David Foley expected to enter plea on porn charges

MIlWAUKEE -- David Foley, the man facing federal charges of producing child pornography and molesting two boys is expected to appear in a federal courtroom Wednesday, May 16th to enter a plea.

Investigators say David Foley, a former Whitefish Bay barber, sent a CD full of child pornography to FOX6 investigators, with his landlord’s name scribbled on the front. It was an alleged plot to frame his landlord. Now, investigators say Foley is a child molester, and questions are being asked about why this man was able to mentor a child, an alleged victim, through Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

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FOX6 handed the disk full of child pornography over to investigators. Investigators confirmed that not only was Foley trying to ruin his landlord, but they also uncovered a stockpile of child porn, and at least two children they believe Foley may have molested.

Prosecutors say Foley befriended a child, and even let the child work for him at his Whitefish Bay barber shop. It was there that prosecutors say Foley allegedly molested the child, and also on a trip to the Mall of America.

Prosecutors say as a mentor with the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program, Foley met his second victim. The child told prosecutors Foley was his mentor for two years, and recalled an incident of being inappropriately touched in a shower at the YMCA.

Big Brothers, Big Sisters Metro-Milwaukee CEO Amy Chioncho says the organization is fully cooperating with authorities in this case, but wouldn’t specifically discuss their relationship with Foley. Chioncho also would not say what kind of background checks, if any, were done on Foley before he became a mentor.

At the time of his Big Brothers, Big Sisters application in 2006, Foley was already a convicted felon, having spent time in jail for a history of writing bad checks.

Prosecutors say when Foley sent the disk full of child pornography to FOX6, he told a friend “just watch – it’s going to get on the news.” He was right, but it was likely not the story he expected. Foley is being held at the Fox Lake Correctional Center where he has been since March, on unrelated financial crimes.

The affidavit against Foley is 70 pages long, and it appears most of these details would have stayed uncovered, had Foley not sent the CD to FOX6, which launched this investigation.

Later, former friends and business partners of the Whitefish Bay barber come forward to explain how Foley is a con-man. Explaining he conned them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  David Foley is a self-described ‘master barber,’ but a FOX6 investigation finds he is also a master of manipulation.

“He was such a smooth talker,” said Rick Bystra, who invested more than $55,000 of his own money to help Foley open up a sports-themed barbershop on Silver Spring Drive.

Originally from Florida, Foley has been grooming financial victims all over southeastern Wisconsin for years.

“He builds a relationship,” says Lance Gordon, a Glendale CPA who was hired to keep an eye on the barbershop’s books.   “He looks at somebody and figures them out real quick.”

FOX6′s investigation finds that Foley created the illusion that he was a wealthy entrepreneur.  He often drove luxury cars that other people had paid for, and he would rent homes in well-to-do neighborhoods, then tell others that he owned the home.  It was an image that some of his victims say he used to convince them it was safe to invest with him.

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