WELL-KNOWN FAMILY'S SON PREPARING GUILTY PLEA

Jorge Annexy Would Face At Least 10 Years In Prison On A Cocaine
Charge. The Case Has Caused A Buzz In Tarpon Springs, His Hometown

TARPON SPRINGS -- For decades, the Arfaras and Annexy family names
have been synonymous with athletic excellence, a grand Spring Bayou
estate and a longstanding sponge business.

These days, though, a mention of the names is more likely to refer to
an ignominious chapter in the family history. Jorge Annexy, son of
onetime tennis star Mary Arfaras Annexy and great-grandson of one of
the founders of the city's sponge industry, is facing charges in
federal court related to 7 kilograms of cocaine, 400,000 hits of
ecstasy and more than a ton of marijuana.

Annexy was arrested by U.S. marshals Feb. 1 on charges of conspiracy
to possess with intent to distribute the drugs. He later admitted to
the distribution of cocaine and ecstasy, and transactions of
marijuana, according to documents filed in federal court. It was not
clear in what amounts or for how much money the drugs were sold, or
whether the drugs were confiscated.

"There's no question that's a significant amount of drugs," said
David Rhodes, an assistant U.S. Attorney. "We're talking about a lot
of money."

Annexy, 24, recently returned to his childhood home, perhaps the most
visible mansion bordering Spring Bayou, the home where he once
greeted neighbors with hugs and proclamations of love. He now lives
there with his mother, Mary Annexy, who has lived in the home for 30
years. His booking records in Tampa showed he had been living in
Orlando.

He was allowed to go to the home only if he promised not to leave the
spacious, fenced-in property at Spring and Grand boulevards except to
make court appearances. If he doesn't make the court dates, his
mother and grandmother will have to forfeit two vacant pieces of
property and waterfront property on Florida Avenue.

If a federal judge accepts a plea deal next month, Annexy will plead
guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms
or more of cocaine. He will face a mandatory minimum of 10 years up
to life in prison and a fine of up to $4-million. Prosecutors said
they would not oppose a sentence at the low end of the range.

Jorge and Mary Annexy and Jorge Annexy's attorney, Bjorn Brunvand of
Clearwater, did not want to comment for this story.

Several people in Tarpon Springs are standing behind the family, and
some wrote letters to a federal judge asking that Annexy be released
from jail and allowed to stay at his mother's home.

"George has always been a kind and caring young man," wrote his aunt,
Joan Critikes.

Other friends of the family said Annexy, who is known to many as
George, is acting out of character because of the loss of his father.
Jaime Annexy Fajardo died in August; he had operated an insurance
company in Puerto Rico but spent much of his time in Tarpon Springs.
He also competed for Puerto Rico in the hammer throw event in the
1952 Olympics.

"Regarding the recent unfortunate circumstances, people are not
perfect and they do make mistakes," Chris Tsardoulias wrote to the
court. "George has been under a lot of pressure since the loss of his
father in August."

"(His father's) loss has been a most difficult and emotional time for
Jorge," wrote Betty Jo Cretekos.

To get him out of jail, his mother had to secure his release with
three pieces of property, which include two vacant commercial parcels
at Meres Boulevard and Alt. U.S. 19 and property along S Florida
Avenue.

In spite of the testimonials from family and friends and the family's
willingness to risk losing some property, prosecutors initially were
reluctant to let Annexy out of jail. They said he could be considered
at risk of fleeing because he had talked about leaving the area
around the time of his arrest.

Brunvand countered that his client had made statements he later
regretted. In the months preceding his arrest, Annexy used drugs, and
he was "very angry" at the time of his arrest, Brunvand wrote. He
said Annexy was no longer a flight risk.

He also said that Annexy was cooperating with prosecutors by
discussing other cases, and that he no longer had any plans to leave
the area. Rhodes would not release details about Annexy's cooperation
in other cases or how those cases relate to Annexy's.

On May 4, U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas G. Wilson ordered that Annexy
be released, on a few conditions. He cannot leave the house, he must
pay the costs of electronic monitoring and he must abstain from using
any illegal substances. He also must submit to random drug testing.
He will stay there until a June 7 guilty plea hearing.

The case has caused telephone gossip and a buzz in the coffee shops
around town. Many locals are familiar with the Arfaras and Annexy
families, and several people said they were surprised by the news
that Jorge Annexy had been arrested on drug charges.

They are sympathetic toward Mary Annexy, who was a teenage tennis
star known as "the Golden Greek" in the local media.

"A classic Athenian daughter with a smashing serve," said a 1962 St.
Petersburg Times story.

She grew up to be a well-liked citizen whom many people refer to as
"the countess" because her husband was said to be a count in Puerto
Rico.

Mary Mosley has lived next door to the family for 30 years. She had
high praise for Mary Annexy and the rest of her family.

Mosley said she can't believe Jorge Annexy, whom she knew as a sweet,
loving little boy, could be responsible for a massive drug operation.
She said he attended prestigious schools, including the Admiral
Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg. She has not seen him much in
recent years, and she does not know where he has lived or worked.

"He was a very bright, wonderful little boy," she said. "He would
crawl up in my husband's arms, and he would say, 'I love you, I love
you.' "

The family's history in Tarpon Springs goes back to a time when the
sponge industry was still in its infancy. Decades ago, N.G. Arfaras
helped to build it up by becoming the largest sponge dealer in the
city and probably in the whole country, according to city history
books. He then passed the trade on to his sons.

George Billiris, a sponge merchant based in Tarpon Springs, used to
spend time with George Arfaras, Annexy's grandfather and N.G Arfaras'
son. George Arfaras taught Billiris about cutting and clipping
sponges.

Billiris remembers when Arfaras brought Annexy to the Sponge Docks.
"He would say, 'This is my grandson,' really proud," Billiris said.

Billiris said Annexy was raised by an upstanding, close-knit family.

"Unfortunately, he just got mixed up with the wrong people," Billiris
said. "He came from good stock. But that's not a shield from wrong."

(Times researcher Kitty Bennett contributed to this report. )