Pubdate: Tue, 07 Jun 2005
Source: Rome News-Tribune (GA)
Copyright: 2005sRome News-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.romenews-tribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1716
Author:  Lauren Gregory

METH STING SUSPECTS GET 1ST DAY IN COURT

49 convenience store clerks and 16 corporations are accused of knowingly
selling meth ingredients.

It was standing room only -- even for attorneys -- in U.S. Magistrate Court
on Monday during an all-day marathon of first appearance and arraignment
hearings in a case government officials have dubbed "Operation Meth
Merchant."

Forty-nine convenience store clerks and 16 corporations were indicted Friday
in the case, in which defense attorneys suggest that investigators targeted
immigrant merchants. Many of those arrested are natives of India.

During an 18-month investigation, federal investigators say they found
convenience store employees in Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Walker and
Whitfield counties selling over-the-counter methamphetamine ingredients
knowing they would be used to make the drug.

Five clerks were still at large Monday evening, said Assistant U.S. Attorney
Lisa Tarvin, although suspect Ashley Knight of Menlo is scheduled to turn
herself in to authorities on Wednesday.

More than 20 of the 44 defendants were granted bonds ranging from $10,000 to
$50,000. The others will reappear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Walter
Johnson today for detention hearings.

Among those who appeared were Silver Creek Mini Mart employee Nilesh
Ramanbhai Patel, who was granted a $10,000 bond, and Coastal Food Mart
employee Pravinkumar H. Patel, who did not receive a bond.

Hordes of relatives and friends of the accused attended the hearings, some
whispering while seated on benches, others listening from among the
spectators standing in the back.

Although Tarvin, lead prosecutor in the case, has produced a pile of
affidavits confirming that all the defendants speak English, a translator
was on hand Monday to assist those who spoke Hindi and Gujrati.

Language skills will eventually become a major issue in the case, according
to defense attorney Ken Poston. "These defendants represent a wide spectrum
of language abilities," said Poston, who is representing Mohammed Ahmed of
Ringgold, one of those using the translator Monday.

While the defendants may have sufficient skills to operate a cash register,
he explained, many may not be able to understand Southern slang.

"In some cases," he said, "legal amounts of certain substances were sold.
But then (the government) had (an undercover agent) to mumble or state, `I'm
going to make meth.' I know people from here (in Georgia) that wouldn't
necessarily know what that means or what implications it would have."

Atlanta attorney Steven Sadow, who is representing six different defendants,
said he plans to investigate whether government officials singled out
Indians in Operation Meth Merchant.

"I want to know why they went after the Indians to begin with," he said,
explaining that he plans to file a motion to dismiss all charges based on
selective prosecution.

Defendant Ahmed's wife, Hajira Ahmed, said she, too, believes charges in the
case stem from stereotyping and generalization. "I'm thinking this is
happening for the name only," she said.

Rome resident Devin Desai, who attended Monday's hearing in support of
friends, worries about the case's impact on the local Indian community --
specifically, how it is perceived as a whole by outsiders.

Since the news broke, Desai said, he has been asked twice by white strangers
whether he was involved in Friday's busts. "They just generalize the
people," he said. "There could be a hate crime. Somebody could think ... I'm
in it, too."
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MAP posted-by: Josh