People v. Sikivou CA2/2

FACTS

Prosecution Evidence A. Current Offenses Allen Baumann is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Army. He was 73 years old at the time of trial. Stephen Kirtley is a retired Colonel and chaplain from the United States Army. Kirtley first met appellant in early 2007 when he ran a school for chaplains. Appellant told Kirtley that she was glad to finally meet him because her father knew his father. Appellant became a student in Kirtley’s school and graduated with a certificate in chaplaincy. Baumann never served with Kirtley but knew him as a chaplain and trusted him “implicitly with [his] whole heart.” Kirtley introduced Baumann to appellant and vouched for her.

All further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise stated.

2 Appellant told Baumann that she was a queen of a tribe in Fiji and had been part of a prior government. She claimed to have a nonprofit organization in Fiji that provided assistance in building roads, bridges, and homes. Appellant told Baumann she had $80 million in oil stocks but the money was held up in banks in Hong Kong and England. Appellant claimed to have a doctorate in theology. When she came to…