JUDGE DENIES BAIL IN $1.1M CASH-AND-DRUGS CASE

The $1.1 million seized from drug dealer Victor L. Brown would have gone
toward
the purchase of 220 pounds of cocaine for resale, Fresno police said Wednesday
after a magistrate ruled that Brown must stay in custody while fighting drug
charges.

"It's hard to say what kind of impact this will have on the street, but it
will
have some," police Lt. Larry McIntyre said of Brown's arrest Friday and the
seizure of the currency and 42 pounds of cocaine.

"He was one of the the biggest dealers in the city and we obviously made a
dent
in his operation. But we don't know how many others are out there."

McIntyre said Brown was saving to buy 100 kilograms, more than 200 pounds,
from
a major supplier in Mexico.

"The going price for a kilo is about $14,000 to $18,000, depending on how much
you buy, so he was a little short," said McIntyre.

Fresno authorities also said Brown is believed to have close connections to
drug operations in three undisclosed cities in the Midwest.

"This is a significant and ongoing investigation that has far-reaching
implications for Fresno and other cities," said Mayor Jim Patterson.

Fresno police and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration found the $1.1
million at the northeast Fresno home of Brown's girlfriend, Shalise Wright.

Also Friday, they uncovered 13 pounds of cocaine at the nearby home of Brown's
father, James D. Brown. There, agents also seized $11,000 in cash, several
handguns and a 1997 Kawasaki motorcycle.

After the cocaine was found, Victor Brown told authorities that he had hidden
it at his father's home, according to an affidavit by DEA agent Christopher D.
Nielsen.

Neither the girlfriend nor the father has been charged.

Narcotics agents on Saturday raided a third home near Lansing and West
avenues,
seized 29 pounds of cocaine and $39,000 and arrested seven people on cocaine
trafficking charges. Authorities said the raid was directly tied to Friday's
discoveries and the seven suspects were part of Brown's operation.

Fresno police said they were searching for other Brown assets and had
determined that he invested $100,000 in a Kerman-based radio station, KTAA,
earlier this year. The station, which bills itself as "The Party," recently
converted from a Spanish-language format to a rap and rhythm-and-blues lineup.

Though Brown has called himself the station's chief executive, station owner
Hispanic Radio Enterprises Inc. said in a news release Wednesday that "Mr.
Brown has never had any ownership interests in the station."

The release said Century City Media Inc., whose president is Brown, does have
an agreement "to provide programing for the station."

"It's not that we are seeking to distance ourselves from him," said station
manager Greg Mack. "We have been distant from him for months."

Brown had little to say during his brief court appearance Wednesday. He wore a
red jail jumpsuit, and his legs and arms were shackled. U.S. Magistrate Judge
Sandra M. Snyder refused to set a bail amount, ordering that he remain in
custody because he is a flight risk facing "incredibly serious"
consequences if
convicted.

Brown's court-appointed lawyer, Marc Ament, unsuccessfully argued that Brown
should be freed because his mother, grandmother and girlfriend are willing to
post property worth $120,000 as bond.

"There are three people in his life putting up their earthly possessions,
trusting that he will return to this court," Ament told Snyder.

But federal prosecutor William L. Shipley replied that the proposed bond was
not nearly enough considering the seriousness of the case.

Brown has a previous felony conviction for dealing cocaine in 1993 and is
still
on felony probation from that case. Because of his record and the amount of
cocaine and money involved in the new case, he could face a mandatory prison
term of 20 years and could get a life sentence.

Meanwhile, six of the seven suspects arrested Saturday in the 1200 block of
West Lansing Way appeared Wednesday in Fresno Superior Court.

Police said they are suspected of transporting the cocaine to Fresno. They
remained in custody late Wednesday, with bail set at $470,000 apiece.

Pleading innocent were Maria Felix, 33; Cruz Lopez Felix; Aurelio Felix, 22;
Geronimo Quintero Vega, 23; Graciela Ramirez Ybarra, 23; and Martin Beltran
Quintero, 33.

The seventh, 29-year-old Juan Manuel Lopez, was not in court. His arraignment
was reset for today.

A preliminary hearing, to determine whether there is enough evidence to put
the
seven on trial, was scheduled for Aug. 25 in the Superior Court, but federal
officials are expected to prosecute the group in U.S. District Court instead.

At the news conference Wednesday, much of the credit for Brown's arrest
went to
detectives Dennis Vasquez and Don Mitchell.

Bee staff writer Tom Kertscher contributed to this report.

Checked-by: Ghamal de la Guardia