by Jack Sullivan and J.M. Lawrence, Boston Herald

Wednesday, June 12, 2002

Federal agents probing racketeering allegations against local Teamsters officials including president George W. Cashman are eyeing criminal charges against other government investigators for attempting to derail the case, sources said yesterday.

Agents from the Office of Labor Racketeering are investigating allegations that current and former members from the U.S. Customs and Massachusetts State Police used Richard ``The Fat Man'' Chicofsky, a now-disgraced FBI informant, to levy bogus corruption charges against two investigators probing Teamsters in an effort to get them removed from the case, sources told the Herald.

Officials at the U.S. Attorney's Office and the labor racketeering office declined comment on the obstruction of justice probe, which is outlined in a sealed motion by prosecutors.

``We would not have any comment on any investigation we may or may not be involved with,'' said Dennis Kurdek, special agent in charge of the Boston office of labor racketeering.Cashman and other union officials are the subject of a nearly three-year grand jury probe into allegations of kickbacks, shakedowns, extortion and bribery of companies including television and movie producers who film in Massachusetts as well as strong-arming and intimidation of rival union members.

Most of those being investigated in the probe are close associates of convicted FBI agent John Connolly, one of Chicofsky's many handlers during his time as a bureau snitch, said sources.

Sources said investigators are probing a former state trooper who now runs his own security agency as well as a former FBI and CIA informant turned private investigator who employed Connolly as a consultant and who is close to Cashman.

The investigation is also focusing on members of the Customs money laundering group, one of whose members used Chicofsky as an informant. Chicofsky has alleged the Customs agent extorted money from him for drugs.

Some of those being investigated are also former members of the Metropolitan Police, who were represented by Local 25 before being merged with the state police.

The obstruction of justice probe came to light last week when attorneys for Cashman, who was forced to resign from the Massport Board of Directors following his indictment, petitioned U.S. District Court magistrate judge Joyce Alexander for the personnel records of the two agents who were falsely charged.

The agents, one from the labor racketeering office and the other from the Drug Enforcement Administration, are veterans who have investigated high-profile cases including the so-called Charlestown ``Code of Silence.''

Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Chuang referred to the obstruction of justice probe in his opposition to the motion for the files and Alexander turned down the request. But she ordered prosecutors to hand over any information in the files that would support Cashman's defense.

``You know what's exculpatory,'' Alexander said.

Sources also told the Herald the federal grand jury was moved from Boston to Worcester because witnesses were being intimidated after testifying.

Chicofsky, who could not be reached for comment, was an FBI informant for more than 40 years. He was recruited by H. Paul Rico, the retired head of the Boston FBI office who allegedly withheld information that resulted in three innocent men spending decades in prison for murder.

Rico also allegedly had close ties to fugitive mob boss James J. ``Whitey'' Bulger and his partner, Stephen ``The Rifleman'' Flemmi and has been named in affidavits in Tulsa, Okla., as being involved in the 1981 murder of World Jai Alai president Roger Wheeler.

Chicofsky also fed information to Connolly as well as other members of the Boston FBI office who have come under scrutiny for covering up the crimes of Bulger and Flemmi.

The new probe comes as a Local 25 member, who was indicted in January on racketeering charges the same day Cashman was hit with a 179-count indictment on bribery, conspiracy and embezzlement, has decided to change his plea to guilty and cooperate in the Cashman investigation.

John ``Mick'' Murray, 47, of Charlestown, an ex-con with ties to Bulger, will plead guilty on July 1 to embezzlement, extortion, racketeering and theft for shaking down a Southie bookmaker, stealing computer equipment from UPS trucks and attempting to defraud the union pension and welfare fund.

Sources confirmed that Murray, who is suspended from his job as a part-time paper hauler at the Herald, has agreed to cooperate against Cashman, but no deal has yet been worked out for a sentence recommendation.

In court last week, assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Wyshak called Murray ``the centerpiece'' of the case.