The Luke Wenke Files

During a status conference on November 19th, 2024, the Honorable John L. Sinatra Jr. deemed Luke Wenke competent but expressed lingering concerns of mental illness. Wenke’s public defender, Frank Passafiume, urged Sinatra to proceed straight to sentencing and overlook the mental health aspect of Wenke’s case. Representing the prosecution, U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo questioned how the court could possibly ignore significant concerns about Wenke’s behaviour that were raised during previous hearings based on past evaluation results.

Federal probation echoed DiGiacomo’s sentiments, citing Wenke’s apparent belief that the people involved in his case are colluding against him as evidence of delusional thinking, along with his recent claim that one of his victims (me) is dating his probation officer. The probation officer also mentioned Wenke’s assertion that his public defender attended a “sex party” on a yacht with other individuals involved in the case, adding that he doesn’t see how someone could perceive the defendant’s claims as anything other than delusional.

Judge Sinatra ordered a hearing to determine whether Luke Wenke was possibly suffering from a mental disease or defect requiring treatment at a “suitable facility.” He instructed the prosecution and defence to find out whether Dr. Corey Leidenfrost, who performed one of Wenke’s prior assessments, was qualified to opine on whether Wenke suffers from a condition warranting inpatient care.

Judge: Luke Wenke’s Humour “Might Be Funny” In the “Right State of Mind”

During the hearing, Judge Sinatra read parts of a handwritten letter from Luke Wenke that the court had received the previous day. Addressed to the Honorable Lawrence J. Vilardo — a federal judge completely uninvolved in Wenke’s case — the letter touches on Luke Wenke’s obsession with controversial Western New York businessman Carl Paladino and his claims that certain federal judges are involved in sex and drug trafficking businesses.

The judge also read part of the letter which states, “Katie [last name] is known to smudge copies of Luke Wenke’s fingerprints all over her thighs and claim that Trump raped her.”

Sinatra then followed up with his own commentary, stating, “Maybe, in the right state of mind, perhaps some of that stuff might be funny, but it is pretty delusional talk to me.”

Forgive me for not seeing the humour, but I don’t understand how any of the filth Luke Wenke spews “might be funny,” regardless of the writer or reader’s “state of mind.” There IS NO “right state of mind” for laughing at Luke Wenke’s baseless and malicious claims about his victims.

My Take: The Authorities Are Missing the Obvious

In a surprise turn of events, I’ve found myself agreeing with Luke Wenke’s public defenders at various points throughout his case (albeit most likely with vastly different hopes for the outcome). I agree with Dr. Leidenfrost’s opinion that Wenke may suffer from certain delusions, especially when it comes to his apparent belief that he and his romantic obsession, Ryan (who wants nothing to do with him) are meant to be together.

Wenke is also wildly off-base with his claims that I’m colluding with court personnel to sabotage his case. I don’t know if he really believes that I am, or if he’s knowingly wrongfully accusing people of conspiring against him.

But Luke Wenke doesn’t believe all his own lies. For example, I think he knows I’m not dating his probation officer, fucking the corrections officers at all the jails he’s been to, or planting his fingerprints on myself and falsely accusing Donald Trump of rape. He probably also knows that his defence attorney didn’t participate in a yacht orgy with others involved in the case, that I didn’t steal his car, and that I didn’t drive 90+ minutes to Olean to break into his house and steal his crusty, shitty tarot cards and magic witch crystals.

My Opinion: Luke Wenke is Not Full-On Delusional

Is Luke Wenke delusional? Maybe. But not to the extent that the prosecution seems to believe. As someone who was friends with him for many years, I think he he spreads fantastical, impossible-to-believe rumours in an attempt to destroy the target’s reputation, friendships, relationship, job, and/or in hopes of getting them in legal trouble. His primary goal is to further his own agenda by discrediting his victims in any way possible.

Luke Wenke knows he’s full of bullshit. He’s very self-aware in that department. He underestimates the intelligence of everyone around him while overestimating his own, leading him to believe that he can fool people into believing his ridiculous claims. Anyone who witnessed his behaviour during the Topix era knows that he’s been doing this his entire adult life, and that he knowingly tries to spread falsehoods about his victims. To blame that kind of behaviour solely on a mental illness is beyond insulting and inaccurate.

During the court hearing detailed below, Wenke’s own attorney mentioned two evaluators’ findings that the defendant suffers from a personality disorder that there’s no treatment for. That he essentially has a “character flaw” which is unlikely to change or benefit from therapy or medication. He’s right about this, even though I think he overlooks Wenke’s actual delusions, and I strongly suspect that innocent members of society will carry an immensely painful and costly burden when we all learn the hard way that Luke Wenke can’t be saved, repaired, or healed.

USA v. Luke Wenke – Transcript
November 19^th, 2024

CASE #1:22-cr-00035, DOCKET ENTRY #212