OFFICER INDICTED IN DRUG CASE

Peter Henry had a lucrative second job laundering money for a drug ring,
according to a grand jury.

Officer Peter W. Henry is accused of aiding a marijuana ring.

By Joseph A. Slobodzian INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Though he had worked only as a city police officer, Peter Henry drove a
Mercedes-Benz and deposited large sums of cash -- once as much as $16,000
- -- in his personal account at the Philadelphia Police and Fire Federal
Credit Union.

Thriftiness, federal prosecutors say, had nothing to do with it.

According to a federal grand jury indictment unsealed yesterday, Henry, 35,
of Wynnefield Heights, was moonlighting as a money launderer for Corbin
Thomas, an alleged West Philadelphia marijuana trafficker who fled to
Jamaica late in 1995, a month after the murder of his estranged wife, Hope
Smith Thomas, 29.

Named with Henry in the 33-count indictment yesterday were Thomas, 35, and
his nephew, Winston "Titos" Thomas, 34.

Corbin Thomas was described as the head of a drug ring that made more than
$1 million from 1990 through 1995 selling thousands of pounds of marijuana.
Police once suspected Thomas' nephew, also known as Michael McPherson, of
having been the man in the "wolf man" mask who shot Hope Thomas to death on
Nov. 14, 1995, after accosting her and her daughter, Danielle, 7, outside
their Cedarbrook home. Corbin Thomas was questioned about the murder, but
neither he nor his nephew was ever charged. Yesterday's indictment does not
mention that crime. It deals solely with Corbin Thomas' alleged West
Philadelphia-based marijuana ring.

Speaking at a Center City news conference with District Attorney Lynne M.
Abraham and Police Commissioner John F. Timoney, U.S. Attorney Michael R.
Stiles described Thomas' gang as an "exceptionally large-scale, violent
marijuana-distribution ring."

Stiles said that the ring bought the marijuana in bulk in Southern
California and that it was flown to Philadelphia -- 85 pounds at a time --
inside the luggage of female couriers, many of them allegedly recruited by
Henry.

Henry, who served in West Philadelphia's 16th Police District until police
officials learned of the federal probe last year, surrendered to the U.S.
Marshals Service yesterday morning. Timoney said he would move to fire him
within 30 days.

"This is not just embarrassing but pretty disturbing," the commissioner said.

Henry entered a plea of not guilty to conspiracy and money-laundering
charges during a brief appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter B.
Scuderi. Scuderi freed Henry after he posted 10 percent of $200,000 bail.

Henry's attorney, Joel I. Fishbein, declined comment.

Also indicted were Henry's half-brother, Richard Davis, 27, and cousin,
Livingston Hall, 27, both of Philadelphia. The indictment alleges that the
men bought and resold marijuana from Thomas' organization. Both men were
arrested without incident and ordered held pending a formal bail hearing
next Wednesday. They were awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to
marijuana-conspiracy charges two years ago involving a different West
Philadelphia drug ring.

Stiles said Corbin and Winston Thomas are believed to be hiding in Jamaica,
as are three associates also indicted yesterday: Gary S. Gordon, 29, of New
York City, described as Corbin Thomas' "right-hand man" in the marijuana
ring; Ruel N. Laidlaw, 32, of West Philadelphia, described as a a Thomas
"enforcer"; and Patricia Frydlewicz, 30, a West Philadelphia woman who
allegedly smuggled marijuana from California for Thomas and helped recruit
other women as couriers.

Stiles said that arrest warrants had been issued for the five fugitives and
that Jamaican authorities had agreed to extradite them when they are located.

According to the indictment, the friendship between Corbin Thomas and Henry
went back at least to the early 1990s and grew strong enough that Henry
chose Thomas to be the best man at his wedding in 1995.

In addition to recruiting couriers, Henry informed Thomas and others about
police activities and coordinated legal counsel for arrested ring members,
the indictment says.

Mostly, Henry laundered proceeds from marijuana sales by depositing large
quantities of cash in his account at the police credit union, withdrawing
varying amounts and using the money to buy automobiles to be used by Thomas
and others, according to the indictment.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert K. Reed said Thomas also laundered money by
performing more than $200,000 in renovations to his house in the 7900 block
of Fayette Street and by building a house in his native Jamaica.

Checked-by: Pat Dolan