Sources: Cleric Is Link Between Drug Ring, City Hall Probes

A Philadelphia religious leader is now seen as the link between two separate federal probes into a local drug ring and City Hall corruption.

Shamsud-din Ali is an at a large mosque in West Philadelphia and a fixture in city politics. He also was on Mayor John Street's 1999 transition team.

According to sources, Ali is believed to have connections with some of the 27 defendants named in two federal drug-trafficking indictments released Thursday. No city employees were named in the indictments, sources said.

Federal investigators wouldn't comment on Ali's alleged connection to anyone named in the indictments.

At least 11 of the 27 people named in the indictments were picked up by the FBI on Thursday.

Sources said that a federal investigation started in 1999 into the alleged drug ring, which led authorities to information that set off the probe into Philadelphia's government that surfaced last fall.

Ali left his Elkins Park house Thursday, unaffected by news cameramen parked outside his home.

"It's so much. It's going into so (many) areas of corruption," said Faridah Ali. "I think as a person who believes in God you prepare yourself for the worst and pray for the best."

Sources said that wiretaps used during the drug probe eventually led to an investigation into potential corruption in Philadelphia and a wiretap on Ali's home phone.

Last fall, the FBI raided a school and a business with financial ties to Ali, seizing records.

Here is another article relating to this

http://www.kyw1060.com/news_story_detail.cfm?newsitemid=37750

27 Indicted in Drug Crackdown; City Hall Link

by KYW's Tony Hanson
Federal authorities say they have indicted 27 people in connection with two alleged major North Philadelphia cocaine operations, and sources have confirmed there is a link to the ongoing federal municipal corruption probe in the city.

Sources have confirmed that some information developed during these drug investigations -- information about other possible crimes -- helped lead to the federal corruption probe.

Federal prosecutor Mark Ehlers (below right), who is prosecuting one of the drug cases, says there were wiretaps:

"Gerald Thomas is listed as the number one defendant in this case. The indictment alleges a number of telephone conversations that were picked up by Mr. Thomas and most of his co-defendants that are listed there."

Ehlers would not comment on any possible link between the drug and municipal corruption probes. But sources emphasize they are separate investigations -- that there is no allegation that any public officials are involved with these drug gangs.

Defense attorney Tariq El-Shabazz (below left), who represents one of the alleged drug gang leaders, says he know of no link between his client and the federal corruption probe:

"I think what they attempted to do -- and, I don't know, maybe are still attempting to do, you would know better than me, attempting to do -- is say there is some type of connection between some of the individuals under investigation in the federal probe and the alleged drug conspiracy here."

Federal authorities would not comment on any link between the two cases.

KYW's Mike Dunn reports Mayor Street said a short time after the indictments were announced that he has no knowledge of any arrests, nor whether they relate to the federal probe of City Hall. But he said the business of his government goes on.

The mayor said he has not been contacted by federal officials in any way about the development, nor does he have any information about whether further arrests or indictments are imminent:

"I don't have any expectations. I expect to do my job. And I'll let somebody else decide whether somebody, anybody, will be ever indicted in any of this. There have been probes like this where there has never been an indictment. I don't know. I don't know what they're doing."

The federal probe of City Hall has loomed over Street's administration since a listening device was found in his office last October. Numerous city offices and agencies have turned over documents to investigators and top administration officials have testified before grand juries.

The mayor insists the specter of that probe has not impeded his work in any way.

And again, sources emphasize there is no allegation that any public officials are involved with these drug probe arrests.

Seems Rendel has been questioned concerning another FBI probe

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/052004_nw_mayorprobe.html

Indictments Possible in Mayor's Probe
May 20, 2004 — Action News has learned the citywide federal corruption probe is close to producing indictments.
And we've learned that federal investigators have opened a much wider probe involving the state legislature in Harrisburg. At City Hall today, Mayor Street was mobbed by reporters with questions about the city probe.

Action News has learned the investigation may continue for quite some time, but indictments will start coming from the investigating grand jury before the summer.

Sources say the FBI and other investigators have been working feverishly, completing about two years worth of investigative work in six months.

We've also learned that the FBI has opened a far-reaching second probe into what's known in Harrisburg as walking around money, or WAMS.

WAMS are tax dollars made available to state lawmakers, with little accountability, to hand out like candy for special projects in their home districts.

Public outcry ten years ago changed the practice, but it still exists, with WAMS now called Legislative Initiative Money. Governor Rendell says his staff has been questioned.

Rendell says investigators wanted to know who signs off on the money, who gets it and how it's accounted for. He would not say if the FBI was interested in specific legislators or all of them.

Thanks for the update! I was beginning to wonder if this case had just gotten lost in some big black hole. But O'Reilly said last night that the investigation is still going on regarding the Marc Rich pardon, so anything can happen.

It just seemed that someone must have squealed for the FBI to get wiretap approval on so many bigwigs. Also to obtain subpoena power of their bank accunts. The Grand Jury has been in session since last fall, I believe.

Maybe some hammers will be dropped soon.

The city is a fiscal disaster, yet the Democrats keep getting elected.

Ronald A. White (no surprise here) is the connection between the drug ring and the Street Administration. But no information on the specific nature of the connection.

Excerpt from the Philly inquirer:

"While listening to wiretapped calls in the alleged drug ring three years ago, the FBI picked up conversations between drug dealers and Imam Shamsud-din Ali, individuals familiar with the investigations have said.

Ali, 65, a leader of a West Philadelphia mosque, was not mentioned in yesterday's indictment. He has political relationships with Mayor Street and Gov. Rendell, and is under investigation in the corruption probe.

Ali has insisted he has done nothing wrong. He attended a City Council meeting yesterday. His attorney declined to comment.

The FBI expanded its drug probe to include Ali about three years ago after overhearing members of the alleged drug ring discussing payments they said they had made to Ali through his mosque, Philadelphia Masjid at 47th Street and Wyalusing Avenue, sources have said.

Those conversations prompted narcotics investigators to obtain judicial approval to wiretap the imam's telephones in 2001, the sources said.

While listening to those taps for 18 months, they heard conversations that prompted investigators to launch the separate corruption probe.

They did so through a series of wiretaps of government officials and Center City lawyer Ronald A. White. By late 2003, they had placed a bug inside the mayor's office."

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.