Letter from James Marsh to Diane Aiken

October 23, 2006

Diane Aiken

Georgia Department of Human Resources

Division of Family and Children Services

Field Program Specialist

1007 Courtenay Drive

Atlanta, Georgia 30306

Fax (770) 720-6418

Re:

Masha Allen (a/k/a Maria Mancuso & Mariya Nikolaevna Yashenkova)

Faith Allen (a/k/a Lynn Ginn, Kimberly Murphy)

Dear Ms. Aiken,

In August 2005, Faith Allen and an itinerant evangelical preacher named Karen Dones (a/k/a Lady Swann) retained me to represent Masha Allen. During the intervening 14 months, we developed a close and detailed relationship with both Faith and Masha.

Early on, I hired Maureen Flatley, a nationally known child advocate, lobbyist and media representative, to work extensively with this family. We arranged and sponsored trips to Washington, Disney World, Boston, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles for both Masha and Faith. The result was an internationally reported story about Masha’s adoption and victimization by a pedophile named Matthew Mancuso, new federal litigation which enhanced penalties for child pornography (Masha’s Law), a major television movie deal, and public recognition and awards for both Masha and Faith.

In February 2006, we started having some concerns about Masha’s welfare which coincided with her appearance on Oprah. We strongly objected to this appearance and despite our protests, Faith insisted that Masha appear on the show in a format which we vehemently opposed. Within six weeks Masha attempted suicide and was hospitalized at Summit Ridge Center for Behavioral Health in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Faith was so indigent at the time that she could not even afford to stay in a cheap hotel near the Center which we willingly paid for.

We recently discovered that Masha’s deterioration also coincided with a trial in Pittsburgh where Faith was the complaining witness [Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County Docket CP-02-CR-0000569-2005]. Apparently, recently after Faith’s adoption of Masha was finalized, she made a videotape of her engaging in sexual activity with a well-known local minister, the Reverend Charles Nathaniel Brown of the Potter’s House Ministries. According to publicly available news reports, Faith claimed that she was hypnotized by Reverend Brown and that he molested her during a pastoral counseling session in her home. After an extensive trial at which Faith’s veracity was strongly questioned, a nationally known expert on hypnosis testified that Faith was fully awake and a willing participant in the events depicted on the tape. Reverend Brown was completely exonerated.

During the spring of 2006, as Masha’s mental and emotional health deteriorated, we discovered that Faith had terminated Masha’s therapist, Dr. Laura Hayes [phone 423-580-7687], without cause. We immediately and we repeatedly encouraged Faith to obtain the 12 hours per week of services which were recommended by Masha’s mental health experts in Pittsburgh [see attached report]. Faith responded that none of the mental health providers in Douglasville could or would consider Masha as a patient due to her unique and special needs.

We then suggested that Faith consider treatment at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She refused based on time constraints and lack of transportation. Finally, in May and June of 2006, after Faith had reportedly exhausted all options for Masha’s mental health treatment, we urged her to relocate to the Boston area where Masha could receive services from the world renowned Harvard-affiliated McClean hospital. We were fully ready and willing to make all arrangements for moving and medical expenses. Faith repeatedly refused this offer and suggested that Masha be placed at Inner Harbor in Douglasville. Since Masha’s Medicaid had been cancelled, Inner Harbor and other providers were reluctant to even consider Masha without any payment guarantees, which Faith was unable to provide.

We also offered to assist Faith with restoring Masha’s Medicaid which was based on her Pennsylvania adoption subsidy [inexplicably, we discovered that Masha’s adoption subsidy check is being sent to 111 Maple Avenue in Pittsburgh]. Faith repeatedly refused to send us the documents we needed to assist her in restoring Masha’s Medicaid. We ultimately began the process of obtaining the documents on our own and have assembled all the necessary papers.

Finally, in August and September of this year, the situation grew increasingly acute with daily calls reporting a variety of concerns including that:

1. Masha was repeatedly running away from home;
2. Masha had jumped out the window;
3. Masha had threatened to cut Faith with a box cutter;
4. Masha was cutting herself;
5. Masha was exhibiting suicidal behavior;
6. Masha reported neglect to her school guidance counselor;
7. Masha was engaging in high risk [redacted]
8. Masha had tuberculosis;
9. Masha had lice;
10. Faith’s car needed a $900 transmission repair;
11. Faith’s grandmother was ill and had to remain with them making relocation impossible;
12. Masha’s behavior was going to prevent Faith from getting more foster children;
13. Faith had run out of her medication and was at risk of hospitalization, death or injury;
14. A former foster child who was living with them was downloading child pornography on Faith’s computer;
15. Faith was only able to make $50 per week during the summer due to Masha’s bad behavior despite having multiple stay-at-home jobs earning $17 - $20 per hour;
16. Faith was unwilling to transport Masha to art and karate camp which we offered to provide because they were on the “other side of town;”
17. Masha did not have a social security card and was going to be expelled from school;
18. The electricity and phone were being disconnected for non-payment due to Faith’s acute financial situation which was brought on by Masha’s poor behavior;
19. Faith needed a constant supply of funds to pay for routine household expenses such as food, utilities, and medicine;

On September 20, 2006, we flew Faith and Masha to Washington, DC to discuss these issues.

During our discussions over the next several days, we discovered that:

1. Masha was being repeatedly slapped in the face and beaten at the direction of religious leaders and that Faith had authorized church members to slap and beat Masha;
2. Faith had verbally and physically abused foster children in her care in Pittsburg, including children as young as ages 4 and 5.
3. Faith routinely permitted and directed Masha, then age 10, to care for young foster children while Faith was away from the home for between four and six hours every evening. Masha was required to cook dinner, feed, and put the children to bed and clean the house before Faith returned.
4. Faith forced Masha to attend modeling classes during the summer of 2006 and when Masha refused allowed the instructor to threaten Masha with physical violence if she did not participate.
5. Faith refused to obtain therapeutic services for Masha for fear that Masha would report the slapping and physical abuse.
6. Faith told Masha that she had invisible cameras, photographers, friends, neighbors and strangers spying on her 24 hours per day.
7. Faith accused Masha of taking drugs, being a drug addict, and told her that crying is a sign that she is high on drugs.
8. Masha repeatedly and calmly expressed a desire to [redacted] if she had to return to Faith’s home and care.
9. When confronted with Masha’s mental health issues and previous abuse, Faith told her to pray and read the bible or laughed at her and told her to “get over it.”
10. Faith neglected Masha’s routine medical, dental and vision care and allowed her Medicaid to lapse. Until recently Masha had not been to a pediatrician since moving to Georgia, a period of more than two years.
11. Despite receiving over $1000 donated by individuals to Masha’s Fund, Faith was “financially unable” to provide Masha with a birthday party or gifts in August and instead requested that Masha give her the money she received from friends.
12. Despite being completely without funds or other financial means, Faith was sporting a new Prada bag which was reportedly given to her by her church.
13. Faith made bizarre allegations regarding the devil and accused Masha of bringing the devil into their home. Faith believed that Harry Potter books are the work of the devil, has accused the Japanese and English of being “devil worshipers,” has destroyed Masha’s anime drawings and poetry as “devil worship,” has destroyed Masha’s notebooks with the word “Green Day” written on them, and accused Masha of teaching herself Japanese so she can communicate with the devil. According to Faith, the devil is everywhere including in seemingly routine everyday situations like music, books, foreign language, cosmetics, clothes, and earrings.
14. Faith has repeatedly forced Masha to tell people to leave her alone and that she was fine. Masha revealed to us that these statements were false, but that Faith had forced her to say these things.
15. Masha desperately wants a “normal family” and to do “normal things” to recapture her childhood and that, since Faith can not provide any semblance of normalcy, she is going to commit suicide if forced to return to Faith.

Between September 21 and 27, we worked cooperatively with Faith and Masha to create a temporary guardianship with Amanda Slaten. As late as 11 AM on the 27th, the agreed upon plan was to sign the necessary documents before the Douglas County probate clerk on Thursday, September 28, 2006. At 5 PM on the 27th, after an explosive Congressional hearing on Masha’s adoption by Matthew Mancuso, Faith discharged us stating that she no longer wanted our firm to represent her in any capacity. By 6 PM, Faith and her new attorney were at the Slaten’s home demanding Masha’s return.

Since that time, we have discovered that Faith has made ongoing and repeated public accusations of wrongful conduct against this firm and our associates including by making an attack in an unsworn statement upon our character and professional conduct. She has told Masha and others that we were never acting in Masha’s best interest, that we were not providing proper advice and assistance, and that we were not vigorously advocating on her and Masha’s behalf.

These statements are complete lies and outright fabrications. During the past 14 months, this firm has devoted over 3000 hours without compensation to Faith and Masha. We have spent thousands and thousands of uncompensated dollars on travel expenses to Congressional hearings and other relevant events. We have achieved unprecedented results for Masha which could result in her obtaining tens of millions of dollars in proceeds from the thousands of federal lawsuits which we are contemplating on her behalf.

Based on the clear conflicts of interest which now exists between the parties, neither Faith nor her attorney can adequately represent Masha and her interests in federal litigation, custody or in any other forum.

We are revealing this information because we believe it is necessary to avoid or prevent harm or substantial financial loss to Masha as a result of criminal conduct clearly in violation of the law; to prevent Masha’s serious injury or death; and to respond to Faith’s allegations concerning our representation.

In addition, late last week we received the enclosed very disturbing anonymous letter. It is postmarked Johnstown, Pennsylvania which is, according to public newspaper accounts, the site of Faith’s drug and alcohol treatment center, the Peniel Center. We urge you to contact them immediately.

Finally, it is important to note that Masha is a Russian citizen entitled to full rights under Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. You should also take immediate steps to safeguard her trust fund which is the Masha Mancuso Special Needs Trust [

], at the Irwin Bank and Trust Company in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Please contact us upon review of this letter. We remain ready and willing to take whatever steps are necessary to safeguard Masha.

Very truly yours,

James R. Marsh

Enclosures:

Anonymous letter to James Marsh

Letter from James Marsh to Mohammad Ahmad, MD

Letter from Masha

Psychological Evaluation Report, Patricia Pepe, Ph.D.