February 10-16, 2005

city beat

Dirty Cash

Is the Russian mob lacing its money with bioterrorism bacteria?

by Brendan McGarvey

International villains and doomsday weapons are more likely to play major roles in fictional James Bond movies than in real-life crime stories. But a Pennsylvania state trooper recently stumbled into the middle of what may turn out to be the most bizarre criminal conspiracy since a Columbian drug cartel plotted to buy a Soviet navy submarine from Russian gangsters operating out of a Miami strip club in 1995.

This tale of toxin, drug money, sick cops and the Red Mafia began on Jan. 7, when a trooper made a routine traffic stop on the Pennsylvania Turnpike west of Harrisburg. After discovering that the driver was under investigation for international narcotics trafficking and that the Department of Homeland Security listed the operator of the car as an illegal alien, police searched the vehicle and found more than $250,000 in cash. (The driver's name was not listed on arrest records.)

In documents outlining the details of the traffic stop and aftermath obtained by City Paper, a "law enforcement use only" officer safety alert titled "Money in a Sealed Bag" was issued Jan. 25 by the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General. It reported that state police had seized "$251,000 from a Jewish/Russian group out of Columbus, Ohio. The money was being transported to Philadelphia." The following day, state police distributed an internal intelligence brief titled "Cash and Staph Bacteria" explaining that while handling the cash, "troopers began feeling ill, and within hours, they experienced flu-like symptoms. It was speculated that organized crime figures may have intentionally tainted the cash with some sort of virus or bacteria to discourage their drug couriers from tampering with the money."

Law enforcement and Pennsylvania Department of Health sources say one of the troopers was briefly hospitalized. They can not, however, confirm that the illness was directly tied to the toxin found on the cash counter. Still, wary that Russian mobsters in Ohio and Northeast Philadelphia may be using the techniques and weapons of bioterrorists to protect the profits of an international drug ring, the alleged conspiracy is now the focus of a federal investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force operating out of the FBI's Philadelphia office.

State police documents indicate that the machine used to tally the suspected drug cash tested positive for "the presence of toxin derived from the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria." (Also known as "staph" bacteria, it can cause boils, scalded skin syndrome, impetigo, toxic shock syndrome and other infections).

A spokesman for the Health Department said "one individual got sick and there was some residue on the money" but referred all further questions to the FBI's counterterrorism unit in Philadelphia. The FBI said that the matter "is under investigation and we have no information to provide to the public at this time."

The officer safety alert issued by the Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General warned that "apparently, the criminals had placed a virus over the money to protect their interests. The [task force] in Philadelphia has opened a case against the criminals."

Law enforcement documents about the investigation stress that there are no known instances in which the toxin derived from the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria has "ever been isolated and used with malicious intent," but a law enforcement source familiar with drug-money seizures tells City Paper that "we've never had a case where drug money was contaminated by something on the cash counter. The Russians put something on their money. They're using bioterrorism to protect drug profits. That is very scary."

Taking no chances, the state police warned law enforcement personnel to take all necessary precautions and that "officers handling suspected drug money should utilize disposable, high-filtration blue masks that provide a respiratory barrier against bacteria. Painter's masks are not sufficient. Disposable, powder-free gloves are also recommended."

King Homicide

When police finally caught up with William Sosa, the alleged leader of the Philly chapter of the Latin Kings, he was hiding out with a couple of friends in Ocean County, N.J. Sosa, aka "King Homicide," is one of 17 people arrested by the FBI and charged with drug trafficking and being part of a criminal organization.

The Latin Kings, a nationwide gang based in Chicago, has been trying to build a base of operations in Camden, Philly and Reading, but sources say local chapters are riddled with federal informants. Agents have wiretapped and listened in on dozens of high-level meetings in the Philadelphia-South Jersey area in the last three years.

"We've been able to penetrate the inner circle of the leadership of Latin Kings in this area," says an organized crime investigator. "When Kings figure out how much we know, they'll be lining up to plead guilty and to testify against each other. There won't be enough room in the witness protection program for all of them."