AGENCIES WILL SPLIT $176,687 IN ASSETS SEIZED IN THE WAR AGAINST MARIJUANA

Hogansburg - The St Regis Mohawk Tribal Police and the Franklin County
Task Force will receive $176,687 in recognition of their fight against
the marijuana trade in 2003.

Representatives from the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection
will present checks to Tribal Police Chief Andrew J. Thomas and to
Franklin County District Attorney Derek P. Champagne. The ceremony
will occur Friday in the Franklin County Courthouse, Malone.

The money comes from assets seized by federal agents from individuals
allegedly growing marijuana. They were seized under federal forfeiture
laws that allow sharing of narcotics-related proceeds with state and
local agencies involved in the investigations.

"Local agencies have very small budgets to begin with, so this sharing
of seized assets makes a big difference," said Leslie M. Lawson,
assistant chief patrol agent for the Swanton, Vt., sector of the
Border Patrol, which is part of the Bureau of Customs and Border
Protection. It also ensures they can give us the support we need from
them.

Through the tribal police force, Customs and Border Protection is able
to conduct follow-up investigations on Mohawk territory. The 13-member
force has, for example, helped to identify people involved in the
marijuana trade. For this reason, the federal government is sharing
with them $93,620 in seized assets, Ms. Lawson said.

The Franklin County Drug Task Force, headed by Mr. Champagne, has
helped Customs and the Border Protection prosecute offenders at the
state level. The federal agency has a memorandum of understanding to
turn over its cases to the Drug Enforcement Administration. When the
federal government decides not to try the offenders, The cases then go
to the Franklin County Task Force. For their support, the Task Forces
will receive $83, 067.

Ms. Lawson added that asset sharing with the tribal police and the
task force is part of a series her agency is conducting with local
police forces throughout the year. Potsdam village police received
$40,952 on July 21, state police have received $68, 663 this year and
the communities of Malone, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake will be
awarded funds in the upcoming weeks.