BOND DENIED FOR AIR MARSHALS IN DRUG SCHEME

HOUSTON A judge denied bond Wednesday for two U.S. air marshals accused of
smuggling narcotics onto planes, after hearing testimony alleging the men
had dealt drugs including cocaine and had planned to rob a drug stash house.

Shawn Ray Nguyen, 38, and Burlie L. Sholar III, 32, both from Houston, had
been granted bonds of $100,000 last month by a federal magistrate judge.

Prosecutors appealed and U.S. District Judge David Hittner agreed, saying
both men were a flight risk and a danger to the community.

Stuart Maneth, a special agent with the Department of Homeland Security's
Office of Inspector General, testified that a third air marshal told
authorities that Sholar had given him 25 tables of ecstasy.

That marshal also told authorities that Sholar had asked him how he and
Nguyen could rob a drug stash house worth $3 million to $4 million inside
it, Maneth said.

"He asked how many people he would need, what kind of tactics he would need
to pull it off," Maneth said.

The third marshal also said Nguyen and Sholar received steroids from
another air marshal, Maneth said.

Attorneys for both defendants, who have not been indicted and have not
entered pleas, said they were disappointed with Hittner's decision, adding
their clients' guilt or innocence should not have been the focus of the
hearing.

"The government is getting too many bites at the apple until they get
something they are happy with," said Kent Schaffer, Nguyen's attorney.

Sholar's attorney, George Parnham, said his client is a family man with a
long history of law enforcement.

Parnham also said that Sholar's conversation with the third marshal about
the stash house was simply about a hypothetical situation that was only
reported to authorities after the marshal got in trouble for turning in
fraudulent travel expense reports.

Schaffer said that Nguyen last year reported the third marshal to his
supervisors for suspicion of being involved in illegal activity.

Nguyen and Sholar were arrested Feb. 9 after an informant delivered 15
kilograms of cocaine and $15,000 to Nguyen's Houston home. Authorities
began investigating Nguyen in November after a tip from an informant that
he was involved in selling drugs.

According to the criminal complaint, Nguyen smuggled two envelopes
containing drug money and fraudulent government documents past airport
security in December. Nguyen then discussed with the informant smuggling
large loads of cocaine and bringing in others to help, according to the
complaint.

Both men face anywhere from 10 years to life in prison and a $4 million
fine if convicted of federal charges of conspiracy to possess five
kilograms or more of cocaine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McIntyre said both men could be prone to
violence as Nguyen threatened the informant that helped authorities and
Sholar "made a threat to Mr. Nguyen not to rat out fellow marshals."