Are the Mafia and the CIA Conspiring to Silence an American in Canda?

An American man claiming the Mafia and the CIA are conspiring to silence him -- just as they killed his father and grandfather -- was denied refugee protection in Canada because he could not prove the conspiracy in court.

The complicated tale of Michael Ellero, 44, of Phoenix, is told in some 700 pages of self-penned prose, a treatise he claims documents his work for the U. S. Department of Justice, payments by the Mafia to relatives of Hillary Clinton, and a nefarious campaign to destroy him after reporting office misdeeds to his boss -- including the involvement of a lawyer in the death of a colleague.

He claims the CIA used psychological tricks against him and the FBI was investigating his mysterious uncle, who had multiple identities. "My grandfather was killed, my father was killed, and [then] I learned that there was an attempt against me," Mr. Ellero wrote in documents presented in the Federal Court of Canada, seeking emergency permission to stay in Canada.

Family members were coerced to co-operate with the Mafia, his phone calls were intercepted, documents were stolen from his bedroom and his job applications were inexplicably ignored, he said.

He did not get a chance to make his full case, however, because of another alleged conspiracy, this one by Canadian officials, he claimed: He was not permitted to enter his treatise into evidence and portions of the audio recording of his refugee hearing were erased.

Further, he is indignant that a Canadian immigration official suggested he might have a mental problem.

Mr. Ellero came to Canada in 2005 and a month later made a claim for refugee protection.

"Allegedly, his opponents are fearful that the book he has written will be published in due course, thereby exposing the corruption 'in the federal government and elsewhere in the United States,' " Justice Michel Shore wrote in his 17-page ruling. "[He] claims he did not seek state protection from the U. S. authorities because he believes that the police cannot provide physical protection for him against 'the evil and perils of the world.' "

The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) rejected his claim two years ago because he was found not to be credible. He appealed to the Federal Court to overturn that decision but was denied; he then made an unsuccessful motion for that decision to be reconsidered.

He next claimed that returning him to the United States would place his life in danger. Officials found "no substantial grounds to believe" such a fate awaited him. Mr. Ellero once again took his case to the Federal Court, asking that his pending deportation be halted.

After a hearing in Ottawa last month at which Mr. Ellero represented himself, Judge Shore denied his appeal. "An applicant's subjective fear of returning to his/her country does not constitute irreparable harm. Objective evidence of harm related to danger must be demonstrated," he ruled. "The applicant has not shown that he would be subject to a serious likelihood of jeopardy to his life, liberty or security as a result of the removal."

On Dec. 19,Mr. Ellero was turned over to U. S. officials south of Ottawa. He was inspected by U. S. border guards and released, said Kevin Cosaro, a spokesman for U. S. Customs and Border Protection.

Giovanna Gatti, a spokeswoman for the IRB, declined to comment on the specifics of Mr. Ellero's complaints, but said the Federal Court is the appropriate venue for anyone disputing the handling of their case.

Mr. Ellero could not be reached for comment.

Thanks to Adrian Humphreys