BIG STAKES CREATE BIG FIGHT ABOUT DRUG FUNDS IN WESTPORT

WESTPORT -- If the upscale home that hid an enormous synthetic drug
lab sells for what it is worth, it will rank as one of the biggest
drug asset forfeitures ever in Bristol County.

The case of 676 State Road, where police found an Ecstasy lab in
January 1998, provides a glimpse into the importance and perils of
forfeiture money. The money seized could be essential to keeping an
inter-departmental task force running, but bickering over how best to
divide the money also threatened to break up the group.

By all estimates, the amount of money seized will total at least a
quarter-million dollars. The house's 1999 assessed value is $260,500,
but a sale is not yet final.

Almost immediately after the drug lab was raided, a controversy arose
over how the proceeds from the sale of the home would be divided.

The controversy flew in the face of the intent of the state forfeiture
law, which, among other things, was designed to enhance cooperation
among law enforcement agencies.

Little Compton Police Detective Capt. Ron Coffey believed his
department and others were assigned only 5 percent of the forfeiture,
while Westport, he thought, was in line to receive 50 percent.

With Little Compton heartily benefiting from drug forfeiture funds --
$3.9 million over the last few years -- Capt. Coffey said his concern
was for more for the task force than his department.

"We weren't even looking to keep our share," he said. " If we had
gotten an equal share, the plan was to put it back into the task force."

He voiced his concerns to a local newspaper, and the conflict heated
up between Little Compton and Westport.

But, according to Westport Chief Michael Healy, Capt. Coffey's
opposition was based on misinformation.

Two Westport detectives began the investigation of the drug operation
in the fall of 1997. Soon afterward, the newly created South Bristol
County Anti-Crime Task Force took over the probe. Chief Healy was a
major force in the creation of the group.

The task force called in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for
its expertise with synthetic drug labs, and in cleaning up the toxic
chemicals frequently left behind.

After the raid, the federal agency was automatically assigned 20
percent of the assets -- a standard cut, according to Chief Healy.

The federal agent in charge then asked Chief Healy how he would like
to split the rest of the money.

The chief said he decided to give 5 percent to each agency involved,
excluding Westport, leaving each of Dartmouth, Little Compton,
Tiverton, the Bristol County Sheriff's Department, and the Bristol
County district attorney's office with a share.

An additional 5 percent was assigned to the state fire marshal's
office to cover the cost of the environmental cleanup.

Chief Healy allocated the final 50 percent of the money to the task
force.

"The captain from Little Compton was upset that they were getting 5
percent, and without calling to find out what the breakdown was, he
called the paper and they printed the story based on one individual's
concerns," Chief Healy said.

While Capt. Coffey said the newspaper article was "blown out of
proportion," he said his going public is what changed the chief's mind.

Regardless of how the money was assigned to the task force, Chief
Healy said the successful task force may not have survived without the
infusion of forfeiture funds.

The agency has been running off two federal grants -- one for $15,000
and a second for $50,000 -- but the chief said future funding is uncertain.

The Ecstasy lab drug forfeiture money will be enough to keep the
inter-departmental agency running even if no more federal dollars are
available.