Pubdate: Wed, 25 Apr 2001
Source: San Diego Union Tribune (CA)
Copyright: 2001 Union-Tribune Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.uniontrib.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/386
Author: Sarah Karush, Associated Press

DRUG TRIAL OPENS FOR U.S. SCHOLAR

Russian Prosecutor Says Evidence Tainted

VORONEZH, Russia -- An American Fulbright scholar accused of dealing drugs 
in Russia pleaded innocent yesterday as his trial opened with the 
prosecutor contesting police evidence.

An investigator testified that she made up the amount of marijuana found on 
John Tobin for a police report. The prosecutor accused police of greatly 
inflating the amount and said she was "ashamed" to be involved in the case.

Tobin, 24, of Ridgefield, Conn., was arrested Jan. 26 outside a nightclub 
after police allegedly found him carrying a matchbox containing marijuana. 
The arrest attracted wide attention about a month later when the Federal 
Security Service claimed Tobin was an aspiring spy.

No espionage charges have been filed against Tobin, who was a student at 
Voronezh State University. But the drug charges, initially for possessing a 
small amount of marijuana, later were stepped up to include distribution. 
The most serious charge carries a sentence of up to 15 years.

The prosecution says Tobin and his roommate, also an American studying at 
the university, ran a drug den in their apartment.

Police investigator Yelena Brykina, who wrote Tobin's arrest record, said 
police told her only that Tobin had been found with more than 0.003 ounces 
of marijuana and that she made up the figure of 0.005 ounces that she wrote 
in the arrest record.

"I just pulled this weight out of the air," she said.

However, the charges say that 10 times that amount -- 0.05 ounces -- was 
found on Tobin when he was arrested, and prosecutor Marina Galagan accused 
the senior police investigator of doctoring the amount in the case file.

"I am ashamed to sit here and support the charges in this case," she said.
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