OFFICER ADMITS LYING ON WARRANT FORMS

Boston Police Detective John Brazil admitted under oath in federal court on
Tuesday that he routinely lied on applications for search warrants. And
yesterday, under cross-examination, he acknowledged that he never mentioned
finding packets of money when he testified in 1993 about a raid at the
suspected drug den where the money was found.

Brazil, who has been on paid leave from the Boston police for two years, is
a key witness in the federal trial of Joseph P. Murphy of Milton, a lawyer
charged with funneling thousands of dollars from a client to two detectives
who worked with Brazil.

In exchange for the alleged payments of $52,000 to former detectives Walter
F. Robinson Jr. and Kenneth Acerra, drug charges against a client of
Murphy's were either dropped or the client was released from jail pending
trial, federal prosecutors allege.

Robinson and Acerra, who were charged in a sweeping indictment last year
with stealing more than $200,000 from drug dealers and other criminals
during searches, pleaded guilty last month to three charges and face up to
three years in prison and repayment of up to $100,000 each when they are
sentenced next month.

Yesterday, Murphy's lawyer, E. Peter Parker, tried to damage Brazil's
credibility by pointing out that Brazil never mentioned finding an
estimated $8,000 in bundled bills during a May 28, 1992 search of two
apartments in West Roxbury when he testified at the trial of one of the
suspects. The defendant was acquitted.

On Tuesday, as the lead government witness in Murphy's trial in federal
court, Brazil did testify about finding the money. He said he gave it to
Robinson and later overheard he and Acerra talking about ''working out''
something with Murphy regarding the money. Boston police have no record of
any money being turned in after the raid in West Roxbury in which Brazil
said he found at least $8,000 in a storage box under a bed.

Prosecutors allege that Murphy told a defendant in the case that he could
be released from jail if Robinson and Acerra were paid $50,000.

Under questioning by Assistant US Attorney Ben T. Clements, Boston Police
Sergeant Edward Miller, who handled money seized in drug raids as the
department's financial evidence officer, testified yesterday that $7,500
seized during a May 6, 1992 Jamaica Plain raid involving Murphy's client,
Bruno Machore, was returned to Murphy the following month. Prosecutors
allege that the money was given back after Robinson had the charges
dropped, in exchange for $1,000 payments to him and Acerra.