Pubdate: Sat, 05 Oct 2002
Source: Kansas City Star (MO)
Website: http://www.kcstar.com/
Address: 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, Mo. 64108
Contact:  2002 The Kansas City Star
Author: Richard Espinoza

CAB SERVICE ALSO DELIVERED DRUGS AND LIQUOR, POLICE SAY

Until Thursday night, police say, people did not need to leave home to 
score some meth or a little liquor around Leavenworth. They could just call 
a cab and wait for home delivery.

Police said they crushed the delivery business in a series of raids about 6 
p.m. Thursday that turned up drugs, cash, explosives and 39 firearms. They 
arrested the Ace Taxi Service owner, its mechanic and a woman at the taxi 
stand, and they were looking for five other suspects.

The Army's Criminal Investigation Division caught wind of cabdrivers 
allegedly selling drugs at Fort Leavenworth in February and called civilian 
police and deputies, post spokeswoman Janet Wray said. Cabs use a 
commercial entrance at the post, where military police can search them by 
hand or use a dog and mirrors to look for contraband.

Police launched an investigation and said they discovered that drug 
customers could request an Ace Taxi driver by name, who would show up with 
drugs or alcohol for sale. More than one driver was involved, said 
Leavenworth Police Lt. Patrick Kitchens.

Ace mechanic Michael Byrns, 40, was charged Friday in Leavenworth County 
District Court with five counts each of possessing methamphetamine for sale 
within 1,000 feet of a school and not having a drug-tax stamp, and four 
counts of using a phone in a drug sale. He also was charged with one felony 
and one misdemeanor count of possessing drug paraphernalia. His bond was 
set at $25,000.

Ace owner Edward Savage, 29, was charged with possessing meth and not 
having a drug-tax stamp, both felonies. He also was charged with possessing 
marijuana and possessing drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors. His bond 
was set at $25,000.

Jimmy Ann Jones, a 29-year-old woman who was arrested at the taxi stand, 
faces the same charges as Savage.

All three, who are from Leavenworth, were released on bond Friday.

Doing his best to keep Ace's cabs running Friday was dispatcher Danny 
Donald, 48, who police said was not a suspect. He had only one of the 
company's four taxis on the street around lunchtime. One driver quit after 
she heard about the raids, but Donald did not believe the accusations 
against his boss and co-workers.

"As far as my knowledge, that's totally wrong," Donald said. "I'm the 
dayside dispatcher, so I'd know if something like that was going on."

Donald said that regular customers sometimes asked for a driver they liked, 
but that none of the employees would sell drugs.

A judge signed a search warrant for three buildings Thursday.

Investigators raided Byrns' home at 702 Osage St., where Byrns and Savage 
were working on a cab's water pump, about 6 p.m. The team arrested the men 
and then rushed to the taxi stand at 425 Choctaw St. and Savage's home at 3 
Woodmoor Court. After they took control of all three buildings, they went 
back and started looking for evidence.

At Byrns' house, the team found 84 grams -- about 3 ounces -- of 
methamphetamine, Kitchens said. They also seized $7,000, six handguns, 10 
rifles, 4,000 rounds of ammunition and three small homemade bombs, plus 
material to make more. They also took a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air that had 
drugs hidden inside and stashed in the trunk, Kitchens said.

At the taxi stand, police took 23 firearms -- two of which had been 
reported stolen -- and a bit of methamphetamine, Kitchens said.

The weapons had been locked in a safe, Donald said, and cabdrivers 
sometimes armed themselves for safety.

Police said they found 31/2 grams of meth at Savage's home.

Police also arrested a night dispatcher at the taxi stand, but he was 
released Friday without being charged.

The Kansas Department of Revenue assessed Byrns $33,600 for nonpayment of 
state tax on the meth. Anyone who has the drug is required to buy 
$200-per-gram tax stamps, which are good for three months. The fine for not 
paying doubles the cost.

Military and civilian authorities said they were still investigating.

The Leavenworth City Commission, which can revoke Savage's business 
license, plans to bring up the case at its meeting next week.

"I think we'll probably have a frank conversation with the commission about 
his license," said City Manager Gary Ortiz.

Ace has run into trouble with the commission before. Its license was 
suspended for three days in 1997 after police caught the company using 
unlicensed drivers and uninsured cabs. It also had to stop operating 
briefly in July when its insurance was canceled, Ortiz said.

Veterans Cab, a 12-taxi operation, would be the only cab company in town if 
Ace were to close.
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