CAB SERVICE ALSO DELIVERED DRUGS AND LIQUOR, POLICE SAY

Until Thursday night, police say, people did not need to leave home to
score some meth or a little liquor around Leavenworth. They could just call
a cab and wait for home delivery.

Police said they crushed the delivery business in a series of raids about 6
p.m. Thursday that turned up drugs, cash, explosives and 39 firearms. They
arrested the Ace Taxi Service owner, its mechanic and a woman at the taxi
stand, and they were looking for five other suspects.

The Army's Criminal Investigation Division caught wind of cabdrivers
allegedly selling drugs at Fort Leavenworth in February and called civilian
police and deputies, post spokeswoman Janet Wray said. Cabs use a
commercial entrance at the post, where military police can search them by
hand or use a dog and mirrors to look for contraband.

Police launched an investigation and said they discovered that drug
customers could request an Ace Taxi driver by name, who would show up with
drugs or alcohol for sale. More than one driver was involved, said
Leavenworth Police Lt. Patrick Kitchens.

Ace mechanic Michael Byrns, 40, was charged Friday in Leavenworth County
District Court with five counts each of possessing methamphetamine for sale
within 1,000 feet of a school and not having a drug-tax stamp, and four
counts of using a phone in a drug sale. He also was charged with one felony
and one misdemeanor count of possessing drug paraphernalia. His bond was
set at $25,000.

Ace owner Edward Savage, 29, was charged with possessing meth and not
having a drug-tax stamp, both felonies. He also was charged with possessing
marijuana and possessing drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors. His bond
was set at $25,000.

Jimmy Ann Jones, a 29-year-old woman who was arrested at the taxi stand,
faces the same charges as Savage.

All three, who are from Leavenworth, were released on bond Friday.

Doing his best to keep Ace's cabs running Friday was dispatcher Danny
Donald, 48, who police said was not a suspect. He had only one of the
company's four taxis on the street around lunchtime. One driver quit after
she heard about the raids, but Donald did not believe the accusations
against his boss and co-workers.

"As far as my knowledge, that's totally wrong," Donald said. "I'm the
dayside dispatcher, so I'd know if something like that was going on."

Donald said that regular customers sometimes asked for a driver they liked,
but that none of the employees would sell drugs.

A judge signed a search warrant for three buildings Thursday.

Investigators raided Byrns' home at 702 Osage St., where Byrns and Savage
were working on a cab's water pump, about 6 p.m. The team arrested the men
and then rushed to the taxi stand at 425 Choctaw St. and Savage's home at 3
Woodmoor Court. After they took control of all three buildings, they went
back and started looking for evidence.

At Byrns' house, the team found 84 grams -- about 3 ounces -- of
methamphetamine, Kitchens said. They also seized $7,000, six handguns, 10
rifles, 4,000 rounds of ammunition and three small homemade bombs, plus
material to make more. They also took a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air that had
drugs hidden inside and stashed in the trunk, Kitchens said.

At the taxi stand, police took 23 firearms -- two of which had been
reported stolen -- and a bit of methamphetamine, Kitchens said.

The weapons had been locked in a safe, Donald said, and cabdrivers
sometimes armed themselves for safety.

Police said they found 31/2 grams of meth at Savage's home.

Police also arrested a night dispatcher at the taxi stand, but he was
released Friday without being charged.

The Kansas Department of Revenue assessed Byrns $33,600 for nonpayment of
state tax on the meth. Anyone who has the drug is required to buy
$200-per-gram tax stamps, which are good for three months. The fine for not
paying doubles the cost.

Military and civilian authorities said they were still investigating.

The Leavenworth City Commission, which can revoke Savage's business
license, plans to bring up the case at its meeting next week.

"I think we'll probably have a frank conversation with the commission about
his license," said City Manager Gary Ortiz.

Ace has run into trouble with the commission before. Its license was
suspended for three days in 1997 after police caught the company using
unlicensed drivers and uninsured cabs. It also had to stop operating
briefly in July when its insurance was canceled, Ortiz said.

Veterans Cab, a 12-taxi operation, would be the only cab company in town if
Ace were to close.