Politics & Government

Hearing Tonight for Salem Psychic Studio Accused of Taking $16K to Remove Curse

Fatima's Psychic Studio in Salem is accused of offering to remove curses for cash.

The owner of a Salem psychic studio accused of accepting more than $16,000 to protect a man from an evil curse will learn tonight whether his license to operate will be renewed. 

At their last meeting, the Salem Licensing Board declined to renew the Store Fortunetelling License and two sub-licenses for Fatima's Psychic Studio on Hawthorne Boulevard after it was determined that there is an active police investigation into the studio.

At 4:49 p.m. on Oct. 10, the owner of the psychic studio was issued a cease and desist order for operating without a license. The studio's fortune-telling license expired in March of 2012, according to Det. Sgt. James A. Paige.

Complaints

  • On July 18, Sgt. Conrad Prosniewski took a report from a Farmington, N.H., woman who said she was told by a psychic at Fatima's that she was cursed and needed to pay $100 to have it removed.
  • On Sept. 16, officer Dennis Luti took a report from a Pepperell, Mass., woman who told police a psychic at Fatima's told her she was "full of evil and for $500 she could rid her of it." 
  • On Oct. 1, Salem detective Dennis Gaudet was assigned an investigation into a complaint from a Henrietta, N.Y., man who told police the reader convinced him that he needed to have a shield placed over him to protect him and "channel angels" were needed as well. Over the next few weeks he reportedly paid a psychic at Fatima's $16,800.
  • On Oct. 3, a customer reported being told that a psychic would remove a curse from him for $50.
  • On Oct. 7, Salem detective Brian St. Pierre was assigned to investigate an incident during which a customer was told he could have a curse removed for $500. The man said he declined the offer and received a phone call several days later from a psychic at Fatima's asking again if he wanted to have the curse removed.
(The information above was provided by Det. Sgt. Paige.) 

The City of Salem Code of Ordinances, Part III, Article II, Division 2, Section 14-27, defines fortunetelling as "the telling of fortunes, forecasting of futures or reading the past..." 

The ordinance does not include removing of curses or evil from a person.

Studio owner Harry Mitchell is expected to appear before the board Monday night.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on the third floor of the City Hall Annex on Washington Street.

Salem Patch will post additional information as it becomes available.


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