By MATT MILNER Courier staff writer
August 21, 2008 12:49 pm
—
DES MOINES — William Edwards III, whom authorities say ran a major Ottumwa drug ring, will remain in custody until his trial begins.
Magistrate Judge Ross Walters presided over Wednesday’s detention hearing. He’s the same judge who handled the earlier hearings for nine other defendants in the case. The hearing did not determine anything regarding Edwards’ guilt or innocence. That wasn’t the intent. Detention hearings allow a judge to determine whether the case warrants a defendant’s release prior to the actual trial.
Authorities arrested Edwards at the same time as the other nine defendants, but he was out of Iowa on a trip to Missouri. He did not return to Iowa until last week. The court also delayed Wednesday’s hearing by two days to accommodate his attorney’s schedule with other clients.
Edwards has hired Alfredo Parrish to defend him against a federal charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Parrish is a well-known Des Moines attorney with experience in several high-profile cases around the state.
Prosecutors tried to tie Edwards directly to alleged cocaine sales out of two Ottumwa bars — The Dugout and the Plowboy. An officer attached to the Drug Enforcement Agency said investigators used informants to make multiple purchases of cocaine directly from Edwards. The purchases varied from a half-ounce to two ounces.
“[The informant] stated that he … received cocaine from William Edwards,” the officer said during Wednesday’s hearing.
The testimony also pointed to marijuana sales for the first time. Investigators previously focused on the cocaine sales, but Wednesday’s testimony included a reference to an 8.3 ounce purchase of marijuana directly from Edwards. That sale included the purchase of a handgun from Edwards, as did two other cocaine purchases.
Parrish attacked that point, saying the informants’ accounts never mention a sale in which the cocaine came from Edwards’ hand to an informant. The officer testified that was accurate in one case, in which Edwards allegedly handed the cocaine to his brother, who then handed it to the informant. But he said several other purchases came from Edwards without the presence of any other defendants.
Authorities say the purchases took place at The Dugout, one of two bars Edwards owns. They say the Plowboy, Edwards’ second business, also functioned as a drug sales outlet to the community. An informant told police one purchase involved one ounce of cocaine for $1,000, and that Edwards immediately placed the money in an ATM in The Dugout.
The timing and involvement of multiple defendants at drug purchases wasn’t the only point of conflict. Parrish pressed the officer on what documents he used for preparation for the testimony. The issue was whether the defense had adequate access to all documents used for Wednesday’s hearing.
The prosecution was leery of opening every file, saying the documents could include the identities of confidential sources. The case involves an alleged threat against one informant, and authorities say they are concerned about the safety of others.
“I’m not interested in the identity of any informants, but if there’s anything he used in preparation for testimony at this hearing [the defense should have access] … He said he relied on the reports for preparation for testimony,” Parrish said.
Parrish also attacked prosecutors’ accounts of the threat against the informant. He said no testimony indicates any direct threat from Edwards against the informant. Edwards’ appearance at the informant’s home can be explained by the informant’s work for Edwards, he said.
The alleged threat against the informant took place after another federal agency botched a report and sent a forfeiture notice to one of the defendants following a handgun sale. Parrish pointed out that the threats came from others in the ring, not Edwards.
“Mr. Edwards didn’t threaten him at that point, did he?” he asked.
“No,” the officer responded.
Prosecutors countered that the statements they have received go beyond those from the three informants mentioned in testimony. They include accusations of Edwards’ involvement in drug sales from Jerry Miller, one of the other defendants in the case. Parrish suggested Miller’s statements are tainted by his own pending defense.
Edwards’ wife testified after the prosecution wrapped up its presentation. She said she has never known Edwards to miss a court date and that he has a job he can work at if released before his trial.
Prosecutors said they aren’t worried about Edwards running or about him using drugs, but they argued his criminal history weighs against any pre-trial release.
Matt Milner can be reached at (641) 683-5359 or via e-mail at mwmilner@mchsi.com
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.