EX-DEA OFFICIAL EYED IN MISSING $6M

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A former Drug Enforcement Administration budget
analyst was accused Thursday of stealing $6 million from the agency,
said to be the largest theft ever from the Justice Department by an
employee.

David S. Bowman, 57, is accused in a 74-count indictment of carrying
out the scam from 1990 to 1997. He allegedly submitted hundreds of
false payment vouchers in the name of a sham company that led to
checks being sent to a post office box he controlled.

He laundered the proceeds through local banks to use them to buy a
Lincoln and six other vehicles, jewelry, artwork and other items for
himself and his family, and tried to divert questions about the checks
by saying they were for a ``sensitive and confidential foreign
program,'' according to the indictment.

``It's the largest internal theft in Justice Department history,''
said Justice Department spokesman John Russell.

Bowman, of Arlington, Va., worked for the DEA for 22 years and was
earning about $85,900 a year at the time of his retirement in April
1997. He was not in custody but a summons was going to be issued to
have him appear in court for arraignment, Russell said.

``There's no reason to arrest him; he's absolutely no flight risk,''
said his attorney, Harvey Volzer. He said Bowman is bedridden with
multiple sclerosis.

Volzer would not comment on the charges.

The alleged theft came to light through the work of a DEA accounting
employee auditing bills to ensure the agency was complying with the
Prompt Payment Act, said a law enforcement official who spoke on
condition of anonymity.

``One woman working on that, picking random documents to make sure we
were paying our bills on time, noticed what she thought were unusual
documents, billings,'' the official said. ``They lacked control
numbers and in the block where there was supposed to be a signature
there were just initials.''

``She requested supporting documents ... and the more she looked into
this, the more questions were being raised,'' so she went to her
supervisor who brought it to DEA investigators, he said.

The DEA's Office of Professional Office of Professional Responsibility
opened an investigation last March. William Simpkins, the office's
acting chief inspector, called the alleged theft ``reprehensible.''

``The $6 million of taxpayer money that Bowman allegedly diverted
could have been used to help fund critical anti-drug programs
throughout the United States,'' Simpkins said. ``The callous and
calculated actions described in the indictment are a terrible insult
to all of the men and women of DEA.''

Bowman is charged with 53 counts of money laundering, 15 counts of
concealment of that money laundering, five counts of mail fraud and
one count of theft and conversion of government property and monies.

The arraignment was scheduled for March 23 in U.S. District Court in
Alexandria, Va.

The indictment seeks the return of all property and monies involved in
the alleged money-laundering violations.

Among the expenditures listed in the indictment are seven vehicles,
travel, jewelry, collector coins, art work, furniture, computers and
stereo equipment.

The vehicles included a 1996 Lincoln Mark VIII, a 1996 Ford Mustang,
three 1997 Ford Escorts, a 1997 Dodge Pickup and a 1997 Ford Expedition.

The indictment says that to cover up the alleged scheme, ``Bowman made
false and misleading statements'' to DEA personnel that the ``payment
vouchers related to a sensitive and confidential foreign program that
prevented him from supply normal supporting documentation.''

``We're deeply troubled by this alleged theft,'' said DEA Administrator
Thomas Constantine. ``If it hadn't been for the actions of an alert
employee, the theft of taxpayers' money might still be occurring.''