Pubdate: Sat, 22 Jan 2000 Source: Inquirer (PA) Copyright: 2000 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. Contact: 400 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19101 Website: http://www.philly.com/ Forum: http://interactive.phillynews.com/talk-show/ Author: Barbara Boyer, Inquirer Staff Writer INFORMANT SAYS MILAN TIPPED OFF DRUG DEALERS A witness in a trial testified that, while Milan was Council president, he told ring leaders of scheduled raids. Camden Mayor Milton Milan tipped off the reputed leaders of a multimillion dollar drug ring of pending police raids in 1997 and advised one of them that he was going to be arrested, an FBI informant testified yesterday. The informant, Juan Marquez, 36, also testified that he recorded a uniformed Camden police officer telling reputed drug lord Jose Luis "J.R." Rivera what information the officer had learned about a narcotics investigation. In the tapes, which were at times difficult to understand when played in the courtroom, a voice alleged to be that of Police Officer Michael Hearnes was also heard urging Rivera not to speak with narcotics investigators. Marquez testified for a third day in U.S. District Court in Camden, where Rivera, 40, and Luis "Tun Tun" Figueroa, 34, are on trial on drug-conspiracy charges. Marquez became an informant in 1996 after he was indicted on drug charges. Rivera, authorities say, provided the money to buy drugs and laundered the profits over a 10-year period, ending in 1998, that saw some drug dealers earning as much as $40,000 a week. Figueroa allegedly was the enforcer who carried out extreme violence for the organization. Both men, who are in jail and face life sentences if convicted, have denied they operated the drug ring. Milan has not been charged with any crime, but his name has come up over the last three weeks in testimony from four drug dealers and one law-enforcement official. Two of the dealers identified Milan as a bulk buyer of cocaine in 1993. At the time, he owned a construction company. Milan has denied any involvement with the drug organization. Yesterday was the first time questions were raised about Milan's conduct while he served as City Council president in 1996 and after he was elected mayor on May 13, 1997. Milan was sworn in as mayor on July 1. The conversations with Rivera in which Milan's name was mentioned were recorded on May 15, June 3 and June 4, 1997. It was during this time as City Council president that Milan was working aggressively with city police to rid the city of drug dealers and accompanied police on raids. Ali Sloan-El, a city councilman, said in an interview yesterday that a council president in Camden would not ordinarily be privy to information from police regarding drug raids. Gwendolyn Faison, the current council president who succeeded Milan in that role, could not be reached for comment last night. However, Marquez, under questioning by Assistant U.S Attorney Kevin Smith, said Milan on several occasions passed on information about drug raids to Rivera. "He talks to Milton," Marquez testified yesterday of Rivera's relationship with Milan. "He knows where Milton is and what drug set he is going to be hitting." On tape, speaking with Rivera on June 4, 1997, Marquez said, "Milton picked the area to hit." "We already know where he gonna hit at," Rivera responded. "Yeah. . . . He gonna go and hit all the black guys. That's what he's gonna do," Marquez said. "He won't make it to mayor next, next time," Rivera replied. Milan's attorney, Carlos A. Martir Jr., who also represents Figueroa, said in an interview that Marquez twisted facts and bolstered allegations to help the government build its case against Milan. As mayor, Milan has actively encouraged arresting drug dealers but was never singled out on tape as tipping them off about raids, Martir said. "Here's a guy [Marquez] who was wearing a wire. He is the one who is acting," Martir said. "Milton Milan's name never comes out on tape as the individual who tipped them off." In August, federal and county authorities raided Milan's home and City Hall office as part of a wide-ranging investigation of corruption within Camden and the Milan administration. In a recording made in June 1997, Rivera told Marquez that he was concerned because Kenny "Blockhead" Waller had been arrested recently on drug charges and authorities seized an expensive boat and truck registered in Rivera's name. Rivera said Saul "Gordo" Febo should be concerned because of information Waller could pass on to police. Waller and Febo, who was subsequently arrested on drug charges, have pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy but have not been sentenced yet. Febo, who admitted he was one of the top leaders in the organization, is expected to testify. Febo, Rivera said on tape, left the area in 1997 because he was tipped off that he was going to be arrested. Marquez asked how he knew, and Rivera responded, "Man, he ran 'cause he had a connection inside, told him what's up, that's why." When asked by prosecutor Smith whether Rivera ever revealed who the inside connection was, Marquez responded, "Milton Milan." In a conversation later that day with Marquez and Hearnes, the police officer, Rivera said he had talked to his lawyer. In that same conversation, Hearnes said he spoke with a county officer whom he identified by the nickname of "Cherry" about the investigation. Hearnes told Rivera not to speak with authorities. "Don't approach anybody about this. . . . Don't approach them at all. Don't say . . . to them," Hearnes said. "Let them come to you." Hearnes, 35, a 12-year police veteran, yesterday declined to talk about the tape played in court. Camden Police Chief Robert E. Allenbach and Camden County Prosecutor Lee A. Solomon said they planned to review the court transcripts. "I will review the transcripts Monday and meet with the investigators in the internal affairs unit and then make a decision," Allenbach said. "I will not tolerate corruption within the police department, and I will deal with it severely." On the undercover tapes made by Marquez, Rivera is heard expressing his dismay about flyers distributed in Camden when Milan was a councilman and running for mayor. The leaflets identified Rivera and Milan as drug dealers and said Milan protected the city's kingpins. Marquez, testifying yesterday, said Rivera had one of the leaflets in his desk at JR's Custom Auto Parts in East Camden and pulled it out during their discussion. "It could have been anybody," Rivera said about the source of the flyers. On the tape, the men talked about Milan's running for mayor and that they had known he would win. "Yeah that was funny," Marquez was heard saying to Rivera. "Remember when Milan was begging you for money to put the houses together. And now he's mayor." Before Milan joined City Council, he had been co-owner of Atlas Contracting Inc. In the mid-1990s, Atlas needed to raise collateral for a government housing construction contract. Marquez testified yesterday that Rivera put up $25,000. Last month, Milan's business partner, Gholam Joseph Darakhshan, 30, of Cherry Hill, was charged with conspiring to violate IRS regulations for allegedly funneling large amounts of cash through others so it could not be traced back to Rivera. Authorities said a total of $60,000 was given to Milan and Darakhshan. In the tapes played yesterday, Rivera was agitated as he believed police were closing in on him. He warned Marquez that there would be a massacre of those who betrayed him. "The massacre, that I am going to do," Marquez said in Spanish. "Where there is going to be several deaths. I going to do it to you. . . . I am going to kill and I am leaving. . . . They never going to know I did it." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea