DOLPHIN DENIES LEASING CARS FOR ALLEGED DRUG DEALER

Tony Martin, the Miami Dolphin wide receiver being tried on money laundering
charges, denied in taped phone conversations that he ever leased luxury cars
for an accused drug dealer.

Recordings of Martin's tapped phone calls with the owner of a Pompano Beach
car company were played in U.S. District Court Tuesday, as prosecutors tried
to show he leased three luxury cars with alleged drug money from his
childhood mentor from Opa-locka, Rickey Brownlee.

The move may have backfired.

"Did you get any of these cars specifically for Rickey?" Max Lloyd, owner of
Don L. Leasing, asked Martin in a Feb. 12, 1998 phone call.

After a long pause, Martin replied: "No."

Martin, 33, is charged with laundering proceeds from the alleged heroin and
cocaine operation of Brownlee -- now his codefendant. Federal prosecutors
say Brownlee gave Martin $44,500 in drug cash in exchange for his leasing an
Acura and two Mercedes Benzes for Brownlee.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron DeWaard said he expects to finish calling
witnesses by the end of the week. More recordings of the alleged money
laundering, taped by federal drug enforcement agents, will also be played
for the 12 jurors.

In the taped phone calls played on Tuesday, Lloyd, who was cooperating with
the feds, tried to get Martin to admit he had let a twice-convicted drug
dealer use his cars.

Martin lost his cool, swearing that Brownlee "is not a . . . drug dealer."

Martin, who missed a day of football practice, sat calmly next to his two
attorneys while Lloyd testified.

Under cross-examination, defense attorney Hy Shapiro got Lloyd to
acknowledge that Martin always encouraged him to tell the truth to federal
agents about Martin's car leases.

Martin, who recently signed a $14.2 million, four-year contract with the
Dolphins, was portrayed by prosecutors Tuesday as a prominent football
player unable to gain control of his personal finances. They also tried to
depict him as heavily dependent on Brownlee to help him obtain auto
insurance for a stable of his leased luxury cars.

During the rest of the week, DeWaard will also likely try to implicate
Martin in an alleged money laundering scheme to cover legal fees for
Brownlee's first attorney, Milton Hirsch.

Hirsch refused to take cash as payment out of fear the government could
confiscate it as drug money. Martin agreed to pay Hirsch the $175,000 fee
with a check. Prosecutors claim Martin then accepted the tainted cash from
Brownlee as repayment.

e-mail: jweaver@herald.com