, that has to be expensive and inconclusive.

My best guess is that my brother simply told the police that I was the sender. My father then corroborated this. Why was I never even called upon by the police to give my side of things? It's as if they automatically believed I was guilty. My parents live in Calif., so my dad did all this via phone. In this case, YES, I sent the letter. But it scares me to think how easy it would be for my dad/brother to send another letter and falsely claim that *I* was the sender. How can a person defend themselves against lying relatives?

I admittedly did not read through most of the drama - but did you actually call him a pedophile? Has he ever been convicted of such?

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Quoting Eva14

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One last question keeps me wondering: How on Earth did the Florida police connect ME to an ANONYMOUS letter? My dad claims the cops did fingerprints and DNA analysis. More LIES, I'm sure.

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You sent it ANONYMOUS? Okay, well THAT might make it much more suspicious and cause some concern. But, dollars to donuts the content of the letter pretty much dimed it off as yours. Oh, that and a postmark.

And, no, they almost certainly did not spend the time and money to do DNA or fingerprint analysis. That'd be ridiculous.

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How would they even be able to get a clear fingerprint after the letter has been handled by multiple postal carriers?

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Well, few actual fingers might handle the letter. Many offices require their staff to use gloves, and much of the sorting is now done by machine.

No matter ... just don't communicate with them anymore, and have done with it.

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Quoting Eva14

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Thanks for the replies. I called the phone number of the police officer in Florida, and it was a real number. I got the officer's answering machine, at which point I hung up. I now have no doubt that my brother really DID file a police report against me, with my father's help.

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As someone else told you, anyone could have given you that number. It's probably public record or easily obtainable. Just calling the number doe NOT verify that officer actually called you.

That said, please listen to me carefully. Do not seek any further verification. My suspicion is that this call was a prank, the sole purpose being to cause you fear and anxiety. I believe they succeeded. I'll say it again and as others have also told you, ignore all calls, and cut all contact both to and from disagreeable and abusive members of your family. Try to put your past behind you, get some counseling, and move on.