Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth B&B manager fears retaliation from man arrested for desecrating rainbow flag
Defiant suspect posted mug shot, photo of gun on Facebook
The manager of the gay-owned Rehoboth Beach Guest House has expressed alarm that a 23-year-old Rehoboth man who was arrested on Feb. 2 on misdemeanor charges and released the same day for allegedly pulling down a Rainbow Pride flag from the guest house porch might return to the popular LGBTQ B&B and commit an act of violence against him or one of his guests.
Tom Kelch, the property manager in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Rehoboth Guest House, told the Washington Blade he sent email messages to the Rehoboth mayor, City Commission members, and the police chief informing them that Jordan Reed, who was arrested for what Kelch calls the ādesecrationā of his Rainbow flag, appears to be defiantly bragging about what he did in Facebook postings this week.
Among other things, Reed posted on his Facebook page the Rehoboth police mug shot photo of him that was taken at the time of his arrest as his profile photo. A short time later, he posted as his profile photo a screenshot of a local TV news stationās story about his arrest.
Kelch said he was further alarmed when he discovered that Reedās Facebook page includes photos of a handgun and comments suggesting he will not show up for his required court appearance for the arrest linked to the rainbow flag incident.
āHe suggests violence toward our government,ā Kelch told the Rehoboth city officials in describing Reedās Facebook postings. āHe proudly shares pictures of his guns, drugs, and cash,ā Kelch said.
āHe lives locally in West Rehoboth, and he continues to present a danger to us, our business, and our customers,ā Kelch said in his message to the officials. āHe targeted us for our beliefs listed on our Pride flag.ā
The revelations of Reedās Facebook postings surfaced two days after the Rehoboth Guest House and the LGBTQ group CAMP Rehoboth released a joint statement praising Rehoboth police for making a quick arrest in the flag incident but expressing strong disagreement with the initial decision by police not to classify the incident as a hate crime.
In response to an inquiry from the Blade seeking an explanation for why police chose not to list the incident as a hate crime, Rehoboth police spokesperson Lt. Jaime Riddle sent the Blade a short statement on Wednesday.
āThe Rehoboth Police Department is currently working with the Delaware Department of Justice, Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust, to determine if the acts committed by Jordan Reed on February 1st, 2022, meet the criteria of a hate crime based on current Delaware legislation,ā the statement says.
In a message sent to Kelch earlier this week, Rehoboth Police Chief Keith Banks said, āAt the time of Mr. Reedās apprehension, we did not feel we had enough probable cause to charge him with the elements contained in a hate crime statute.ā Banks added that the police were working with the state Attorney Generalās Office āto see if they determine if the case warrants any additional charges being added.ā
A Feb. 3 Rehoboth Police press release announcing Reedās arrest in connection with the flag incident does not identify the flag as a Rainbow Pride flag or that it was removed from a gay guest house.
āOn Tuesday, February 1st, 2022, at around 2:30 pm, Rehoboth Beach Police were called to the second block of Maryland Avenue for a disorderly subject who entered onto a residential property, removed a flag from the front porch and buried it in the snow,ā the release says.
āWhile on the scene at the residence, at around 3:15 pm, the responding officer was contacted by a separate victim who reported that the tire to his trailer had been slashed,ā the release says, adding that the trailer was parked on the same block as the āresidential propertyā where the flag was removed.
The release says that after interviewing witnesses and viewing video surveillance footage that Kelch said the Rehoboth Guest House gave to police, police investigators identified Reed as a suspect in the incident. It says that on Feb. 2 police observed Reed walking along Rehoboth Avenue and apprehended him without incident.
Reed was arrested and charged with 1 count of criminal mischief under $1,000, 1 count of third-degree criminal trespass, and 1 count of disorderly conduct, the police press release says. It says Reed was released on $1,500 unsecured bail.
Records from the Sussex County, Del., Court of Common Pleas, where the case was filed, show that Reed is scheduled to return to court on May 16 for an arraignment hearing.
Court records also show that Reed has at least four other misdemeanor cases pending against him on charges that include attempted arson, criminal trespass, theft, and burglary. The records show that in the burglary case, for which Reed was arrested on Sept. 9, 2021, he failed to appear for a Sept. 30 arraignment.
The records do not show what, if any, action police or prosecutors may have taken in response to his failure to show up for the arraignment.
Kelch, meanwhile, told the Blade and the Rehoboth City officials he wrote to that he believes the video footage showing Reed pulling down his Rainbow Pride flag constitutes clear evidence that the incident was a hate crime.
āI went back inside to review the cameras and found that he had ripped the Pride flag off the house, threw it on the ground, stomped on it, kicked it over to a snow pile, began to bury it, sat on it, spit into his hands and rubbed them onto the flag, finished burying it under the snow bank, stood up and walked away out of camera view,ā Kelch said in his email to the Rehoboth officials.
āAfter calling police, we found that he immediately slashed a tire on our street right after attacking and desecrating our Pride flag,ā Kelch wrote. āA clear expression of hatred and an act of violence to encourage fear,ā Kelch continued.
āThank God I didnāt go out to confront him and waited till he left before I investigated,ā he said. āThe police report belittled what happened by saying he just took a flag down and put it in the snow. This was very upsetting for it to be so minimized in the public report.ā
Rehoboth Beach
Former CAMP Rehoboth official sentenced to nine months in prison
Salvator Seeley pleaded guilty to felony theft charge for embezzlement
Salvator āSalā Seeley, who served as an official with the Rehoboth Beach, Del., CAMP Rehoboth LGBTQ community center for 20 years, was sentenced on April 5 by a Sussex County Superior Court judge to nine months in prison and to pay $176,000 in restitution to the organization.
The sentencing took place about five weeks after Seeley pleaded guilty to a charge of Theft in Excess of $50,000 for allegedly embezzling funds from CAMP Rehoboth, a spokesperson for the Delaware Department of Justice told the Washington Blade.
Seeley’s guilty plea came shortly after a grand jury, at the request of prosecutors, indicted him on the felony theft charge following an investigation that found he had embezzled at least $176,000 from the nonprofit LGBTQ organization.
āSalvatore C. Seeley, between the 27th day of February 2019 and the 7th day of September 2021, in the County of Sussex, State of Delaware, did take property belonging to CAMP Rehoboth, Inc., consisting of United States currency and other miscellaneous property valued at more than $50,000, intending to appropriate the same,ā the indictment states.
āThe State recommended a sentence of two years of incarceration based on the large-scale theft and the impact to the non-profit organization,ā Delaware Department of Justice spokesperson Caroline Harrison told the Blade in a statement.
āThe defense cited Seeleyās lack of a record and gambling addiction in arguing for a probationary sentence,ā the statement says. āSeeley was sentenced in Superior Court to a nine-month prison term and to pay a total of $176,000 in restitution for the stolen funds,ā Harrison says in the statement.
Neither Seeley nor his attorney could immediately be reached for comment.
At the time of Seeleyās indictment in February, CAMP Rehoboth released a statement saying it first discovered āfinancial irregularitiesā within the organization on Sept. 7, 2021, āand took immediate action and notified state authorities.ā The statement says this resulted in the investigation of Seeley by the state Department of Justice as well as an internal investigation by CAMP Rehoboth to review its āfinancial control policiesā that led to an updating of those policies.
āAs we have communicated from day one, CAMP Rehoboth has fully cooperated with law enforcement,ā the statement continues. āAt its request, we did not speak publicly about the investigation while it was ongoing for fear it would jeopardize its integrity,ā according to the statement. āThis was extremely difficult given our commitment to transparency with the community about day-to-day operations during the recent leadership transition.ā
The statement was referring to Kim Leisey, who began her job as CAMP Rehobothās new executive director in July of 2023, while the Seeley investigation had yet to be completed, following the organizationās process of searching for a new director. It says Seeley left his job as Health and Wellness Director of CAMP Rehoboth in September of 2021 after working for the organization for more than 20 years.
āMr. Seeleyās actions are a deep betrayal to not only CAMP Rehoboth but also the entire community we serve,ā the statement says.
Rehoboth Beach
Former CAMP Rehoboth official pleads guilty to felony theft
Salvatore Seeley faces possible jail time, agrees to reimburse $176,000
Salvatore āSalā Seeley, who served as an official at the Rehoboth Beach, Del., CAMP Rehoboth LGBTQ community center for 20 years, has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of Theft In Excess of $50,000 for allegedly embezzling funds from the organization for at least a two-and-a-half-year period, according to a Sussex County, Del., Superior Court indictment and a spokesperson for the Delaware Office of the Attorney General.
The spokesperson, Mat Marshall, sent the Blade a copy of the indictment, which he said was handed down against Seeley on Feb. 27 and which provides the only specific court information that the Washington Blade could immediately obtain.
āSalvatore C. Seeley, between the 27th day of February 2019 and the 7th day of September 2021, in the County of Sussex, State of Delaware, did take property belonging to Camp Rehoboth, Inc., consisting of United States currency and other miscellaneous property valued at more than $50,000, intending to appropriate same,ā the indictment states.
āI can further confirm that the Defendant entered a guilty plea to one count of Theft in Excess of $50,000,ā spokesperson Marshall told the Blade in an email message. āMr. Seeley also agrees to make restitution of $176,199.78 to CAMP Rehoboth,ā Marshall said. āHe will be sentenced on April 5 and does face the possibility of prison time.ā
Marshall declined to provide additional information on the findings of the law enforcement investigation into Seeleyās alleged theft. The restitution figure of $176,199.79 suggests investigators believe Seeley embezzled at least that amount from CAMP Rehoboth during the time he worked for the organization.
Seeley couldnāt immediately be reached for comment
CAMP Rehoboth describes itself as a nonprofit LGBTQ community service organization and the largest organization of its type āserving the needs of LGBTQ+ people in Rehoboth, greater Sussex County, and throughout the state of Delaware.ā The statement adds that the organization āis dedicated to creating a positive environment inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Rehoboth and its related communities.ā
Kim Leisey, who began her job as executive director of CAMP Rehoboth in July of 2023, said it was her understanding that officials with the organization discovered funds were missing and opened an investigation in September of 2021, a short time before Seeley left the organization. Leisey said that at the time of his departure, Seeley served as CAMP Rehobothās director of health and wellness programs.
At that time, former D.C. Center for the LGBT Community director David Mariner was serving as CAMP Rehobothās executive director and reportedly took steps to open an investigation into missing funds. Wesley Combs, CAMP Rehobothās current board president, said Seeley resigned from his job around that time in 2021.
āI know that I took this job knowing there was a concern and a problem and an investigation,ā Leisey told the Blade. āAnd I also know that the board of CAMP Rehoboth has done everything it needs to do to ensure that we were compliant, cooperative and that things are going really well here at CAMP Rehoboth.ā
Leisey said CAMP Rehoboth currently has a staff of six full-time employees and several contract employees. She said the organization has a current annual budget of $1.4 million.
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at: [email protected].
Congratulations to Jim Endean on his new position as Director of Design and Business Development at BSD in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
āI am joining the BSD team to cultivate and grow their cabinetry division creating kitchens, baths, mudrooms, and beyond,ā he said.
Prior to this he was with Atlantic Kitchen & Bath LLC, Lewes, Del., and was SVP New Business Development with Innomark Communications, New York. He has worked in corporate retail and brand design presentation for department stores, Nike, and Calvin Klein. He began his career with May Co. ā Kaufmannās, Hechtās and Strawbridges divisions. His focus was on creating and executing brand vision for experiential customer environments at retail. He then translated that experience into the retail technology arena where he sold and implemented state-of-the-art 3D visual design and merchandising software transforming the way retailers and brands presented their identities to mass markets. Endean then went into residential interior design. He grew up in New England and Western Pennsylvania. He spent 20 years in corporate positions in New York City. He has been a visitor to Rehoboth Beach for 26 years and moved to the beach permanently in 2020. He lives there with his husband John, an architect, and their dog Levi.
Endean earned his bachelorās degree in Communications and Marketing, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh.