WOMAN GUILTY IN FAMILY DRUG RING

Eleven years after she claimed she could lead authorities to Police
Department detectives using narcotics, but instead went to prison on drug
charges of her own, a 46-year-old woman pleaded guilty Monday to running a
crack cocaine ring with two sisters, a brother and three daughters.

Nancy K. Ezell, a controversial figure in a 1987 John Doe investigation into
drug use among police officers, pleaded guilty to eight felony counts that
leave her facing 195 years in prison when she is sentenced in September.
Seven of the counts involve drug dealing, and one is for receiving stolen
property.

She has now been convicted of felony drug trafficking four times.

Ezell is believed to be the central figure in a cocaine business that has
resulted in convictions for seven defendants, most of whom are members of
her immediate or extended family. One other family member is still awaiting
trial in the case, and two more are being sought on bench warrants for
failing to return to court. The family business also included a fencing
operation for stolen goods, according to circuit court records.

Ezell's latest conviction stems from a four-month probe during which she and
her relatives made a series of crack and powder cocaine sales ending in
March to undercover police officers, according to court records.

Ezell is depicted in the court records as the central figure in the drug
ring. At times, drug or stolen goods transactions were delayed or postponed
because her daughters could not waken a deep-sleeping Ezell to complete the
deals or arrange the narcotics deliveries, records indicate.

"Nancy don't keep anything on her because she's on paper (parole) because
she just got out of Taycheedah (Correctional Institution)," her daughter
once explained to an officer while they waited for a cocaine delivery
arranged by Ezell, according to the criminal complaint. "I'm 24. Mama's been
doing this for 12 years, and she's good at it."

The complaint says that for one of the many crack deals, Ezell's 3-year-old
granddaughter accompanied her mother. During another deal, Ezell's
12-year-old nephew looked on as cocaine was being poured onto a scale,
according to the complaint. During the weighing, the nephew allegedly
announced, "Some of this is mine."

It wasn't until several weeks and several drug transactions into the sting
operation that undercover officers got to meet Ezell face-to-face. Prior to
that, they dealt with her sisters, daughters and acquaintances, the
complaint says.

Ezell also eventually finalized the stolen goods transactions, according to
the complaint. She expressed a keen interest in hot televisions,
videocassette recorders and video cameras, although she also said she could
fence microwave ovens and computers.

An officer once told her that he could bring her "as many of the 25-inch
televisions as she wanted," according to the complaint.

"Bring them all because I can move a lot of them," Ezell responded,
according to the complaint.

Ezell also volunteered during the meeting to provide the officer with a van
for hauling the stolen goods to her house, and promised to have someone
ready to help carry the hot property into her home, the complaint says.

Ezell, who lived in the 3700 block of N. 6th St., has been in the County
Jail since she was charged in April. She entered the guilty pleas Monday on
the day she was scheduled to begin her trial. Her attorney, Jeffrey W.
Jensen, told Circuit Judge Jeffrey A. Kremers that Ezell was skeptical of
the representation she was receiving.

"She said she felt that I was working with the DA's office," Jensen said.

Jensen subsequently detailed his time spent in the case on Ezell's behalf,
concluding, "I believe my conscience is clear as far as the effectiveness of
my representation."

Kremers then explained that Jensen had entered into plea negotiations with
Assistant District Attorney Patrick J. Kenney based on the strength of the
evidence in the case against her, not because Jensen was conspiring with
authorities.

"Any other problems?" Kremers asked Ezell.

"No," she replied.

In exchange for Ezell's guilty pleas, Kenney explained that he would not
recommend a specific prison term, only "a substantial term of imprisonment."

The case marked the fourth time Kenney has prosecuted Ezell for drug
trafficking. The three previous cases -- in 1985, 1986 and 1987 -- resulted
in a single six-year prison term for Ezell in 1987.

Ezell garnered some attention from the news media and police in 1987 as an
informant in the John Doe investigation into drug use by police that began
two years earlier.

Police dismissed her claim and said at the time that they decided against
using Ezell as an informant because of her repeated drug dealing and
previous manipulation to avoid prosecution.

As with several officers and private citizens, the evidence against Ezell at
that time was based largely on wiretapped telephone conversations that
showed she was involved in drug dealing.

More than a dozen people, including several police officers, were convicted
as a result of the probe.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett