by Jason Ryan
198 “hardly ever do we get”: transcript of a pretrial hearing for United States of America v. Robert Leslie Riley, et al.
198 “I wish the court”: ibid.
198 “Why’s that?” ibid.
198 “I never forget a man”: testimony of Rachel Fischer during a pretrial hearing for United States of America v. Robert Leslie Riley, et al.
199 “Guys, Christy Campbell just turned”: interview with Tom Harvey and Mike Harvey, May 2010.
199 “I could wring”: ibid.
199 “join the party”: letter from Skip Sanders to author, April 16, 2008.
200 “notoriously anti-establishment”: e-mail from Jim Mittica, July 13, 2009.
200 “They rarely had the merits”: e-mail from Jim Mittica, August 15, 2009.
201 “hardball”: interview with Cam Currie, February 2008.
202 “The crossing over”: transcript of United States of America v. Robert Leslie Riley, et al.
202 “We are not talking”: ibid.
202 “Someone said to me”: ibid.
203 “Down there it was”: interview with John Zwerling, February 2008.
203 For Moffitt, there was uneasiness: interview with Bill Moffitt, February 2008.
204 “fix the jury”: transcript of United States of America v. Robert Leslie Riley, et al.
204 “He sent me lots”: ibid.
204 “I’m not going to have”: ibid.
205 “prove their virtue”: ibid.
205 “He asked me”: ibid.
205 “Things aren’t working too well”: ibid.
206 “What they are bargaining with”: ibid.
206 “So you got”: ibid.
206 “most reluctant government witness”: Columbia State, November 8, 1983.
206 “It’s been instilled”: testimony of Kenny O’Day in United States of America v. Robert Leslie Riley, et al.
206 “Oh yes … I’m an old girl”: transcript of United States of America v. Robert Leslie Riley, et al.
207 “that’s supposed to be good”: Life cereal commercial, as seen on YouTube in 2010.
207 “No matter how reprehensible”: transcript of United States of America v. Robert Leslie Riley, et al.
207 “Please understand that”: ibid.
208 “When you have a case”: ibid.
208 “I don’t know where”: ibid.
208 “I have never”: ibid.
209 “He told us”: ibid.
210 “There’s been a change”: ibid.
Chapter Twelve
211 Willie Frank Steele sat: details of Steele’s call to investigators and the information he divulged about the sailboat La Cautiva come principally from interviews with David Forbes in the fall of 2007.
211 “That’s her”: ibid.
212 “handed (the feds) Bob Byers”: interview with an anonymous source.
212 “You don’t talk about snitching”: interview with Ken Smith, July 2010.
212 “Dude, did you tell”: ibid.
214 “On the small island”: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, online speech archives, remarks delivered March 23, 1983.
214 “There was quite a civil”: Bob Byers’s account of fighting in Grenada comes from a transcript of an interview of Byers conducted by lawyer Gedney Howe sometime after Byers’s arrest in November 1983.
215 On October 25, six days: Payne, p. 158.
216 “When the invasion was over”: interview of Bob Byers by Gedney Howe.
216 In exchange for soft drinks: Byers’s trade for a rocket launcher was described in interviews with Byers’s friend Bob Roche in February 2010 and U.S. Marshal P. E. Morris in April 2008. The weapon was also referenced by U.S. Marshals Director Stanley Morris in an Associated Press article in Columbia State on February 9, 1984.
217 “just bowled us over”: Columbia State, November 28, 1983.
217 “a message to all the millionaire”: Columbia State, November 18, 1983.
218 “I’m looking at her now”: Forbes and Greager’s trip to Antigua was described by Forbes in interviews in the fall of 2007.
220 “Ain’t no doubt that’s him”: ibid.
220 “Bob, it just ain’t”: ibid.
221 “go-fer”: testimony of Wayne McDonald in second trial of United States of America v. Robert Leslie Riley, et al.
221 “He was bottom”: Charleston News and Courier, December 8, 1983.
221 “I’m very close”: Columbia State, July 31, 1983.
222 “in the dope business”: Charleston Evening Post, December 14, 1983.
222 “If that eagle”: ibid.
222 “We’re confident”: Charleston News and Courier, December 16, 1983.
223 “My son gave it”: interview with Mike Lemnah, January 2008.
223 “finest collection of Tiffany glass”: New York Times, March 11, 1984.
223 “the most fanciful and fragile”: ibid.
224 “I think we’ve done”: Washington Post, March 26, 1984.
224 “When a sale”: New York Times, March 25, 1984.
224 “Fantastic … It was a risk”: Washington Post, March 26, 1984.
224 “finest stock”: transcript of sentencing hearing for Roy Riley, March 9, 1984.
225 “I don’t think”: transcript of sentencing hearing for Mike Harvey, February 22, 1984.
226 “I would like to say”: transcript of sentencing hearing for Christy Campbell, unknown date.
226 “he determined, rather than divulge”: transcript of sentencing hearing for Roy Riley, March 9, 1984.
227 “We have no sympathy”: Charleston News and Courier, March 9, 1984.
227 That luxury sailboat: according to an anonymous government source, the sailboat La Cautiva was sailed near Cuba, allowing the CIA to eavesdrop on the country through electronic equipment aboard the boat. The CIA responded to an inquiry from the author regarding La Cautiva by saying the agency “can neither confirm nor deny the existence or nonexistence of records responsive to your request.”
227 “We think [Byers]”: letter from Henry McMaster to D. Lowell Johnson, May 18, 1984, contained in the National Archives.
228 “Our problem is”: letter from Henry McMaster to William French Smith, April 16, 1984, contained in the National Archives.
228 “We think it is important”: ibid.
228 Through memos among senior staff: an Office of the Attorney General memo from Rob Steinberg to Lowell Jensen, April 27, 1984, can be found in the National Archives.
229 “After several hours”: letter from Bart Daniel to Henry McMaster, May 14, 1984, contained in the National Archives.
229 “he’s probably going to tell”: interview with David Forbes, November 2007.
230 In five years: Charleston Evening Post, June 4, 1984.
230 “One of the few:” Wall Street Journal, August 12, 1985.
230 This ring, the government alleged: Charleston News and Courier, September 22, 1984.
231 “Amend’s trial began in October:” Wall Street Journal, August 12, 1985.
231 “the premier law enforcement association”: Columbia State, October 25, 1984.
231 “Drug smugglers are like”: Charleston News and Courier, January 29, 1984.
232 Time magazine wrote: Bertram, p. 113.
232 When describing the ceasefire: Charleston Evening Post, August 24, 1984.
233 “amazing,” “of the one hundred”: ibid.
233 “Even if you discounted”: Charleston Evening Post, August 30, 1984.
234 “I feel like the side”: Byers’s jail scribblings and cards are contained in an FBI file.
234 “Don’t say anything”: Charleston News and Courier, date omitted from news clipping.
235 “I got a call at night”: interview with Claude McDonald, March 2008.
236 “I never heard”: ibid.
236 “the involvement of the Federal”: letter from U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings to FBI Director William H. Webster, October 11, 1984, contained in an FBI f
ile.
236 McMaster couldn’t believe it: Charleston News and Courier, October 11, 1984.
236 “Are you out of ”: interview with Claude McDonald, March 2008.
237 “I’ll be leaving”: Columbia State, December 12, 1984.
237 “[But] there’s any number”: Charleston News and Courier, September 27, 1984.
237 “armed and dangerous”: Columbia State, February 9, 1985.
Chapter Thirteen
238 Bernholz compared it to chum: interview with Martin Bernholz, March 2010.
238 Prisoners were often put: Les Riley described his time in Australian prison during an interview in July 2010.
239 “nightmare,” “I have witnessed”: letter from Les Riley to Judge Falcon Hawkins, unknown date.
239 During the short commute: details of the treatment of Les Riley and Wally Butler were learned from interviews with Riley in July 2010, a report by the Australian Federal Police, and a letter from the Commonwealth Ombudsman to Riley’s Australian attorney after Riley lodged a complaint regarding his treatment.
239 “They treated Les”: interview with Martin Bernholz, March 2010.
240 “lost,” “I get to the point”: Beaufort (SC) Gazette, October 11, 1983.
241 “I have talked myself ”: Henry McMaster’s March 12, 1985 letter to Charles W. Blau can be found in the National Archives.
242 “Where one area of expertise”: Columbia State, January 24, 1985.
242 “She’s top flight”: Charleston News and Courier, September 29, 1984.
243 Soon, U.S. Marshal: P. E. Morris’s pursuit of Bob Byers was described in an interview with Morris in April 2008.
244 Since being indicted: Barry Foy described his time as a fugitive in interviews from 2008 to 2010.
244 Forbes had questioned: e-mail from Jan Liafsha, June 2008.
245 “There’s some money stashed”: interview with Barry Foy, August 2009.
246 When he paid: details of Tom Rhoad’s life in California and his arrest were learned from the testimony of federal agent Simon during a pretrial hearing for Rhoad.
247 “He broke into tears”: interview with Claude McDonald, March 2008.
248 “I lived in constant dread”: e-mail from Jan Liafsha, June 2008.
248 Arriving in Colorado: details of Byers’s arrest were learned from interviews with P. E. Morris in April 2008 and Ed Falconetti in July 2008.
249 “Put your hands”: interview with anonymous source.
249 Even more surprising: interviews with Bart Daniel in March 2007and Bob Roche in February 2010.
251 “the thing with Byers”: letter from Skip Sanders to the author, April 16, 2008.
251 Two weeks after Byers: details of Foy’s arrest come from interviews with David Forbes in the fall of 2007 and Barry Foy from 2008 to 2010.
252 “Telluride is catching hell”: interview with David Forbes, November 2007.
252 “Agents knew we were there”: e-mail from Jan Liafsha, June 2008.
252 “Barry Foy, you’re under arrest”: interview with David Forbes, November 2007.
254 “He will be ridiculed”: transcript of sentencing hearing for Tom Rhoad, July 19, 1985.
255 “He’s made his peace”: ibid.
256 Choking back tears”: Charleston News and Courier, July 20, 1985.
256 “When I get out”: transcript of sentencing hearing for Tom Rhoad, July 19, 1985.
257 “living it up”: ibid.
257 “The General Accounting Office”: ibid.
259 “I didn’t do it”: Columbia State, October 6, 1985.
259 Privately, he told friends: Columbia State, January 13, 1985.
259 “some serious fence-mending: ibid.
259 “During the year or so”: letter from Steven Bernholz to Judge Falcon Hawkins, December 15, 1983.
260 “no one can recall”: Columbia State, January 13, 1985.
260 Oh Henry—You leave behind: Columbia State, October 6, 1985.
261 “Of course, everyone is presumed”: Columbia State, December 19, 1985.
261 “They’re criminals. They’re both criminals”: Columbia State, July 31, 1983.
261 “If I could look back”: Columbia State, October 6, 1985.
261 Toombs says Harvey moved beyond: interview with Barry Toombs, May 2010.
262 When one vague tip: details of Lee Harvey’s arrest were learned in an interview with Frank Hildebrandt in July 2009 and an arrest report released by the DEA.
263 “One man could not”: DEA investigation report, December 31, 1985.
264 “The High Court’s ruling: Charleston News and Courier, December 19, 1985.
264 “You can’t argue”: interview with Martin Bernholz, March 2010.
264 “We were all trying”: interview with anonymous source.
265 “That’s probably about all”: transcript of Les Riley’s sentencing hearing, June 16, 1986.
265 “I don’t know”: ibid.
265 “being a modern day pirate”: ibid.
266 “I don’t quarrel”: ibid.
266 “Good luck to you”: ibid.
266 “Thank you, sir”: ibid.
Epilogue
268 “I’ll take a drug test”: Lamb, p. 179.
269 He was arrested four months: Tallahassee Democrat, July 3, 1992.
270 “I am not the same”: letter from Bob Byers to Judge Falcon Hawkins, November 12, 1985.
270 “His tail got caught”: interview with Tommy Liles, June 2008.
270 “The Great Cheeze Incident”: letter from Ben Graham to the author, May 2008.
270 “That asshole called”: ibid.
271 the DEA estimates 80 percent: DEA public affairs office.
271 In fact, more than twenty-five thousand Mexicans: Washington Post, August 2, 2010.
271 In the gentlemen smugglers’ home state: norml.org
272 “Has anyone seen his body”: interview with Bob Roche, February 2010.
About the Author
Jason Ryan is a South Carolina journalist and former staff reporter for the State newspaper. He was born in Connecticut and is a graaduate of Georgetown University. He lives with his wife in Charleston. Jackpot is his first book.