New Information on Sinclair's Delaware Warrant?

This morning a little item appeared at Delaware Online, but there's no byline except a notice that "[t]he weblog Dialogue Delaware is updated daily by reporters and editors at The News Journal," and I can't locate confirmation. I post it as an element in the ongoing rumor wars.

Facts deflate conspiracy theory

Depending on what blogs you read, Delaware is at the center of a major conspiracy orchestrated to protect presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama by silencing a critic.

But like many rumors about a candidate during a presidential election year, this one just isn't true.

While we are certain this will do little to deter conspiracy theorists, we thought it would be worthwhile to inject some verifiable fact where we find it.

The rumor suggested that former Democratic presidential candidate and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden -- who has been named as a possible vice president running mate for Obama -- worked with his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, to have Obama critic Larry Sinclair arrested at the conclusion of a press conference Sinclair held in Washington earlier this month.

Sinclair, who has been making charges about Obama involving sex and drugs, allegedly was taken away at the conclusion of his remarks by U.S. marshals on an outstanding warrant from Delaware.

Some -- perhaps only those on Sinclair's Web site -- suggested this was concocted to embarrass Sinclair because there had been no record of a Delaware warrant after a detailed background check in January.

Well, yes, but no.

There was no warrant in January because it was issued in February after an October incident at a New Castle hotel involving Sinclair.

According to the Delaware State Police and Delaware Superior Court records, Sinclair allegedly paid for a three-week stay at the Rodeway Inn with $2,400 in money orders. The hotel manager later found they were counterfeit and called police.

In February -- long before Obama became the presumptive nominee -- a New Castle County grand jury indicted Sinclair for felony theft and a warrant was issued.

According to state prosecutors, Sinclair was released on $8,000 unsecured bond this week and is due back in court in July for an arraignment.

If this is true (and we'll find out soon enough), the Delaware allegations fit with a larger pattern of larceny that's emerged due to bloggers, such as those at The Mitch and Nan Show and DBKP, and discussed in Politico.

I do have some questions about this allegation, though, as Sinclair had a Wilmington phone number--a land-line--in autumn 2007 (he has previously given this phone number in support of his claims to have contacted the Obama campaign), so why the need for a three week stay at a Rodeway Inn?

Of course, there are a number of reasons that might explain the need for a hotel room, but I'll leave such hypothesizing aside for the moment. I'm sure there will be updates soon.

Meanwhile, in Sinclair-related news: Overlawyered has the final word on Montgomery Blair Sibley's suspension in DC (which stands), including links to Sibley's 133 page argument against his suspension. What with the Sinclair case floundering and having been removed from acting as Blanche Palfrey's attorney in the lingering "D C Madam" case, Sibley's not doing so well.

UPDATE: A blogger claims to have spoken to the manager of the New Castle, DE Rodeway Inn who confirms the story. Additionally, the blogger reports that, rather than being paid $24,000 for a hotel room, the manager was actually swindled out of $24,000 in cash. Please visit this link for details on the Delaware allegations. Again, I'm sure we'll hear significantly more about this story shortly.

UPDATE TWO: see Delaware Online from 7/12/08: