JEWELERS CHARGED WITH MONEY LAUNDERING

Two downtown Milwaukee jewelers have been charged with laundering money for
one of the city's most notorious drug operations.

Gino Pak, 26, and James Pak, 21, who operate Pak's Jewelers, 208 W.
Wisconsin Ave., accepted large amounts of cash from drug dealers in
exchange for Rolex watches, diamond pendants and customized charms and
rings, according to a federal criminal complaint. Both were arrested last
week and are free on bond.

The brothers, who live in a $500,000 home in Mequon, also are charged with
failing to complete federal forms for cash transactions over $10,000.
Federal law requires the forms to be filled out so the IRS and law
enforcement agencies can keep track of people who deal in large sums of cash.

Two of Pak's best customers were the leaders of the LaPlante drug and
counterfeiting organization, a marijuana, cocaine and Ecstasy ring that
stretched from Milwaukee to Arizona to California, according to an
affidavit in support of the complaint. A member of the organization, Donald
Gilchrist, 26, of West Bend, was convicted of killing Michael Dock and Jodi
Nehmer outside the Pieces of Eight restaurant in March 2001.

Federal authorities indicted 37 members of the drug ring in April 2002 in
what U.S. Attorney Steven M. Biskupic called "the largest group of
individuals ever tied to a single indictment in the Eastern District of
Wisconsin."

John LaPlante, 29, of Milwaukee, charged with nine federal felonies, told
authorities he bought more than $27,700 worth of jewelry from Gino Pak in
2000 and 2001. The items included a bracelet, a white gold chain and a
platinum charm in the shape of a cross.

Zachary Barian, 23, of Kenosha, a suspected high-level LaPlante associate
who is charged with eight felonies, told authorities he purchased several
items from Pak, including a gold ring that covered four fingers and spelled
out Barian's nickname: "2Tight." The ring cost more than $22,000. He also
purchased a 42-inch gold cross necklace with 72 princess-cut diamonds and a
pair of 1.5-carat diamond earrings in a platinum setting.

A confidential informant working with the government bought a pair of
earrings from Gino Pak using primarily $1, $5, $10 and $20 bills he carried
to the jewelry store in an Aldi's grocery bag, according to the affidavit.
In other cases, Pak advised drug dealers to make layaway payments under
$10,000 so they would not have to fill out the federal forms, the affidavit
says.

IRS investigators served a search warrant on the jewelry store in November
2000. After collecting records, they interviewed both Gino Pak and James
Pak, who is the accountant for the jewelry store. During the interview,
James Pak said he did not know the form was required for layaway purchases.
The IRS agent gave him some of the forms, as well as detailed instructions,
according to the affidavit. Even after that, the brothers accepted large
amounts of cash from convicted drug dealers and did not fill out the forms,
according to the affidavit.