PASADENA MAYOR URGES REVIEW OF CITY MARSHALS

Pasadena Mayor Johnny Isbell called Monday for an operations review of
the city's warrant division in response to last week's drug-related
arrests of two deputy city marshals and a reserve deputy.

Also on Monday, bail on the drug charges against the six men arrested
in the case was reduced from $1 million to $100,000.

Arrested Thursday evening were:

* 17-year Houston police Officer Frank Ferguson, 52, who is accused of
manufacture/possession of a controlled substance and burglary of a
habitation;

* Marshal Keith E. Wagner, 39, a former Houston police officer,
charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance, theft and
burglary of a habitation;

* Troy Douglas South, 37, also a Pasadena marshal, charged with
manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance;

* Daniel Charles Wagner, 33, a reserve deputy and a brother of
Keith's, charged with manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance;

* Michael Joe Wagner, 38, a former Galena Park police officer and a
brother of Keith and Daniel's, was charged with theft, burglary of a
habitation and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance;

* Jon Eric Gibson, 38, charged with burglary of a habitation,
manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance and theft.

State District Judge George Godwin left bail on each of the burglary
charges at $10,000 and theft charges at $50,000.

Late Monday, Keith and Daniel Wagner and South had posted bail and
were released.

In court, each of the six was represented by individual attorneys,
including Robert Scardino and Dick DeGuerin.

After the hearing, DeGuerin said, "The judge lowered the bond
significantly. They were set at a ridiculous amount.

"The DA always requests and gets a bond set for millions of dollars
just to make someone suffer."

Mayor Isbell said he wants the city's review to include current and
background information on all employees and volunteers in the warrant
division, as well as certification records for all peace officers in
the division, said city spokesman David Benson.

"We know of no reason to believe that the alleged criminal activity in
this case extends to anyone in the city of Pasadena warrant division
beyond those charged," Isbell said. "Further, we want to emphasize
that the alleged actions should not cast any reflection on the many
peace officers and public employees who serve Pasadena and other
communities."

Pasadena city marshals are state-licensed peace officers who provide
bailiff security in municipal courts, serve municipal warrants and
transport prisoners.

The arrests resulted from a joint undercover operation by Houston
police internal affairs officers, the Texas Department of Public
Safety and the FBI.

Prosecutor Mia Magness said Ferguson, on duty in a marked patrol car,
pulled over a recreational vehicle in southeast Houston and arrested
Gibson, the driver, taking cocaine from him and putting him into an
unmarked car with another of the suspects.

She said all six then -- in marked Pasadena city marshal's vehicles --
went to a home in the area of Hiram Clarke and South Post Oak, where
Gibson had apparently told them there were drugs.

There the group, acting as if in an official capacity, kicked in the
door of the unoccupied home and took more cocaine and at least $50,000
in cash, Magness said.

"Officer Ferguson waited in his vehicle acting as a lookout for
protection."

All except Ferguson then went to the Meyerland Plaza parking lot,
where they were dividing up the drugs and money when arrested about
5:30 p.m, she said.

Ferguson drove to a southeast Houston Luby's cafeteria off Bellfort
and the Gulf Freeway, where he joined another officer for dinner. He
was arrested there.

Ferguson, South and Keith and Daniel Wagner have been relieved of duty
pending the outcome of their cases.