True Story

Remote Control Electronic Brain Punishment?

by David James Fratus
October 18, 1988

Dear Sir:

I am currently involved in a crisis of a bizarre nature which I'm sure will be of utmost interest, providing you can find credence in what I relate and not summarily dismiss me as being a fantasy-stricken space case.

I'm being subjected to some type of remote control electronic brain punishment, in severity nothing less than outright torture, and the technology being utilized to execute this questionable action is not only highly specialized and sophisticated, but causes me to wonder whether knowledgeable authorities are even aware that a device of this nature exists. The credentials I can offer as to the veracity of these allegations are slim and none. I'm standing in a bad light to begin with, as I am a 38 year old inmate serving a 1 to 15 year sentence for 2nd degree burglary at the Utah State Prison, and the information contained within is in regard to my substantial problems with prison officials who would gladly have it believed that my word merits no credibility whatsoever. They have, in fact, gone to extreme lengths to insure that such is the case, and you will presently understand why. I have never been afflicted with psychological disorders of any kind, and am not given to fabricating stories with which to bother busy people or cause unnecessary commotion. I'm a convicted thief, not a liar.

It is a difficult story to tell--and though a bit long winded as presented, I feel it important to explain these events in their entirety so as to give the reader a proper picture. Although not well educated, I am reasonably intelligent and able to recount the sequences and details to incidents with a great deal of accuracy, and I swear to you that what is written on these pages is unembellished and 100% true. I ask you to please read and evaluate my letter and hope you will see fit to assist me with any pertinent information you might possess. Should it prove to be that you cannot offer an explanation as to what is happening here, then I'm afraid there is much more amiss than what I had suspected and would make my position appear most precarious.

Eleven months ago I unfortunately ran afoul of prison officials as a result of a minor altercation with other inmates and what was then deemed to be a poor attitude on my part. It has since been a battle of wills, and what they have done to me for my failure to kow tow to them is incomprehensible. The hostilities commenced with guards being ordered to launch an intensive campaign of harassment against me. Day after day they tampered with my food, smashing and removing items from my tray, and threatened to poison me with carcinogens and diseases. My mail received similar treatment; I was constantly verbally badgered as well as physically assaulted, and was told my parents would be murdered should I fail to maintain silence. These methods were employed to provoke me into losing my temper and acting out, giving them sufficient cause to impose disciplinary measures and isolate me in the maximum security unit where I could be dealt with without their having to be concerned about witnesses. I have since discovered that these set-up tactics are standard operating procedure at this prison, and believe me, no one could undergo the systematic and intense harassment routine I was subjected to and not lose their temper.

Once isolated, some extremely peculiar things began to occur. I became disoriented to the extent that my cell and surrounding area would take on a surrealistic appearance as though I were under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug, and I was plagued by severe headaches and insomnia for weeks at a time. I had absolutely no inkling of what was happening, and after a couple months of having some fantastically cruel games played with my mind ultimately reducing me to a state of anxiety, the psychiatric squad was called in to play their roles in this colossal "set up" and I was declared to be suffering from a mental illness after undergoing a farcical and cursory interview in duration of no more than 15 minutes. Delusional persecution and paranoia was, I believe, how they so conveniently labeled me. It was obviously a deliberate and prearranged plan, and throughout these actions the staff would make malicious comments as to, "How are you enjoying your headaches?" Need some aspirin?" and "Are you sleeping well, Mr. Fratus?" The use of this fraudulent and adverse psychiatric classification was just one more nail in my coffin, and intended as a means to cast suspicion on my credibility, as well as to further enable them to keep me isolated. Now that the frame-up prerequisites were satisfactorily out of the way, they were able to proceed with their campaign of mental terrorism.

I began to receive, or hear, high frequency tones in my ears. Like the test pattern on a TV set. The volume or intensity of these frequencies is adjustable and some are so high and piercing that they've literally had me climbing the walls. When I plug my ears with cotton or fingertips, the tones are still inside and become amplified. It's as if they had become electrified echo chambers with the sounds coming from the inside out. When I complained or acted out, I was beaten and thrown into a strip cell with no clothes, mattress, toilet paper or drinking water. Nothing--and the intensity of these frequency transmissions would be crescendoed to maddening levels. Much mental distress! This is still being done to me three shifts, 24 hours a day, and the combination of these demoralizing mental torments and sleep deprivation for weeks on end has exacted a heavy toll on me.

I began to write letters of complaint and question to various medical and legal associations after the first four months. It proved futile to complain to prison and state officials, as they are aware of, and sanctioning this treatment, and did nothing but use my complaints as a vehicle to further ridicule and aggravate me. It required upwards of 50 letters before I finally acquired information which gave me a clue as to just what kind of a predicament I was in. Most people, it seems, are understandably reluctant to offer assistance to a convicted person no matter how serious the situation, and the majority of my letters went unanswered. No telling if these letters were actually mailed, however, as prison officials are notorious for misplacing inmate mail, and these people are definitely trying to hinder my quest for information and support in this matter. I subscribe to "U.S. News and World Report" which recently printed an article concerning the workings of the human mind. I did not receive this particular issue and became suspicious after hearing guards make comments like, "I'll be damned if I'll give it to him," so I had my father, who resides in New Hampshire, mail me the article which contained the names of several brain research scientists and their respective universities. The administration obviously doesn't want me advising research people of my situation here--and so that is just what I intend to do. Getting back to the letters I had written requesting information, I was fortunate in that the folks at the "Coalition for Prisoners' Rights Newsletter" located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, were concerned enough by word of my plight to conduct a little research which resulted in their sending me reprints of three articles dealing with: Electromagnetic, and Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation, and Radio Frequency Weapons--which were published by "U.S. News," "The Nation," and "The Atlantic" back in March 1987. I received this information September 22, 1988, and thanks to those kind and conscientious people, I now have some idea of how such things are being done to me, and most importantly that such technology does exist.

These articles cover most of the mental and physical maladies I've been experiencing for the past eleven months, with one major exception, and I'll hopefully be able to use this information to gain further insight as to what is going on, and to alleviate the hostilities being waged against me. You cannot imagine what it has been like to be confined to a cell 24 hours a day for almost a rear now, being brain blasted by high frequency impulses--no respite, no place to hide, and having not the lightest notion what was going on. All three of these articles, "U.S. News" in particular, describe dire consequences as a result of over exposure to various radiation and frequency hazards, and I'm now most apprehensive as to how eleven months of constant application, by whichever of these means it is being done, might be affecting my cell chemistry and vital organs.

I'm sure you'll agree that I've stumbled headlong into the proverbial hornet's nest, but what I have told you thus far is only the lull before the storm and is quite unremarkable in comparison to what comes next. What they proceeded to do to me from approximately the fifth month on is the exception I spoke of--and is so unimaginable and seemingly preposterous that its very ludicrousness is obviously one of their primary defense assets. Even though I have been living with this incredible phenomenon for months on end and have grown somewhat accustomed to what is being done, as well as having resigned myself to the inevitability that I have no escape from this torment as long as they choose to inflict it, I still find great difficulty in believing this can be reality. Getting an outsider to accept my allegations is going to be something else altogether, and that's just what prison officials are counting on.

For the climax in this series of weird events, I began to hear voices in my ears. Voices that change pitch and timbre in contrast from being a cartoonish high and squeaky, descending through the octaves, including everything from sinister Darth Vadorish to basically normal characteristics. The reception of these voices into my inner ears is as vivid as though I were listening to a set of stereo headphones, and they are able to mix, match, and blend them in conjunction with the frequency tones creating a raucous cacophony of audio discord that disheartens the soul. Now for the clincher.

The various effects of this device have been progressively increased throughout this eleven-month onslaught, finally arriving at full potential with the end result being that I am now having my brain monitored by an omnipotent computerized mind reading or scanning machine of some sort. No hoax, no illusion to what I'm experiencing. These people have devised or acquired a specialized unit that reads absolutely everything--physical as well as mental functions, and are able to cause severe impairments and dysfunctions via this remote-control scanning device. I have no memory of having had anything of a physical nature done to me, but it has somehow been contrived to "wire" me up to where they have access to instant, and unerringly accurate comprehension of even my most fragmented and fleeting thoughts. They are attempting radical behavior modification and thought control by means of an incessant, round the clock monitoring of my brain--imposing the various punishments when my thinking or physical actions fail to conform to what they are demanding of me. Interesting concept, isn't it? "Big Brother" and the "Thought Police" have most assuredly become reality.

This scheme of sleep deprivation, headaches, and audio torments is relentless and being used to break down my resistance and wear me to a mental frazzle, permitting no mental privacy, berating and picking my thoughts apart, and attacking my mind with an insidious tirade of sickening innuendo and threats. They are going into my subconscious, or memory bank, bringing forth unpleasant memories long ago forgotten, and I am being punished for past as well as present indiscretions. I can think of anything from the past--a friend or situation from 30 years ago for instance, and the voices will provide names and particulars. I have repeatedly tested and attempted to trick them on this. No way. They have better access to what's in my head with this nefarious invention than I do. I can converse with my antagonists merely by thinking what I wish to say.... and I welcome you to the Twilight Zone!! How the hell is this being done?? They are using those frequency impulses to perpetrate some very vicious maltreatment on me. With the apparent ease of manipulating a keyboard, they can, with a flick of the switch, strip me of all energy and motivation to where I'm forced to lie on my bunk and stare at the wall like a-zombie. I've been left in this state for weeks at a time--literally chained to my bed without the actual use of physical restraints, having not the energy to walk back and forth in my cell even a few times. For almost the entire eleven months I have continuously been made to feel low down and chronically depressed. The effects of this device have been cancelled on several occasions, instantly returning me to my normal self, only to have the voices laugh and taunt, then reducing me to the former state of despondent misery and confusion after an all too brief reprieve. The most powerful of these frequency impulses is jokingly referred to as the "Death Ray" by guards, and is so potent it causes an intense physical sensation of having an electrical, or magnetic force field combined with a vibrating tuning fork in my head. Different parts of my brain are targeted by this thing, causing a variety of mental and physical reactions. Sometimes I can feel it at the base of my brain where it joins the spinal cord, other times up in the frontal lobes, and it is in fact comparable to a lobotomy, as it causes my brain to lock up and malfunction to where I cannot concentrate or spell simple words. It actually blurs my eyesight and fouls the air I expel from my lungs, giving it a metallic sulfurish taste and odor. It's a God-awful feeling, I can tell you. They have, at times, assailed me with this "Death Ray" in bursts ranging from seconds to minutes, causing me to psychologically bounce up and down like a human yo-yo. Lobotomies may have been outlawed in the U.S.A., but they've sure found the perfect replacement, and I don't see how this treatment can possibly be construed as anything other than torture.

It is inconceivable to me that the technology of this awesome device can be unique and possessed solely by the State of Utah, but I may very well be wrong. When I first entered the prison in May, 1986, one of the psychologists who conducted my initial classification interview inquired as to whether I had ever heard "voices." That seems to be the key word around here. This question was posed almost a year before the "U.S. News" and other articles were published, which seems unlikely, as the proficiency of the apparatus I'm dealing with is sophisticated far beyond anything scientists had apparently imagined in use at that time. I, of course, didn't attach any significance to the question of voices back then, but remember it well, and have since heard many references made to people hearing "voices" by both inmates and staff, which would indicate that these people were in possession of, and employing this technology at least that far back. This is what prompts me to wonder how they could have had such an innovative piece of equipment in use, operating with apparent perfection of technique, without the scientific and medical community in general being aware of it. Quite a puzzle.

In defense of both my sanity and the veracity of my allegations, I now relate part of a conversation I recently had with a prison paid, but supposedly independent and neutral paralegal advisor. He stated that he has received similar complaints from other inmates, but that nothing can be done for lack of evidence. He said that one inmate in particular has been placed on forced medication (Prolixin) because of his hearing "voices," and unless I'm greatly mistaken, I believe his words carried an unofficial warning for me. At least two inmates that I know of have been badgered to the point of having attempted suicide as a result of this mental torment, and something stinks to the high heavens here! All of the staff, as well as a number of inmates, are aware of what is happening, so I can't fathom how it can remain, or even at this time, be a kept and closed secret human nature being what it is. For the most part, I believe the other knowledgeable inmates are intimidated and cowed for fear of retaliation in the form of a mental torture routine such as I'm being subjected to should they complain. Threats of additional time being imposed by the Parole Board are also being used to coerce silence. Tough odds to buck.

Prison officials deny that they are perpetrating any such activities in response to formal inquiry but will grin and smugly indicate full awareness when no witnesses are present. "Yes, we are doing this to you, but no one will believe it, and you can do nothing to deter us." This is the attitude they project, and they are engaging in a conspiracy of inmate experimentation and exploitation that defies description. The outside authorities who even made a pretense of investigating my allegations were told I'm a habitual trouble maker with a history of psychological problems, and that effectively frustrates my attempts to have this situation looked into right there. Who is to dispute the word of my law-abiding and honorable keepers? How to verify and impress upon investigators the honesty of my accusations? What concrete evidence do I have? Even a group of inmates alleging corresponding facts are subject to skepticism as prison officials will simply accuse them of collusion. I'm being deliberately isolated from the inmates who would collaborate my story, by the way--and legal organizations such as the A.C.L.U., due to lack of substantiated proof and the absurdity of this horror show, are hesitant to invest the time and effort necessary to determine what is actually taking place at the hands of these pious Mormon inquisitioners. I've seen them in action and they are possessed of exceptional finesse in their ability to conceal the true nature of matters and mislead outsiders with their upright and holier than thou pretentiousness. It has been eleven months of deception by prison officials, of nonstop elaborate harassments and vicious mind games, and I would surely like to know just what provocation I gave to warrant the infliction of such insane mistreatment. No rhyme or reason--nor justification--either legal or moral, to any of this. They are so very smug and secure in the belief that they cannot be brought to account for these blatantly illegal acts due to their well rehearsed methods of official denial, isolation, and absence of witnesses, bogus psychiatric evaluations, and of course, the fact that this mental torment is being accomplished by a faceless machine, operated by anonymous antagonists from an unknown location and distance. I overheard one guard boast that the tactics they've employed have been so extensive that no one would believe me anyway.

I was an Air Force brat, born in New Foundland and stubborn as a Missouri mule. I suppose I could capitulate and eventually get these people to cease and desist in this mental warfare, but I vehemently resent and object to this flagrant invasion of the sanctity of my mind and will be damned if I'll just sit here and allow them to go unchallenged in this attempted programming and manipulation of my brain and personality as though I were an experimental laboratory animal. The judge sentenced me to serve an atonemental amount of time for my crime and said nothing of corporal punishments or mental torment and abuse when he passed judgment. It is plain enough why they went to such extremes to set me up for isolation and discredit my word. I have to shake my head in incredulous dismay when I picture the outrageousness of the circumstances into which I've been maneuvered. I recently signed a release form and obtained, acting through the paralegal I previously mentioned, partial copies of both my administrative and medical prison files. I was denied access to all of this material and told to get a court order if I wished to see what was withheld. What I did see, however, was enough to convince me that I'm dealing with some highly unscrupulous people who will stop at nothing to protect their conspiracy.

The chronological notes contained in these files bore a contrived and twisted mass of outright lies pertaining to alleged conversations between myself and both psychological and correctional staff. This deceit was expressly woven in harmony by the various contributors to detract from my credibility and make me appear unstable. There was, in fact, mention of obtaining a court order to force treatment on me (Prolixin?), and I find it very sad, and hard to believe, that this type of atrocious inhumanity is being practiced in this country in this day and age. Equally hard to understand is the fact that the state officials I have advised of this situation, including the Governor, Attorney General, State Senate, County Attorney, and Department of Corrections Personnel, all choose to ignore and make light of these allegations, even though there is strong indication of foul play due to the numerous individual complaints made by inmates at this institution. I even went so far as to challenge Warden Gerald Cook, and Gary Deland, who is the Executive Director of the Department of Corrections, to a $1500.00 wager as to the outcome of a polygraph test between myself and prison officials to determine who is speaking the truth. They have declined my invitation, of course, and I was threatened with the possibility of disciplinary action for my proposal of illicit gambling. This is a Mormon state, and there is a deep-rooted conspiracy going on which apparently encompasses most, if not all of the governmental structure. Can nothing be done?

It may very well prove impossible to bring legal action against these people for what they're doing to me, but I fully intend to continue my pursuit of the answers--and shall endeavor to expose this malignant corruption for what it is. I firmly believe the truth must eventually surface.

Any consideration you can give this matter--either assisting me with information, suggesting responsible authorities from whom I might elicit assistance, or possibly forwarding this letter to someone who could cause investigation, and perhaps act to prevent further retaliation by these people, would be ever so greatly appreciated. This letter has been written in good faith, and I sincerely hope you will treat it as such. If nothing else, I ask that you at least accord me the courtesy of acknowledging receipt.

Sincerely,

David James Fratus
17886 Box 250
Draper, Utah 84020

Editor's note: No indication was given as to whom this letter was sent.