Pubdate: Wed, 25 Sep 2002 Source: San Francisco Examiner (CA) Copyright: 2002 San Francisco Examiner Contact: http://www.examiner.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/389 Author: Richard Byrne Reilly, Of The Examiner Staff SWEEP NETS NIGHTCLUB-DRUG STASH A routine traffic stop led San Francisco police to The City's biggest ecstasy bust ever -- a local connection to a nationwide sweep of more than 100 people accused of selling ecstasy over the Internet. Richard Zee, 44, faces an array of federal drug charges after police used a battering ram to get into his Castro apartment last month -- and turned up 800 ecstasy tablets, gallons of liquid GHB used to make ecstasy, $200,000 worth of crystal meth and $316,000 in cash. Zee is now in federal custody awaiting arraignment. He faces more than 10 years in prison if convicted, according to Capt. Tim Hettrich, head of the SFPD narcotics division. "The bust is going to make a serious dent in the 'E' market for both street dealers and dealers selling the drug at nightclubs," Hettrich said Tuesday. Cops also seized measuring scales, computers, digital cameras and notebooks containing names and phone numbers. The computers were turned over to Drug Enforcement Administration officials, who are expected to pore through the contents of their hard drives for leads. Three storage lockers rented by Zee resulted in additional bundles of cash. Also confiscated was Zee's late-model black BMW and phony registration documents, Hettrich said. Cops also took possession of a large Schwab investment account in Zee's name. San Francisco police and DEA agents are still pursuing additional suspects tied to the case, Hettrich said. Hettrich said Zee was tied to a major ring that sold GHB over the Internet that was busted up in a huge DEA undercover sting called "Operation Webslinger" in September. More than 100 people in Buffalo, N.Y; San Diego; Mobile, Ala.; and Quebec were arrested on suspicion of using the Net to hawk the illicit narcotic. "His name turned up in a bunch of notebooks," Hettrich said. Officials credited old-fashioned police work for catching Zee. Police had placed him under surveillance after he was stopped in July for driving erratically and drugs were discovered in his car. He was out on bail on those charges when police raided his apartment a month later. "He's a very big player. No doubt about it," a federal law enforcement official said. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake