DRUG DEALER: CAMDEN MAYOR MILTON MILAN TIPPED HIM ABOUT FEDERAL PROBE

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) A convicted drug dealer testified Thursday that he was
tipped off about a federal investigation by Camden Mayor Milton Milan during
Milan's election victory party in May 1997.

In his second day on the witness stand in a federal drug conspiracy trial,
Saul ''Gordo'' Febo also implicated five city police officers including
Milan's former bodyguard in tipping him off or shaking down his drug dealers
for bribes.

The testimony came in the trial of two reputed drug kingpins, Jose ''JR''
Rivera and Luis ''Tun'' Figueroa, accused of running the largest cocaine
ring in Camden's history.

Febo said Milan then the mayor-elect in May 1997 warned him during a
celebration party at the Casablanca, a nightclub in Camden. Febo was a
silent partner in the business and used drug profits to refurbish the club.

''I'm going to tell you something,'' Febo recounted Milan saying. ''Some
investigation on us. They told me that the feds are watching me and you
because of you helping me and in the club, you know, throwing the parties.''

Febo said Milan ended the conversation with a warning.

''He told me, `I don't want anything to happen to you. If I was you, I would
leave town for a while'.''

Fearing that he would be arrested, Febo said he moved to Boca Raton, Fla.,
in July. That same month, Milan was sworn in as mayor.

Febo and 13 others, including Rivera, were indicted in February 1998 as
members of the drug ring known as ''The Organization.'' Two others were
indicted later.

Milan, 37, a first-term Democrat, has denied the allegations by former
dealers that have surfaced during the trial, in its sixth week. He has not
been charged with any wrongdoing.

Five drug dealers have testified that Milan was involved in the illegal drug
trade before he was elected mayor. They have alleged that Milan sold $20
bags of cocaine and purchased kilo quantities of cocaine.

Febo, 32, of Pennsauken, was the second-highest member of the cocaine cartel
that flourished in Camden for nearly a decade before it was toppled. Febo
ran The Alley, an open-air drug market in East Camden.

Rivera, 40, of Cherry Hill, and Figueroa, 34, formerly of Camden, are
accused of conspiring to distribute tons of drugs in the city. Rivera, who
owned a gym and an auto parts store, is also accused of laundering drug
profits.

Rivera's attorney, Marc Neff, attacked Febo's credibility, forcing him to
admit previously lying to federal authorities. Febo also said that he
considered all drug dealers selfish liars and thieves.

In other testimony Thursday, Febo said five city police officers, identified
by partial or full names, either tipped him off or shook down his dealers
for money.

Among the officers Febo identified was Miguel Torres, whom he encountered in
1996 and 1997. Torres later became a detective and Milan's bodyguard.

Febo recalled Torres telling him, ''Be careful, let your people know there
are going to be a couple of raids next month.''

In an interview with the Courier-Post of Cherry Hill, Torres, 29, denied
Febo's allegations.

''I think he's saying what they (federal prosecutors) want him to say,''
Torres said of Febo.

In December, Torres was transferred from the mayor's security detail to a
community policing unit because of his alleged involvement in an
unauthorized drug sting.