Pubdate: Mon, 08 Aug 2005
Source: Connecticut Post (Bridgeport, CT)
Copyright: 2005sMediaNews Group, Inc
Contact:  http://www.connpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/574
Author: Michael P. Mayko
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)

DRUG MONEY DIVIDED AMONG TOWNS

The $1.15 million might be considered pocket change in Jose Stroh's drug 
money-laundering operation.

Over six years, Stroh converted more than $129 million into pesos for 
Colombia's drug cartels before he was caught and sent to prison.

On Friday, U.S. Attorney Kevin J. O'Connor announced that police 
departments in Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Milford, Norwalk, 
Stratford and Stamford each would get a piece of the $1.15 million.

"It's very good news not only to the police department, but also to the 
taxpayers," Bridgeport Mayor John M. Fabrizi said after learning his 
department will get about $81,000. "Instead of having to take money out of 
our city coffers, we've got this money coming in to help our officers do 
their jobs."

He said it might be used for new guns and bulletproof vests.

Fairfield First Selectman Kenneth A. Flatto said his town's nearly $69,000 
slice might be used to buy new communication equipment for the police 
department.

"This may be the largest forfeiture distribution in Connecticut in the last 
20 years," he said.

Easton received the largest amount, $137,940. Bridgeport was next with $80,465.

"First and foremost, our officers have always played a big part in regional 
law enforcement task forces put together by the federal government to 
investigate gangs and drugs," Fabrizi said. Fairfield, Stratford, Norwalk 
and Stamford each will receive $68,970.

"This is a credit to our officers, who work long, hard hours on these 
investigations," Flatto said. "It gives us an opportunity to cover a 
specialized item."

Flatto said the last time Fairfield received federal forfeiture money it 
was used to buy a mobile command center.

"This money will go into the revolving account the department has for 
federal forfeitures," he said. "We have lots of needs, particularly 
communication equipment, so we'll sit down with the chief and discuss how 
it should be spent."

Greenwich and Milford each will receive $57,476, O'Connor said.

The State Police will receive $34,485 and the National Guard Counterdrug 
program will get $22,990. "It's tremendously gratifying that those 
departments who spent so much time on this investigation will benefit 
financially for this," O'Connor said. "Asset forfeiture is one of federal 
law enforcement's most powerful tools in fighting crime and deterring 
criminal behavior." An additional $482,788 went into the U.S. Justice 
Department's asset forfeiture fund.

The money is parceled out by the Department of Justice Equitable Sharing 
Program, which uses a formula based on the man-hours each department 
devoted to the investigation.

Stroh, a currency broker from Cali, Colombia, was dubbed the "godfather of 
money launderers" by federal authorities. Money from cocaine sales in the 
United States were stuffed in burlap sacks here and picked up by Stroh's 
associates.

It then was divided in stacks of $2,000 to $5,000 and taken to banks from 
Stamford to Bridgeport. There, money orders and cashier's checks were 
purchased. The checks were then secreted in magazines sent by couriers to 
businesses Stroh controlled in Panama.

The money was then converted into pesos and deposited into bank accounts 
maintained by Stroh. He kept his cut and the remainder was delivered to 
representatives of the cartels that hired him.

In February 2001, Senior U.S. District Judge Alan H. Nevas sentenced Stroh 
to the then-maximum five years in prison and fined him $200,000 for 
conspiring to launder money. The $1.15 million came from a Florida 
brokerage account Stroh maintained.
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