Jailed performer’s husband speaks
Eleven prisoners were wedged into a cell 8 feet by 10 feet in an open-air jail with no heat and no lights.
Breakfast was a cup of hot tea and a small piece of bread. A combined lunch and dinner consisted of a cup of boiled rice and maybe 2 ounces of protein, either fish, chicken or "mystery meat." Later at night, a cup of flavored water.
That was Raymond Finn's existence for two weeks in Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname.
The Las Vegas Realtor lost 30 pounds.
A bad situation got worse when he was released from jail nine days ago. His attorney advised him to return to Las Vegas immediately, even though it meant leaving behind his jailed wife, celebrity impersonator Trina Johnson-Finn.
Without political help, she's facing a three-year prison sentence because authorities in the Latin American republic have accused her of fraud for impersonating singer Toni Braxton.
Finn could do more good back in the United States, his attorney told him.
The ordeal began Feb. 27 when Johnson-Finn took the stage in a small sports arena jammed with 1,500 fans expecting to see Braxton. Johnson-Finn, who had never performed as Braxton before, was booed during the second song and pelted with bottles before she fled the stage.
Her contract with the Las Vegas booking agent RNRH Entertainment had stipulated that she not be promoted as Braxton. The event promoter, who gave RNRH a Virgin Island address, disappeared within minutes.
Finn is convinced that "it was a setup from the beginning."
The news from his two attorneys in Paramaribo is not good.
Prosecutors in Suriname are allowed to detain the accused up to 67 days, and there's no such thing as bail.
Johnson-Finn's trial might not start until the first week of May.
Meantime, Finn, a Las Vegas resident since late 2003, has enlisted political support. He has provided the contract and e-mails from his attorney to Sen. Harry Reid's Las Vegas office.
Letters have been sent to former President Bill Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who are attending a banking summit in South America this week. Finn said he's hopeful Clinton and Geithner will inquire about his wife's status.
MAYOR GETS WAXED
Las Vegas' headline-generating, gin-loving Mayor Oscar Goodman will join Madame Tussauds' collection of wax celebrities today.
The former mob attorney, who has served as mayor for a decade, will be inducted into the permanent collection.
Goodman's likeness will be part of the launch of the "Viva Vegas" celebrities who have elevated the city's fame.
Madame Tussauds said "Viva Vegas" represents one of the most ambitious and interactive presentations in the attraction's 10-year history in town.
SIGHTINGS
Eminem, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, filming a music video scene at Caesars Palace on Sunday afternoon. It appeared they were replicating the Dustin Hoffman-Tom Cruise escalator scene from the movie "Rain Man." ... The band Maroon 5, dining on the patio at Morels French Steakhouse & Bistro (Palazzo) on Saturday. ... 50 Cent and singer Ciara, taking in "Zumanity" (New York-New York) on Saturday and "O" (Bellagio) on Sunday. 50 Cent wore an afro wig, baseball cap and sunglasses, while Ciara sported a huge pair of trendy shades and a big parka. The two arrived just as the show began and entered through the back of the theater with the help of their bodyguard. ... Michael Lohan, father of Lindsay Lohan, with a friend at The Bank Nightclub at Bellagio on Sunday.
THE PUNCH LINE
"The Federal Reserve says Americans last year lost $11 trillion dollars in household wealth. You know, that is our own stupid, greedy fault for putting money in banks. If we'd lost it in Las Vegas, they would have at least comped the room." -- Bill Maher
Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.
