WITNESS: MILAN AIDED EFFORT TO GET DRUG MONEY

CAMDEN - A former Mr. Universe turned drug dealer testified Tuesday that
Milton Milan, now the city's mayor, created fake documents in an attempt to
retrieve $10,000 seized by New Jersey State Police during a raid.

Known in bodybuilding circles as "The Beast From the East," Juan Marquez,
36, told jurors in U.S. District Court that state police took the money from
a safe in his Logan Township home on July 3, 1994. Investigators also
confiscated a substantial quantity of illegal steroids.

Marquez testified that Milan, who was not in public office at the time,
stepped in to help him recover the money at the request of the alleged
leader of the city's biggest drug syndicate, Jose "JR" Rivera.

Rivera, 40, of Cherry Hill, is on trial on charges of running the drug
operation known as The Organization. He is accused of directing the
activities of the syndicate, including acquisition and distribution of
drugs, concealment of assets, mediation of disputes among syndicate members,
and the protection of drug operations through violence and threats.

His co-defendant, Luis "Tun Tun" Figueroa, 34, of Ciales, Puerto Rico, is
charged with conspiring to distribute large quantities of cocaine through
"The Alley," a drug market operated by The Organization between Baird
Boulevard and Bank Street in East Camden.

Both men face up to life in prison if convicted of all charges.

Drug dealers have implicated Milan in drug-related activities during
testimony on five of the seven days of the trial so far.

State and federal authorities raided Milan's East Camden home and City Hall
office in August searching for evidence of criminal activity. However, Milan
has not been charged with any criminal wrongdoing.

On Tuesday, Marquez testified that Rivera instructed Milan to help create
false paperwork to make it appear that Rivera had provided $10,000 to
Marquez for sponsorship of a bodybuilding competition.

Marquez, powerfully built after decades of weightlifting, testified that he
and Milan created the paperwork at a business Rivera owns, JR's Custom Auto
Parts in East Camden.

Marquez further testified that Milan was told "it was drug money."

Milan, who was a boyhood friend of Rivera's, has acknowledged knowing Rivera
and doing construction work for him, but has denied the two men are close.

It remained unclear whether state police returned the money to Marquez, who
was indicted the following year for helping run the 33rd Street drug
operation in East Camden, the other illegal drug market prosecutors allege
The Organization operated from 1989 until 1998.

Marquez testified that the FBI approached him in the summer of 1996 and
asked him to record "drug transactions" with Rivera, Milan and others. At
the time, Milan was Camden City Council president. He was elected mayor in
May 1997.

Marquez, one of the federal government's key witnesses in its case against
Rivera and Figueroa, secretly taped conversations with Rivera and others
allegedly in the drug syndicate in 1996 and 1997.

Milan could not be reached for comment Tuesday. His attorney, Carlos A.
Martir Jr., called Marquez a puppet of federal prosecutors.

"He's going to name the names of the people the government wants him to,"
Martir said.

Martir also addressed previous allegations by drug dealers linking Milan to
illegal activity. Earlier in the trial, convicted drug dealers Camildo
"Tony" Cruz and Angel Torres testified that Milan purchased bulk amounts of
cocaine in the early 1990s.

"The mayor's position is he denies any criminal activity with these
individuals," said Martir, who is also representing Figueroa.

Marquez cried several times while recounting his role as "the muscle" for
The Organization. He needed several minutes to compose himself at the
mention of his brother-in-law, Noel Ruiz, with whom he had a falling out
over hundreds of thousands of dollars of bad cocaine.

Once while he was crying and looking down, Marquez lifted his head toward
Rivera, but then quickly turned away.

Marquez also recalled a 1993 meeting in the office of JR's Custom Auto Parts
where Rivera discussed killing two drug dealers - one who owed money, and
one who The Organization feared would cooperate with law enforcement.

"Jose Rivera was upset with him being a snitch," Marquez said, referring to
Edwin "Michi" Rodriguez, "that he should be killed."

According to Marquez, The Organization's second-in-command, Saul Febo, was
also present and agreed Rodriguez should be killed.

The other intended target was drug dealer Luis Soto, whom Rivera became
upset with, Marquez said, over the disappearance of $100,000 in drug money
belonging to The Organization.

Both of the intended targets fled and were not harmed.

Marquez further told jurors that drug dealers regularly shuttled tens of
thousands of dollars in profits to Rivera from the 33rd Street drug
operation, which was based at the Woodrow Wilson Arms apartments in East
Camden.

Marquez said he began his involvement with The Organization while a
bodybuilder. Born in Camden, he dropped out of Woodrow Wilson High School in
the ninth grade. He began bodybuilding at age 12 and also studied martial
arts. In 1988, he won Mr. Universe, a major amateur competition. He then
became a professional bodybuilder, winning other championships.

Marquez opened the World Champion Fitness Center in 1989 on Main Street in
Maple Shade. Rivera, Milan and others worked out at the gym.

He moved the gym to Federal Street in Camden, buying a building from city
police Detective Jeffrey Williams for $2,500 cash and a 1988 truck. Williams
went to prison in 1995 after admitting to robbing several dealers of drugs
and cash.

Marquez borrowed money from his brother-in-law, Ruiz, who was later indicted
as a member of The Organization, to finance repairs and buy equipment for
what he called The Beast gym.

But the money actually came from Febo, who was running the Alley, Marquez
said he later learned. Febo and Ruiz began using the gym as a place to "cut"
and bag cocaine. Marquez sold them the gym and bought a gym on Route 130 in
Pennsauken.

Marquez testified he became a personal trainer to Rivera and other dealers,
supplying them with steroids.

>From there, he testified, he became drawn to the easy money of drug
dealing.

By 1995, Marquez testified he and his brother-in-law Ruiz were running the
33rd Street set and transporting dozens of kilograms of cocaine between
Camden and New York.

Marquez became a cooperating witness in 1996 after being indicted on state
drug charges and after his falling-out with Ruiz.