DRUG-RING ORGANIZER NOW WITNESS

Saul Febo Will Aid In Prosecuting The Camden Group's Alleged Kingpin.

CAMDEN -- A top organizer of a multimillion-dollar drug operation admitted
his part in an execution-style murder and is cooperating with federal
prosecutors to bring down the operation's reputed leader. Saul Febo, 32, of
Pennsauken, pleaded guilty to drug charges this week. He remained in
protective custody in a federal prison yesterday. Three codefendants,
including Cherry Hill businessman Jose "J.R." Rivera, 39, who is accused of
being the drug boss, learned this week that Febo, alleged to be the
second-highest ranking member of the operation, appeared Monday before U.S.
District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez. "He basically decided he was going to
come clean with it all and be truthful with everything he is saying at this
point," said Febo's Cherry Hill attorney, Richard Sparaco. "Let the cards
fall where the cards may fall." Febo faces a mandatory 10-year sentence on
the drug charges, and could be sent to prison for life based on federal
sentencing guidelines. However, the judge could depart from the guidelines
depending on Febo's cooperation with prosecutors.

Febo pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges, admitting he coordinated the
sale, from the late 1980s until his arrest last year, of more than 300
pounds of cocaine worth $3 million. He also said he had turned up the volume
on a stereo the day one of his associates fatally shot drug rival Manuel
"Manolin" DeJesus, 26. DeJesus was killed execution-style Oct. 12, 1993, but
no one has been charged with the murder.

When Febo pleaded guilty to drug charges and cooperated with authorities,
federal prosecutors agreed not to pursue a murder charge against him.
Sparaco said that he anticipates that murder-related charges will be filed
against Febo on the state level, and that Febo would look to make a deal
with local authorities as well.

"We're hoping for the best," Sparaco said. "It will be directly related to
the amount of cooperating he does between now and[federal]sentencing." James
P. Lynch, Camden County first assistant prosecutor, said he could not
comment about the murder investigation.

Sentencing on the federal charges is set for December, but authorities said
that likely would be postponed until early next year. The trial of Rivera
and the other two defendants on drug charges is scheduled for Jan. 4 and is
expected to last two weeks.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Smith said yesterday that he did not
anticipate that Rivera or the others would accept a plea deal with prosecutors.

"They have indicated they want to go to trial," Smith said. He declined to
say whether any offers remained on the table.

Part of Febo's agreement requires that he testify against the others and
cooperate with investigators in all matters, including those still under
investigation, authorities said.

Local and federal authorities have been investigating allegations of
corruption in Camden, but have not said if Febo has provided any information
for those probes.

Last year, Camden Mayor Milton Milan said he had known Febo and his family
for years. He also said he had accepted campaign contributions from Rivera
and shopped at his auto-parts store in East Camden. A few years ago, Milan
has said, his former construction company built a commercial garage for
Rivera. The mayor has said that he had little contact with Rivera in the
years before Rivera's arrest last year, and that he knew nothing of the drug
operation. This year, the mayor's former bodyguard, former city police
detective Pierre Robinson, pleaded guilty to selling a Tec-9 semiautomatic
assault gun and ammunition to Rivera. Milan has since fired Robinson, who
has not been sentenced yet.

Febo was arrested in February 1998 in Boca Raton, Fla., and was among 14
defendants indicted in the drug-gang case. Aside from Rivera and Luis "Tun
Tun" Figueroa and Noel Ruiz, all others have pleaded guilty to their parts
in what authorities call Camden's largest drug operation, which took in
millions for more than a decade.

On Monday, Febo told the judge taht the cocaine operation was so prosperous
that at times he had people selling drugs for him on the street seven days a
week, 24 hours a day. At one time, Febo said, he averaged $70,000 in profits
a month.

On Oct. 12, 1993, he said, he discussed killing DeJesus with Figueroa. Febo
said he was present and turned up the volume on a stereo when Figueroa shot
DeJesus in a home on Morse Street.

Authorities have said DeJesus was kidnapped from his Camden home, shot twice
in the back of the head, and placed in the trunk of a car that was set
ablaze in North Philadelphia. His remains were identified through dental
records.

Febo told the judge this week that he and Figueroa had split profits evenly
from the "Alley," a notorious drug strip near Bank and Boyd Streets in
Camden, until he gave greater control to Figueroa. Still, he said, he
collected $1,000 from Figueroa on a slow week and $1,500 on a good week.
Rivera, Febo said, helped him hide two properties and a speedboat from
authorities by keeping them in Rivera's name. Febo also said Rivera had
concealed up to $50,000 for him.

Authorities allege Rivera used the cover of legitimate businesses -- the
auto-parts store, a gym in East Camden, and a used-car lot -- to launder
drug money and disguise illegal activities. Rivera has denied all charges,
and his lawyer has described him in the past as a successful businessman and
self-made millionaire.

Rivera and the others were arrested after an 18-month investigation that
gathered more than 550 secret tape recordings of the gang's activities and
used confidential informants to infiltrate the organization.