FEDS ACCUSE PRIEST OF SELLING ECSTASY

Crandall Used Condo In New Orleans, DEA Says

From his rectory next to St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Milton to his
condominium on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, a popular priest is accused
of buying and selling the party drug Ecstasy and methamphetamine.

The Rev. Thomas Crandall, 47, handcuffed and shackled, made his first
appearance in U.S. District Court on Monday following his arrest Saturday.
He is being held without bond in the Escambia County Jail.

An affidavit by a Drug Enforcement Administration agent details allegations
that Crandall began buying the drugs six months ago from a source who has
not yet been publicly identified.

But within a month, according to Special Agent Sonya Bryant's sworn
statement, Crandall obtained another source for drugs in New Orleans and
began supplying ever-increasing quantities to the original source.

Ecstasy is a popular party drug, which typically induces feelings of
euphoria, increased energy and sexual arousal. Methamphetamine, known as
meth, is another stimulant, whose use has been on the rise locally.

Crandall and the original source were secretly recorded discussing drug
transactions and referring to meth by the code name "Tina," according to
the affidavit.

The affidavit also revealed that Crandall replaced his vanity license tag
FRTHOM on his 2000 Jeep Cherokee when he traveled to his Bourbon Street
condo to pick up drugs.

The news of Crandall's arrest left parishioners at the only Catholic church
in North Santa Rosa County stunned.

"Surprise, shock and disbelief," said member Suzanna Jones.

Father Thom, as parishioners called him, won their hearts during his three
years at the parish. He'd been in Port St. Joe for the 13 previous years,
and during the early '80s was a cross-country coach at Pensacola's Catholic
High School.

He became an active participant in the annual St. Rose of Lima
International Festival of games, arts and crafts, music and food. He
reached out to young people in the church, hiring a youth minister.

Every parishioner knew of his love for University of Notre Dame football.

He bleached his hair blond during football season, calling himself "The
Gold Domer" in a reference to Notre Dame's gold administration building and
to the team's gold helmets.

That he could have anything to do with drugs never entered the
parishioners' minds.

"It's just so out of character," Pat D'Asaro said. "I just hope he's not
being set up by someone."

Informant's accusations The case against Crandall began on Dec. 18 when
Escambia County sheriff's investigators seized 42 Ecstasy capsules from a
suspect, who immediately identified the priest as his source, according to
Bryant's affidavit.

The confidential informant said he'd met Crandall in mid-summer through a
friend who had previously supplied the priest with Ecstasy.

On one occasion, the source said, Crandall paid $500 for the drugs. The
friend kept the money but did not supply the drugs.

During their first meeting, Crandall supplied the informant, the
informant's girlfriend and another woman with five Ecstasy tablets for
personal use. Crandall and the informant also exchanged e-mail addresses
and later began corresponding.

According to the affidavit, the informant ended up supplying Crandall with
about 80 Ecstasy tablets, usually 10 to 20 at a time.

But, beginning in October, Crandall obtained his own Ecstasy source in New
Orleans, and the priest began supplying the informant with the drug.

The informant said he made numerous purchases at the rectory and at the
informant's various places of employment. The priest also delivered drugs
to the informant.

For the first couple of weeks, Crandall supplied 10 to 20 Ecstasy tablets
to the informant every other day for free, the affidavit states.

In November, Crandall fronted the informant 100 capsules. He required the
informant to pay him $17 for each capsule sold.

In December, Crandall fronted another 100 capsules. The informant currently
owes $1,600 for those capsules.

The affidavit says Crandall told the informant in mid-December that he
wanted him to sell between 1,000 and 1,500 Ecstasy tablets for him. He said
he paid $6 per tablet and wanted them sold for $8 each.

Behind the arrest On Dec. 19, investigators recorded a telephone call in
which the informant told Crandall, who was at the church, that he had a
customer who wanted 500 Ecstasy tablets. The two men discussed when the
Ecstasy as well as the meth would arrive in town.

Later that day, the informant told investigators, Crandall called to say
his supplier had arrived from an undisclosed location at the priest's condo
in New Orleans and would bring the Ecstasy pills to him in Milton the next day.

On Dec. 20, while Crandall's residence was under surveillance, Crandall
called the informant to say his supplier had not appeared.

Between then and Jan. 2, Crandall made several more calls to the informant,
saying between 1,000 and 1,500 Ecstasy tablets should be delivered by Jan. 16.

The informant, under the direction of law enforcement, went to Crandall's
residence last Wednesday without advance notice, the affidavit states.

During an hourlong meeting, which also was recorded, the two discussed
previous Ecstasy transactions. Crandall revealed that his supplier had
taken $6,000 he fronted him as well as stolen $1,600 from his bank
accounts. The priest also gave the informant a small amount of meth at no cost.

Last Friday, Crandall, who was in New Orleans, talked with the informant
here and said he expected to obtain 1,000 Ecstasy tablets from his supplier
and return to Milton over the weekend.

DEA agents went to Crandall's Bourbon Street address, where they saw his
Jeep parked in front. The vanity license tag had been replaced.

On Saturday, when the informant made a taped call to Crandall, the priest
said he had obtained some of the Ecstasy, which he referred to as "Arrows."
He said he expected the supplier to come up with some more before his
anticipated 3 p.m. departure from New Orleans.

Crandall mentioned that he had forgotten his "tester" and would "test" the
drugs once he returned to Milton.

Later that day, Crandall was stopped en route to Milton. About 900 Ecstasy
tablets and about 10 grams of meth were seized from his vehicle and his wallet.

A subsequent search of Crandall's residence revealed 15 grams of meth and
four tablets of Ecstasy as well as what appeared to be a "tester."

Crandall a Victim

It has been less than two years since Crandall was a crime victim as
opposed to a felony suspect.

In September 2000, he was robbed in the rectory, with the gun-brandishing
assailant making off with the night's offering and some collectible coins.
He was tied up with is own shoelaces.

Four suspects ended up pleading no contest to charges.

Jonathan T. Hindall, 20, of Pace is serving a 10-year prison sentence as
the man who entered the rectory. Three others are serving terms ranging
from four to six years.

Crandall urged his congregation to pray for the suspects.

"It's a shame something like this has to happen to shake people up and make
them realize what is important in life," he said at Sunday Mass the next
day. "It could be easy to say this is just another indication of how people
act and to give up on people all together. But we can't do that."

Pensacola attorney Bob Condon, who advised Crandall prior to the four
suspects' pleas, said there's no indication the priest's alleged drug
involvement had anything to do with the robbery.

"One thing that would underscore the legitimacy of the robbery is that all
four pleaded no contest rather than go to trial," he said.

At the church Bishop John Ricard has placed Crandall on administrative
leave, said Monsignor Michael Reed, spokesman for the Diocese of
Pensacola-Tallahassee.

Ricard was at the church Sunday and Monday reassuring parishioners. The
Rev. Ben Klucinec, who is spending the winter in the area, will fill in
temporarily.

Meanwhile, Reed said, the diocese has hired Pensacola lawyer Roy Kinsey to
represent Crandall.

During the court appearance before Magistrate Judge Miles Davis on Monday,
Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Preisser said the government wants Crandall
held in jail until trial. Kinsey said Crandall would forego a hearing
seeking release.

Crandall's arrest was on a charge of conspiring with others to possess with
intent to distribute methamphetamine and Ecstasy. He still must be formally
charged, either by a grand jury or the U.S. Attorney's Office.

His trial date will be set later. He could face upward of five years in prison.

News Journal reporter Derek Pivnick contributed to this story.