LARGEST METH DEALER IN O.C. IS CONVICTED

Crime: $1 Million Of John Ward's Property May Be Seized. His Parents Also
Face Prison.

A jury Wednesday convicted a man described by authorities as Orange
County's largest methamphetamine dealer, whose enterprise was so
powerful that it had a deputy district attorney as a tipster and
generated weekly sales sometimes exceeding $1 million.

John Ward, 30, of Orange was found guilty of conspiracy to manufacture
and distribute "ice" methamphetamine as well as cocaine, prescription
pills and ephedrine. The jury's verdict caps a five-week trial in U.S.
District Court in Santa Ana and a federal investigation that included
more than 12,000 hours of wiretapped conversations, discussions that
revealed the inner workings of the drug network.

"We believe that a major . . . distribution ring has been dismantled,"
said Assistant U.S. Atty. James Spertus. "Typically, these labs are
small, mom-and-pop operations. This one, though, made millions in
proceeds." Ward, who faces life in prison, was described during the
trial and in court records as a larger-than-life figure who taunted
undercover officers staking out his home and who once gambled away
$400,000 during a Las Vegas weekend.

Ward's parents--Dianne, 53, and Steve, 54, of Orange--were convicted
of money laundering in the case and face up to 20 years imprisonment.
Defense lawyers had argued that the parents had no knowledge of their
son's drug business and were simply tarred by an "avalanche" of
negative evidence presented against their son.

Much of that evidence came from drug-ring members who pleaded to
lesser sentences and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Former Deputy D.A. Tipped Off Ward

A key prosecution witness was Bryan Kazarian, a former Orange County
deputy district attorney who kept Ward one step ahead of the law by
providing him with insider information. Kazarian's arrest in 1999
proved key in getting inside Ward's organization, officials said.

Kazarian pleaded guilty and received a reduced sentence of less than
10 years in prison in exchange for his testimony.

Immediately after the jury verdict, prosecutors moved to forfeit more
than $1 million in Ward's property, including vintage cars, dune
buggies, jeweled watches, a briefcase containing $150,000 in cash, and
a Gucci dog collar with a $5,000 casino chip affixed to it.

Throughout the trial, Ward insisted that he made his living as a
high-stakes gambler, as a dealer in vintage autos and as the owner of
a T-shirt company. But prosecutors said Ward lost money on those
pursuits and that his gambling debts at one point totaled roughly $2
million.

Spertus told jurors that Ward made his money by manufacturing a pure
form of methamphetamine called ice and marketed the product in Hawaii.
The drug was produced at Ward's two estates in Orange and Anaheim,
Spertus said.

Following his conviction Wednesday, defense lawyer Ronald Richardson
said an appeal was certain. "John's a fighter," Richardson said.

Ward Is Unshaken After Verdict Is Read

Ward appeared unshaken shortly after the verdict was read and even
laughed and smiled. He immediately urged the judge and jury not to
allow the federal government to seize his property. His skin pale from
prison confinement and his hair slicked back, Ward insisted that many
of the dozens of items were gifts from Las Vegas casino operators. But
the only piece of property that the government relented on
confiscating was a 1920s-era train set that belonged to Ward's
grandfather and was given to him by his mother. The jury will decide
the fate of the rest of Ward's property Friday, when it resumes
deliberations.

Richardson said the government's attempt to seize Ward's property was
overkill. "Once the knife is stuck, there's no reason to twist it even
more," he said.

Officials said Ward's drug operation was aided by Kazarian, who passed
along confidential information about a police investigation and told
him about a law enforcement informant within the drug ring. On the
stand earlier this month, Kazarian said he considers Ward a friend who
treated him to several "high roller" weekends in Las Vegas.

For Kazarian's protection, authorities have refused to say where he is
being held.