Pubdate: Mon, 09 Apr 2001
Source: The Southeast Missourian (MO)
Copyright: 2001 2001 Southeast Missourian
Contact: http://www.semissourian.com/opinion/speakout/submit/
Website: http://www.semissourian.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1322

LIES OF ST LOUIS INFORMER FREE ANOTHER DRUG DEALER

ST. LOUIS -- In January, a prosecutor told a federal judge in Los 
Angeles that Dave Daly was such a bad guy he should be imprisoned for 
life. After all, Daly already had five convictions for drug dealing 
and was awaiting trial on another drug charge.

Now, the government has changed its tune. It reduced the drug charge 
to illegal use of a telephone and released Daly from prison.

Why?

Daly's attorney asked the government to produce a document the St. 
Louis Post-Dispatch says two federal agencies are trying hard not to 
make public: the report of an internal investigation by the U.S. Drug 
Enforcement Administration. It details how the agency's most 
celebrated informer -- Andrew Chambers, formerly of suburban St. 
Louis -- lied in court over 15 years while sending hundreds of people 
to prison.

The DEA report remains secret. Described only as 157 pages long, it 
is believed to document a cover-up by drug agents who watched as 
Chambers perjured himself by claiming over and over that he had never 
been arrested or convicted, the Post-Dispatch reported Sunday.

The agents and senior DEA officials knew he was lying, the newspaper 
said. It claimed some of the agents had even helped him get out of 
trouble when he was arrested, and said the DEA waged a two-year court 
fight to keep Chambers' lies a secret.

Since the DEA scandal broke last year, prosecutors across the country 
have dropped charges against at least 14 accused drug dealers rather 
than risk putting Chambers on the witness stand again.

In the California case, Daly, 39, had to make some promises to the 
government to get out of jail, where he had been awaiting trial for 
more than three years. As part of the deal, he gave up his right to 
try to see the DEA investigation, withdrew a motion accusing 
prosecutors and drug agents of misconduct, and agreed there was no 
government misconduct.

"That was the price of getting Daly out of jail," said one of his 
attorneys, John Martin.
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