ALD. JOHNSON-ODOM'S HUSBAND ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES

Although formal drug charges were filed Friday against the husband of a
Milwaukee alderman, it may be months before it is determined whether a vice
detective was improperly transferred for initiating the investigation that
eventually led to the suspect's arrest.

The charges filed against John Davis Odom are at the heart of allegations
made by Officer Octavio Delgado in a federal lawsuit. The lawsuit says
Delgado was transferred by Police Chief Arthur Jones for reporting an
informant's allegation that Odom was involved with cocaine.

Odom, the husband of Ald. Marlene Johnson-Odom, was charged Friday with one
felony count of delivery of a controlled substance, and one felony count of
beingparty to the crime of delivery of a controlled substance.

If convicted on both counts, Odom faces up to 30 years in prison and up to
$1 million in fines.

Delgado's claim that he was improperly transferred has led Milwaukee Police
Association President Bradley DeBraska to seek a John Doe investigation
into the matter.

Jones has denied he and Odom are friends. The police chief said it was
possible they attended North Division High School together 37 years ago,
but that to the best of his knowledge they've had only one conversation
since. He said that conversation took place in the anteroom of the Common
Council chambers at City Hall.

Contrary to charges by DeBraska that the Odom investigation was stifled,
Jones said police began investigating Odom as soon as he was made aware of
the drug suspicions.

"These officers were given the assignment on the day that I became
knowledgeable of (the man's suspected) involvement," Jones said. "That day
I assigned other officers - other than Officer Delgado - to investigate
this matter."

Jones declined to comment further on the Odom investigation.

Sources within the Milwaukee Police Department say that DeBraska may not
have known about the other investigation into Odom's activities because the
officers who pursued the matter were part of a local-state-federal drug
task force. That investigation, the sources said, was not open to members
of the department's Vice Control Division.

The same sources suggested that Delgado may have been transferred for
divulging to the informant who made the drug allegations against Odom where
information that led to the informant's arrest originated, a violation of
police department policy.

Through a receptionist who answered the telephone Friday afternoon at the
Milwaukee Police Association's offices, 1840 N. Farwell Ave., DeBraska said
that he was unable to talk about Odom's case as a result of a gag order.
That order was placed on all information and people directly involved with
the John Doe investigation request, according to DeBraska.

In the criminal complaint filed against Odom, authorities charge that on
Aug. 3, an undercover Milwaukee police officer working near Odom's
apartment in the 2200 block of N. King Drive was flagged down by Odom, who
motioned for the officer to climb into his vehicle.

Once the officer was inside Odom's car, Odom introduced her to another man
and told the officer to come up to his apartment, the complaint alleges.

The officer refused, the complaint says, so Odom then told the other man to
give her drugs he was carrying.

The man complied, the complaint says, and handed the officer plastic bags
with a substance later confirmed to be cocaine.

The complaint then says: Odom produced a bag full of small packages of what
also was later confirmed to be cocaine and gave the officer 10 of the
smaller packages in exchange for a $100 bill.

A week later, the officer, still acting undercover, telephoned Odom at his
home and made arrangements to meet him to purchase more cocaine, the
complaint says.

The officer and an undercover detective then went to Odom's apartment,
where they exchanged $150 for two plastic bags containing several chunks of
cocaine base, the complaint says.