EX-PROSECUTOR WHO AIDED DRUG DEALER LEAVES PRISON

A former star prosecutor who admitted providing sensitive information
to Orange County's biggest methamphetamine dealer was released from
custody Monday after almost three years of imprisonment.

Bryan Ray Kazarian, 37, left federal court in Santa Ana on Monday
evening to cheers and hugs from more than 60 friends and relatives.
Kazarian, who wept as he hugged his wife, Tanya, had been held in an
undisclosed prison because authorities feared he might become a target
of the drug dealer or others. On at least one occasion, he was
attacked by a gang member, his lawyer said.

Kazarian is the first Orange County prosecutor convicted of a crime in
30 years. Although the State Bar of California has classified Kazarian
as "not entitled to practice law," the former prosecutor has appealed
that decision. Kazarian's colleagues described him as a successful
gang prosecutor. He came under suspicion when authorities discovered
his friendship with John David Ward, a high-rolling gambler and head
of a large methamphetamine ring based in California and Hawaii. U.S.
attorneys described him as the county's biggest methamphetamine dealer.

Kazarian allegedly accepted free trips to Las Vegas in exchange for
providing Ward with information about investigations involving the
drug ring. After becoming suspicious of Kazarian, the district
attorney's office created fictitious information about a nonexistent
informant in the Ward case to see if Kazarian would leak it. He did.

In 1999, Kazarian was charged after authorities recorded incriminating
cell phone conversations between him and Ward.

Kazarian pleaded guilty to a single federal drug-trafficking
conspiracy charge and agreed to provide key testimony at Ward's trial.
After a long trial at which Kazarian testified for an entire day, Ward
was convicted on multiple counts of narcotics violations and money
laundering. He was sentenced in February to life in prison without
possibility of parole.

Authorities had wanted to wait until after Ward's trial to sentence
Kazarian, who was held in custody because of fears that he was a
flight risk.

On Monday, Kazarian appeared in shackles before U.S. District Judge
Gary L. Taylor for sentencing. Assistant U.S. Atty. James Spertus said
Kazarian had already served the slightly more than three-year sentence
prosecutors had recommended.

The former prosecutor said he regretted his misconduct. "I'm deeply
remorseful for abusing my position of trust," Kazarian said. "I let
John Ward manipulate me.... I never had any intent to harm anyone in
my office or anyone in law enforcement. For those who think I put them
in danger, I apologize to them."

Kazarian says he was duped by Ward and didn't initially realize he was
a drug dealer.