Trial on hold for woman accused of stalking Rodman

Greg Risling

NEWPORT BEACH -- The trial of an Illinois woman who allegedly

stalked and harassed former NBA star Dennis Rodman awaits a judge’s

decision next month after a less than normal hearing at the Harbor

Justice Center on Monday.

After five hours of testimony from prosecution witnesses, Superior

Court Judge Susanne Shaw decided to wait until Oct. 1 to decide whether

there was enough evidence to hold over 36-year-old Marie Boguszewski for

trial.

The unorthodox examination of witnesses by Deputy District Attorney

Ray Armstrong appeared to be wearing the patience of Shaw, who locked

horns with the prosecutor several times. She also upheld nearly every

objection -- frequently contested -- by Boguszewski’s defense attorney.

At one point when Armstrong tried to use a section of state law to enter

testimony, Shaw pulled out her law book and read back the passage to

Armstrong.

Boguszewski was arrested in March for allegedly threatening Rodman and

members of his family through messages left on various answering machines

and e-mails. The frequency of calls reportedly escalated in November

after Rodman married actress Carmen Electra. Boguszewski also left

numerous messages with Rodman’s former agency, Dwight Manley Inc. in

Newport Beach.

Boguszewski faces three counts of making terrorist threats and one

count of electronic stalking. If convicted on all counts, she could spend

a maximum of five years in state prison.

Although there were tapes of the voice mail messages left by

Boguszewski to Manley’s office, none were played at Monday’s hearing.

However, copies of the e-mails sent by Boguszewski were admitted as

evidence.

Two investigators who testified on behalf of the prosecution said

Boguszewski’s actions at first were that of a fanatic following Rodman.

Eventually, they said, her demeanor grew more violent after no one was

returning her calls.

The first warning signs came when Boguszewski approached Rodman at a

Chicago nightclub last year. When she went to greet him with a kiss and a

hug, she reportedly was pushed away by the former pro basketball star,

said Paul Bartlett, an investigator with the Orange County district

attorney’s office.

Last May, Boguszewski was detained at the United Center in Chicago

where Rodman played when she allegedly made threatening statements toward

Electra, who was in attendance. Electra was whisked away while police and

some of Rodman’s private security staff talked with Boguszewski.

Several months later, the defendant allegedly called the owner of a

Chicago club Rodman frequented and told him if he didn’t give her

Rodman’s home number she would “cut out their (expletive) throats.”

Calls also allegedly were left on Manley’s fan line -- so many that

the answering machine tape was filled with Boguszewski’s requests. When

her calls weren’t returned, she left a message Nov. 14 that allegedly

said, “I’m going to high-tail it to California and kill every one of you

and your friends.”

The chilling message apparently scared some of Manley’s employees

enough to not testify Monday.

Bartlett also testified that Rodman’s mother and sister were also

harassed by the defendant.

When Boguszewski’s home was searched by police in March, they found a

room filled with Rodman dolls, cards, magazines and pictures of Electra

with a black “x” drawn over her face, said Newport Beach Police Det.

Thomas Fishbacher. She also kept a plastic container of mementos she

labeled “Dennis’s stuff.”

There was also evidence that was introduced by the prosecution, but

stricken from the record, which made the hearing problematic. Court

documents allege Boguszewski was going to mail a bomb to Manley’s office

in February. But Shaw said it couldn’t be allowed because it was

third-hand information passed along to investigators.

Though the charges are considered serious, Shaw will have about two

weeks to decide if there is enough evidence for a trial. Coincidentally,

Boguszewski’s next court appearance is on the same day Rodman is supposed

to appear at Harbor Justice Center to answer to public drunkenness

charges.

Rodman was arrested last month when he reportedly got out of hand at

Woody’s Wharf in Newport Beach.