Crime & Safety
Norwalk Man Faces 10 Years in Prison in Unusual Assault Case
Lawrence Bottone, of Norwalk, reportedly posed as a professor and promised young men high paying salaries for fake intelligence jobs, then "trained" them using painful methods, including driving needles under their fingernails
A man has reportedly pleaded guilty to assault charges in Westchester County, New York for recruiting young men for a fake intelligence agency, then whipping them and driving needles under their fingernails as part of their "training."
According to an AP report, Lawrence Bottone, of Norwalk, formerly of Stamford, posed as a professor and promised the young men high-paying salaries for fake intelligence jobs, then "trained" them for possible interrogations using painful methods. The incidents reportedly occurred between 2008 and 2010.
The report does not describe the specific "job" Bottone was "training" the young men for. According to the report there are four known victims — however police believe there might be more victims in both New York and Connecticut. The incidents he is being charged for reportedly took place in Westchester County.
Find out what's happening in Norwalkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Bottone will be sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to the report. His age was not given, however a report from June 1, 2011 states he was 53 at the time.
Bottone was reportedly convicted in a similar case in Connecticut in 1997 while he was working as a teacher in Norwalk. In that case, he was reportedly sentenced to four years in prison on child pornography and assault charges after it was determined he was abusing students in a tutoring program and videotaping some of the abuse.