FEDS BUST METRO DRUG RING

40 Tons of Marijuana Are Sold Over 13 Years; Largest Conspiracy
Indictment in Metro History

GROSSE POINTE PARK -- A federal indictment made public Monday charged
20 people from six states with being part of a multimillion-dollar
drug ring that sold 40 tons of marijuana since 1991.

U.S. Attorney Jeffrey G. Collins called the case the single largest
drug conspiracy indictment in eastern Michigan history.

Ten of the defendants are from Detroit suburbs: Grosse Pointe Park,
Birmingham, Chesterfield Township, Sterling Heights, Livonia, Grosse
Pointe Woods, Royal Oak, Harper Woods, St. Clair Shores and Harrison
Township.

Others are from Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada and New
Jersey.

The group allegedly moved large amounts of Mexican marijuana in moving
vans through Arizona and California.

Initially, the ring shipped 2-4 pounds in cars and later moved as much
as 4,000 pounds per shipment in moving vans dispatched from Arizona,
the government said.

Much was shipped to a residence and business owned by Grosse Pointe
Park resident John Brosnan, 46, the government said. Collins
identified Brosnan as an organizer of the group; in March, federal
agents seized 3,700 pounds of marijuana at his home, officials said.
Brosnan is free on $50,000 unsecured bond.

The Drug Enforcement Administration's investigation began in February
2002 after defendant Thomas Nix of St. Pete Beach, Fla. -- an alleged
courier for defendant George David Thomas, 43, of Birmingham -- was
stopped by state police in Iowa in a car registered to Thomas.

Police found $244,000 in cash in the car and learned Nix was on his
way to Las Vegas, where he was to meet with members of the drug ring
and pay for a marijuana shipment, the indictment said.

John Gilbride, special agent in charge of the Detroit DEA, said law
enforcement agencies are committed to confiscating the profits of drug
dealers.

Seven of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to obstruct a
criminal investigation by bribery. In March 2003, the first of the 20
individuals was indicted.

One of those, John O'Donnell, is an attorney in Los Angeles. He
allegedly drove at least one shipment of marijuana to Detroit from
Tucson.

O'Donnell paid defendant Jennifer Myers' attorney fees in May, while
another defendant paid Myers a $35,000 bribe as part of a broader plan
"to silence witnesses through bribery," the government said.

Five of the defendants were arrested Monday and were being arraigned
and released on $10,000 unsecured bonds in U.S. District Court. Two of
the individuals had been indicted previously; the other 18 were
indicted Thursday and it was made public Monday. The case is assigned
to U.S. District Judge Victoria A. Roberts.

Each of the defendants faces up to life prison and $4 million in fines
if convicted of conspiracy to distribute more than 2,200 pounds of
marijuana.