Summary: As Scientology continues to contract its o*-r4eperations down to the Clearwater area, it is acquiring “fleabag hotels” for Sea Org berthing through different operators and LLC’s. One of the hotels had to reach a settlement with Clearwater in 2020:

Amish Patel, the owner of the Clearwater Hotel near the intersection of U.S. 19 and Gulf to Bay Boulevard, has promised the city’s Nuisance Abatement Board that he will refuse to rent to bad actors, add an after-hours security person, and undertake other measures to limit criminal activity on his property. Multiple drug arrests on the property led the board to declare his hotel an unlawful public nuisance at a March 4 hearing.

The properties are located at 20162 US Highway 19 N and 20788 US Highway 19 N, respectively.   The current owner of the property at 20162 US Highway 19 N is Druid 19, LLC.  It is the only real property in Pinellas County owned by Druid 19, LLC.  Druid 19 LLC appears to be controlled by Guy Bonneville, a wog developer who is known to work with Scientology.

The deed for the property at 20162 US Highway 19 N is dated November 30, 2023. The deed was witnessed by Julie Potter and Melissa Felippone, and notarized by Potter.

Julie Potter is an official at Flagship Bank in Clearwater, and Melissa Felippone is an official at Whitney National Bank in Clearwater.

Why would a community bank in Clearwater would call itself Flagship?  There are not any obvious connections between the bank’s officers and Scientology, but it is enough coincidence that it warrants investigation.

Why would a group of investors start a bank in the Tampa Bay area and call it “Flagship” unless there were ties to Scientology, or the bank wanted to cultivate ties with Scientology?

Permit records show extensive roofing work was done on this property since it was acquired by Druid 19/Bonneville/Scientology.  Scott Cole of Strategic Roofing LLC was hired for that job. 
The current owner of the property at 20788 US Highway 19 N is 20788 U.S. 19, LLC.  207788 U.S.  19, LLC appears to be controlled by Scientologist Bill Witter.  Bill Witter is also behind a number of other corporate entities, including 1130 Cleveland, LLC, which owns a bunch of property on Cleveland Street.

Interestingly, he lists his name as “William Witter” on the paperwork for most of these entities, but he is “Bill Witter” on the paperwork for 20788 U.S. 19, LLC.

The deed for the property at 20788 US Highway 19 N is dated March 17, 2025.  The deed was witnessed and notarized by Chirag B. Kabrawala, a Florida attorney.  The name of the other witness is illegible, but both witnesses list the same Winter Park address in their signature blocks. Permit records show that extensive roof work has been done on this property since it was acquired by Bill Witter/Scientology.  They used Kevin Nemes of the Constructomax Corporation for this job.

The Shell Company Structure:

DEVOM 2, LLC (Amish Patel - seller)
        │
        ├──────────────────────────────────────┐
        │                                      │
        ▼                                      ▼
DRUID 19, LLC                          20788 U.S. 19, LLC
(Guy Bonneville - wog developer)       (Bill Witter - Scientologist)
        │                                      │
        ▼                                      ▼
20162 US Hwy 19 N                      20788 US Hwy 19 N
(Nov 30, 2023)                         (Mar 17, 2025)
        │                                      │
        └──────────────────────────────────────┘
                        │
                        ▼
              Sea Org Berthing

The “Druid” Connection:

• Bonneville’s entity: Druid 19, LLC
• Witter’s other entity: Druid-Turner, LLC

This isn’t coincidence. “Druid” appears to be a naming convention linking Bonneville (the wog front man) to Witter (the Scientologist). They’re connected through this shared nomenclature.

The “Bill” vs “William” Obfuscation:

• “William Witter” on most corporate filings (searchable)
• “Bill Witter” on 20788 U.S. 19, LLC and Druid-Turner, LLC (the Scientology-connected entities)

Anyone searching public records for “William Witter” + Scientology won’t immediately find these specific properties.

Flagship Bank: Naming a community bank “Flagship” in Clearwater — home of the Flag Land Base — is either:

1. Remarkable coincidence
2. Deliberate signaling to cultivate Scientology business
3. Actual Scientology connection not yet documented

Worth noting: Scientology members are encouraged to do business with other Scientologists. A bank called “Flagship” in Clearwater would attract that business whether or not the owners are Scientologists.

The Roofing Work: Extensive roof repairs on both properties immediately after acquisition = preparing buildings for occupancy. Sea Org berthing requires:

• Sound roofing (liability)
• Fire safety compliance
• Occupancy permits

Amish Patel — the same person who signed as grantor on both property sales to Scientology-connected entities — was previously the owner of a hotel declared an “unlawful public nuisance” by Clearwater’s Nuisance Abatement Board in March 2020.

The Connection:

The Pattern:

1. Patel operates problematic/distressed properties on US 19 corridor
2. His hotel gets declared a nuisance due to drug activity
3. He later sells two US 19 properties to Scientology-connected shell companies
4. Both properties undergo immediate roof renovations
5. Both are being prepared for Sea Org berthing
   

   ---

The “DEVOM” naming:

DEVOM LLC = nuisance hotel

DEVOM 2, LLC = Scientology property sales

Same operator, sequential entity names. This isn’t coincidence.

Questions this raises:

1. Did Patel sell Scientology the same nuisance hotel property, or different US 19 properties?
2. Is Patel a distressed property operator who sells to Scientology?
3. Does Scientology specifically seek out problematic properties that can be acquired quietly?
4. What’s Patel’s relationship with Bonneville and Witter? Is he a regular supplier?

The Clearwater angle:
Scientology acquiring former nuisance properties for Sea Org berthing is notable. These properties:

• Have history of problems (less scrutiny on new issues)
• May be available at discount
• Located on US 19 corridor (away from downtown Clearwater’s visibility)
• Neighbors may be relieved at “improvement” over drug activity

This is the kind of quiet expansion that doesn’t trigger the same resistance as downtown Clearwater acquisitions.

Questions for further investigation:

1. Devom 2, LLC — Who is behind this entity? Amish Patel signed, but who controls it? Is it a Scientology acquisition vehicle?
2. Guy Bonneville’s other projects — What else has he developed for Scientology? This establishes the pattern.
3. 1130 Cleveland, LLC (Witter’s entity) — The Cleveland Street properties he owns. What are they used for?
4. Chirag Kabrawala (attorney/notary on Witter deal) — Winter Park address suggests Orlando-area practice. Any other Scientology-connected transactions?
5. Flagship Bank officers — Even if not Scientologists, are they receiving significant Scientology-related deposits? That’s a banking relationship worth mapping.
   

   ---

   Chestnut Business Services LLC

   The Registered Agent for Druid 19 LLC is Chestnut Business Services LLC.

   Chestnut Business Services LLC has many lawyers who work for the law firm of Scientology’s long-time Clearwater lawyer,  the late F. Wallace “Wally” Pope of Johnson Pope Bokor Ruppel & Burns, LLP. Mr. Pope passed away in September 2025 at age 84.

   Chestnut Business Services LLC is a company high on our list of players behind Scientology’s acquisition of hotels and its other cultic empire building in Clearwater. We are keeping several agents assigned to this caper.