Pubdate: Wed, 21 Sep 2005
Source: Des Moines Register (IA)
Copyright: 2005 The Des Moines Register.
Contact:  http://desmoinesregister.com/index.html
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/123
Author: Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/af.htm (Asset Forfeiture)

LAW ENFORCEMENT TO GET $400,000 FROM DRUG PROPERTY

State and local law enforcement agencies are splitting more than 
$400,000 from the sale of property once owned by a Quad Cities family 
that dealt drugs, laundered money and defrauded the government.

Another $600,000 will go various federal agencies that helped in the 
investigation of the Pizano family.

"What you hope for in a prosecutor's office is cooperation between 
agencies," prosecutor Clifford Cronk III said. "It was a great joy 
for me to work with all these agents."

Four members of the Pizano family are serving time in federal prisons 
and another is in an Iowa prison.

The Bettendorf Police Department, the Iowa Department of Inspections 
and Appeals and the Quad City Metropolitan Law Enforcement Group, or 
MEG, will receive checks totaling nearly $408,000. The money will be 
used to buy equipment and pay for training.

"Anytime you take proceeds away from drug dealers and give it to law 
enforcement, it's a good thing," said Rene Sandoval, MEG's director.

Sandoval first dealt with one of the Pizanos, Celia Pizano, in the 
early 1990s when he bought cocaine from her as an undercover agent. 
MEG received $206,000, while Bettendorf police and the Department of 
Inspections and Appeals received $100,800 each.

Matthew Whittaker, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, 
said it was the second case of his tenure in which law enforcement 
agencies received more than $1 million.

Property owned by the Pizano family included three houses, a condo 
and a duplex in Bettendorf and Davenport, plus two condos in 
California, authorities said.

The prison sentences for the Pizano family members capped an 11-month 
investigation that began in 2001.

Celia Pizano, 64, is serving a federal prison sentence in Fort Worth, 
Texas., for fraud and money laundering.

Her son, Mathias, 39, is serving a 30-year sentence at a federal 
prison north of Los Angeles for drug dealing, while and her daughter, 
Jessica, 41, is in a federal prison at Pekin, Ill.

Jessica Pizano's son, Michael, 22, is in federal prison in Kansas 
City for conspiracy to distribute drugs. Mathias Pizano's daughter, 
Andrea, 21, is serving time in an Iowa prison on drug and escape charges.

"These are the types of families you have in your community that you 
wish you didn't have," Bettendorf Police Chief Phil Redington said.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman