Mr. Bill and Miz Mona

Monday, August 15, 2011

Moose Pass Journal/Fairbanks/ 8-15-2011

Bill Says: As I have previously stated, I worked a lot of investigations for the Gaming Unit and some of them involved some pretty hot items at the time and concerned influential people in the state. Of course, some of these cases got me in some pretty hot water too.

In one case, I was investigating after hour joints in the Fairbanks area and one part of the case centered on a an abandoned downtown building. I had learned that this place was once used by key people in the state's political realm. I was given a call from my main boss in Juneau, who advised me he had just been visited by the State of Alaska Commissioner of Public Safety, who wanted my investigation of this location to cease because of the particular names involved. My boss told me to go ahead, but then the Commissioner of the Dept of Revenue, our really big boss, stepped in and I was ordered to cease and I did... in a round about way. I began to gain a reputation for finding ways around key people's wishes and still keep my job.

Twice the Lt. Governor of Alaska tried to get me fired for my investigations concerning his use of illegal gambling proceeds for his political campaigns and my union saved me from joining the unemployment line.

During one of my biggest investigations, I was after a particular individual who was attempting to obtain a gaming license for Operator. This status of Operator would give him the state's permission to conduct legal gaming for charities holding gaming permits. Now this could involve millions of dollars for the man every year. I had heard this man had connections with an organized crime family in Seattle and ironically, this was the same family I had investigated in while I was with the Dillingham Police Department in 1981. We had learned of the Seattle Family's money laundering operation and were trying to get the federal authorities involved in the family's scheme through use of the fishing industry. We had it all laid out for them, but they would not assist us and I've always wondered why- who was being paid off. For years the various small police departments around the state tried to show the approach of organized crime in Alaska and no one in federal law enforcement or even the Alaska State Troopers wanted to listen. But it was after I conducted this lengthy investigation, when I obtained the Governor's support, did they begin to acknowledge the presence of organized crime.

Only in Alaska, where the population is so small for the area, can a single investigator obtain the information that would change so many minds and afterwards, I had a lot of help. Eventually my investigation was forgotten, but organized crime no longer had an open door to Alaska and I had the satisfaction of being part of the force who slammed that door on them.

Now to obtain an Operator's License in Alaska to represent the various charities, the man or woman must have no criminal record of any felony offenses or misdemeanor convictions for theft or other acts of dishonesty. Unfortunately, this man's record in Alaska was mostly crime free, but I began a search of his Washington record and the door opened. I should mention he was a prime suspect for Murder in Alaska, but the case couldn't be pushed forward because the witnesses left the state. The man also had a cocaine problem, but no arrests for same. Ironically, he had formed a friendship with the Governor and lifted weights with him in Anchorage, when the governor was in town. They worked out in the Captain Cook's weight room, which the governor owned. When I completed my investigation and copies were provided to the Governor, he ordered the state troopers to keep the man away from him and I got an e-mail thank you from the Governor.

My case really came down with finding someone in Washington State who would help me and after some lengthy series of phone calls I located a very kind older lady who worked in the state's criminal records department. She actually conducted a hand search for me and I had a lengthy felony record on my man, who spent 10-years in prison for offenses he committed while he worked for the organized crime family. He began young and after release from prison, he was then shipped to Alaska, to work on gaining a foot hold in the state.

For a while there, all my time went into this investigation and it took some wild turns and eventually led up to a face to face interview with my person of interest. I'd say suspect, but this wasn't a criminal investigation. My only powers in this case was to work toward getting him denied an Operator's License.

During my investigation I was led to an extremely influential political figure who was running for Governor under the democratic ticket. He was leading in the polls at the time and my investigation led to his demise as a political figure. I showed his association with my man and his usage of cocaine. He also owned a race horse he was failing to mention and sadly, he was a wife beater. He had hospitalized his wife 7 times. She always went in under a false name but everyone knew who she was.

The sad part of this part of the investigation was how it was taken away from me. My Divisional boss just happened to be Juneau's campaign chairman for Tony Knowles; the other democrat trying to be Governor of Alaska. When he learned of my investigation involving this other figure, he ordered me to release my investigation to the Anchorage newspapers. He knew the effect it would have. But I refused, explaining how it involved a bigger investigation and didn't want this released because I wasn't finished. So, my direct supervisor flew from Juneau to Fairbanks to take custody of the particular pages of my report dealing with the political figure. I was forced to release it to him and he flew to Anchorage to hand it over to some reporters.

Now at the time, I wasn't aware that one reporter was also conducting an investigation. He had some stuff I didn't have and I had some he hadn't found. The newspaper article released covered two pages and the candidate we investigated sunk in the polls like a rock. Tony Knowles was elected Governor.

Well, I continued my main investigation and provided to the state a three inch thick binder, having enough information and photographs to prevent my man from ever obtaining an Operator's License. A copy of the report was provided to my partner, Gary Wing of the ABC Board and this ended up preventing the man from gaining a liquor license. So now the man operates two underage strip clubs in Anchorage and Fairbanks, where GI's can come in at 18 yrs old to watch the ladies, but no alcoholic beverages are consumed. I still believe he is laundering money in these location for the Seattle family, but I am retired now and its someone else's job.    

More to follow. God Bless!

1 comment:

  1. I am so excited to read this
    Thank you for sharing...

    ReplyDelete