TWO MORE INDICTED IN KILLING OF WITNESS

Dec. 19, 2000 - The brazen 1998 Denver street killing of a key prosecution
witness allegedly at the direction of a drug dealer has resulted in the
indictments of the purported triggerman and getaway-car driver.

In indictments made public Monday, Samnang Prim, 20, was identified as the
gunman and Kosal So, 23, as the driver.

James E. Roberts, 20, was shot dead Nov. 7, 1998, when he stopped his Ford
Mustang at West Fourth Avenue and Vallejo Street, near the construction
supply business where he worked. Roberts was one of several witnesses
scheduled to testify in unrelated criminal trials to be killed in recent years.

Three days before Roberts was shot down, Prim and So had tried
unsuccessfully to kill him outside his Lakewood home, authorities said.
They were indicted for attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy in that
shooting.

Witness killed before trial

The indictment says that on Nov. 4, So was the driver and Prim and a third
man, Phetsomphone Chanthaphom, 23, were the gunmen. Chanthaphom has been
charged with attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy.

Chanthaphom and So made brief court appearances Monday. Prim is to be
extradited from Minnesota. It was unclear why he is in custody there.

The three latest indictments come 17 months after the Denver grand jury
indicted Abraham Hagos, 25, and Matthew J. Conner, 21, of masterminding
Roberts' killing. They wanted Roberts dead to prevent him from testifying
against Hagos in Hagos' Jefferson County drug trial, the grand jury said.

Roberts died 16 days before Hagos' drug trial was to begin.

Conner is to go on trial Jan. 29 on murder charges in connection with for
Roberts' slaying. Hagos and Conner were indicted for first-degree murder,
attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy and two counts of retaliation
against a witness. Hagos wasn't present when Roberts was killed.

According to a court affidavit by Lakewood police Detective Robert C.
Meyer, Roberts approached him in early 1998 and told him Hagos was selling
large quantities of cocaine in the Denver metropolitan area.

Raid uncovers drugs, arms

Roberts said Hagos was selling an ounce of cocaine for $900 and
half-an-ounce for $450. Late in 1997, law enforcement agencies placed
Hagos' business, Cell'N'Page, and his two homes, under surveillance.

On Dec. 17, 1997, the West Metro Task Force executed search warrants at the
homes and business and seized methamphetamines, cocaine, money and
firearms. During the raid at Cell'N'Page, 6733 W. Colfax Ave., authorities
found both Hagos and Roberts. Two days later, Roberts told Detective Meyer
he wanted to cooperate and would spell out the "working mechanics of the
Hagos organization''.

'Firsthand knowledge'

"Roberts indicated that he had firsthand knowledge of Hagos' involvement in
narcotics trafficking and that he had been with Hagos during numerous drug
transactions. He further indicated that he had acted as Hagos' confidant
and was allowed to operate Hagos' narcotics business when Hagos was not in
town," Meyer said in the affidavit.

In a separate case, Hagos and So were indicted earlier this fall by the
Denver grand jury for first-degree kidnapping, first-degree burglary,
aggravated robbery, second-degree assault and conspiracy. They allegedly
kidnapped a man who was beaten with a handgun and a rubber hose.