Yet more evidence of the vast quantities of cocaine imported by the network we were investigating and of the sums involved.

The spelling mistakes appear exactly as recorded by the Bermuda Police and are included to ensure an precise representation appears.

Statement of:    Victor Alongi

Age of Witness    39

This statement consisting of 12 pages each signed by me, is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and I make it knowing that, if it is tendered in evidence, I shall be liable to prosecution if I have wilfully stated in it anything which I know to be false or do not believe to be true.

30th July 1990

I first went to BERMUDA in the early part of 1988. I had met MARCUS COHAB in prison in FLORIDA. OPALACKA WORK RELEASE, HIELEAH, FLORIDA: its part of NORTH MIAMI, MARCUS COHAB has been running drug into BERMUDA since 1982/1983. The reason was that there were great profits in selling the drug in BERMUDA because of its higher dollar value. MARCUS instructed me to go to BERMUDA and meet a friend of his called DONNA. DONNA is a black American girl, about 30 years old, medium skinned, about 5’6" tall and 180 lb. HUGO MATA, brother of MARCUS COHAB, told me that he had met DONNA in TEXAS. I had met DONNA previously in FLORIDA at her apartment in Deerfield Beach. HUGO MATA and MARCUS COHAB had found the apartment for DONNA in DEERFIELD BEACH in the early part of 1988.

I travelled to BERMUDA in MAY or JUNE, 1988, I left from MIAMI for NEW JERSEY. I travelled via NEWARK. I was carrying a kilo of cocaine in a body belt. I had an argument with MARCUS COHAB about the trip but he assured me that it was as easy as entering the BAHAMAS. I made the trip and walked straight through Customs. I was travelling under my real name and MARCUS COHAB schooled me in what to say if I was stopped. He told me that I had to have somewhere to stay and a return ticket. MARCUS COHAB suggested the Bermudiana. I wrote that on the card I went to the ROSEDON, a guest house opposite the HAMILTON PRINCESS. I paid about $120 a night and stayed for three nights. That included breakfast. I paid cash. I telephoned MARCUS COHAB from the ROSEDON, in FLORIDA. I dialled direct to tell him I had arrived. MARCUS COHAB told me that DONNA would come to my room at l0.OOpm. DONNA did arrive at l0.OOpm and I telephoned MARCUS COHAB again in Florida to tell him that she had arrived. I recognised her and she was there when I called MARCUS. I gave her the drug. The cocaine was wrapped in plastic ziplocked bags, multi-layered. There was pepper and coffee in the wrappings so the dogs would not detect the drug. DONNA said she had been there a couple of months, she stayed a total of about 6 months before she was pulled out of Bermuda by MARCUS COHAB. I stayed three days, had a look around and then left. DONNA gave me about $8000, I kept $5000 and gave the rest to MARCUS COHAB. I returned to NEWARK then on to FLORIDA I believe I flew on EASTERN.

The next trip to BERMUDA was a couple of months later. I travelled the same route, FLORIDA, NEWARK, BERMUDA return. I carried a kilo of cocaine again. I always worked for MARCUS COHAB or one of his brothers HUGO MATA, or LUIS APARICIO. I carried it into BERMUDA again in a body belt and on this occasion again stayed at the ROSEDON. I stayed under my own name the first 3 or 4 times. I again followed the same routine and met DONNA at ROSEDON; she came to my room and I gave her the cocaine. She gave me some money again, probably $8000-$l0,000, the legal limit to enter the USA. I was in Bermuda about 3 days. I usually arrived on a Friday and left on a Monday or Tuesday.

The third trip was still in 1988. I stayed the first day at ROSEDON, then moved to the WOODBOURNE guest house. I met another tourist and he told me that the WOODDOURNE was a good guest house. I stayed at the WOODBOURNE for about 2 days. I always put a false Bermuda address on the Immigration Card so that I could not be traced. I always paid cash. On this occasion I gave the cocaine to DONNA on the first night at the ROSEDON. I dealt with DONNA on three occasions and that was the end of my contact with DONNA. The 3rd trip was a kilo of cocaine and again I think I might have taken money out. COHAB paid for my trips, $1000-$1500 expenses and $5000 for the run. Thats wrong, I only got $2,500, I had a deal with MARCUS COHAB where I was investing half my fee into a major boatload of drug that the "brothers" and MIRANDA were intending to run into BERMUDA.

In October 1988 I made a trip to BERMUDA on my own behalf. I had 2 1/2 oz of cocaine. I had met a guy at the COCK & FEATHER who I thought I might sell it to. I never got to meet the guy again as I was banned from the place as I gave some cocaine to someone in there. The manager, a short GERMAN guy, I think his name was CHRIS, threw me out.

I left the COCK & FEATHER and went to the ROSEDON. The next day I went down to Front St and one of the skippers of a tour ‘boat invited me on as his guest. That’s where I met TED MING. I was having a few rum swizzles and taking in the sights. I saw TED MING, I saw his long finger nail. That was the first time I saw TED MING. He was playing his guitar. I offered him some cocaine, I was anxious to get rid of it, I couldn’t take it back to the US. He looked at it, he took it to the bathroom, came back and said "THIS IS GOOD STUFF". He told me that he knows someone who needs some, I

said "GOOD, I HAVE SOME". He said "I WILL GET WITH THEM TONIGHT AND GET BACK TO YOU TOMORROW". I said, "NO, TONIGHT". At l0.3Opm on Saturday night at the Southampton Princess, I met with TED MING, DEXTER DILLAS and LARRY EBBIN. At ll.3Opm I had sold the cocaine for $5000, $2,500 an ounce. I kept the rest for myself. DEXTER DILLAS negotiated the deal. They had the money with them, mostly US currency; we sent out and exchanged it around town, Bermuda dollars for US dollars. I discussed future deals with them. From discussions with them I worked out that they could sell about $13,000 worth of cocaine a week.

About a week later, about the middle of October I returned to BERMUDA without telling DEXTER DILLAS and LARRY EBBIN. I arrived at the airport and from the cab called DEXTER at his house. I went to his house and sold the 8oz of cocaine I was carrying to DEXTER for $13,000. Within half an hour I had made $8000 profit. I bought the 8oz from LUIS APARICIO and told him that I was selling it in New York State. I did not tell them that I was selling cocaine in BERMUDA.

The cab driver took me to DEXTER DILLAS’ house. The cab driver took directions to the house over the car phone from DEXTER DILLAS.

The apartment was underneath TED MING’S house. The apartment consisted of a bedroom, living room and kitchen. They took the cocaine into the kitchen and tested it, they "cooked" it. They weighed it on a triple beam scale and they paid me. The cash was mixed. I went to the banks and changed the Bermuda dollars to US dollars. This trip was under the name of RAYMOND COOK and I stayed at DEXTER DILLAS’ apartment. LARRY EBBIN was there throughout the transaction and the rest of the day.

Shortly after my return to NEW JERSEY where I was sharing an apartment with HUGO MATA, MARCUS got in touch with me and asked me to go to TAMPA and meet him on the boat. I went to TAMPA. I met TONY MIRANDA, HUGO MATA and MARCUS COHAB. They took me out on the boat; I thought we were going to dinner. We were in the Gulf of Mexico about 5 miles out. They were very excited. They said I had gone to Bermuda stealing their business. They were very upset. I had been in prison with MIRANDA & COHAB. We had discussed deals we could do when we were out. MIRANDA was on the run, he had escaped from prison.

MARCUS COHAB and TONY MIRANDA were "permanent party residents" at OPALACKA prison. They had been in the prison before I arrived and they worked in the kitchens or other duties where they remained at the facility whereas I went out of the facility to work. I arrived at OPALACKA Xmas Eve or New Years Eve 1986. That was the first time I met MIRANDA & COHAB. We got to know one another, I used to play Scrabble with MARCUS and discuss other subjects with MIRANDA and COHAB. We discussed such things as cultivating marijuana and running drugs into Bermuda and other illegal activities. We were in prison together for about 9 months. I was released on September 4th 1987. We arranged to get together when we all got out. We never lost contact and we were in contact almost every day. I had seen HUGO MATA (COHAB’S brother) when he vistied COHAB in prison and met him properly when we were all out of prison. I met LUIS APARICIO (COHAB’S other brother) at the end of 1987 or the beginning of 1988. Another person I met in the work release centre was JULIO JUNKI. JUNKI’S mother’s boyfriend was a source of drugs for his operation and also for the CUBAN brothers. The brothers MARCUS COHAB, LUIS APARICIO, & HUGO MATA all had the same mother but different fathers but basically they are all Cubans. JUNKI is a Cuban.

Back to the boat in TAMPA BAY, MIRANDA, HUGO MATA and MARCUS COHAB. They were angry at me for stealing the BERMUDA business, that is going over to BERMUDA without them knowing, and selling cocaine. MARCUS COHAB threatened me with a long bladed knife. I struggled with him and he cut my finger. In fact I later went to a hospital and was treated for a severed tendon and used HUGO MATA’S insurance card. MIRANDA held a GLOCK 9mm handgun to my head. The gun was bought in Fort Lauderdale by HUGO MATA in his name, I was with him the day he bought it.

MIRANDA was acting the "tough guy" and threatening me. I was kicked and hit about the head and was very scared. They duct taped my hands and feet together; I realised they were serious and I was really scared, they were going to throw me overboard. They couldn’t get the tape to stick so they never actually got the tapes on my hands or feet. They were in a frenzy, kicking and beating me. Eventually HUGO MATA stood in front of them and protected me from MIRANDA and MARCUS COHAB. They calmed down when I explained that I had given them money from my trip to BERMUDA on my own in order to finance the big boat load we had planned for BERMUDA in the future. I also told them the contacts I had made in Bermuda, DEXTER DILLAS, LARRY EBBIN and TED MING.

This happened in November 1988. We arranged to go to BERMUDA to introduce HUGO MATA to my contacts DEXTER DILLAS, LARRY EBBIN, TED MING and COLIN SMITH. We travelled to BERMUDA in November, probably the middle of November. I had been invited to TED MING’S wedding on November 9th but we couldn’t make it. We arrived after that. I was delayed in TAMPA and MARUCS COHAB kept me close to them for a couple of days.

From Tampa we went to MIAMI to pick up one kilo of cocaine to take to Bermuda. We sent to BERMUDA via NEWARK. I carried the kilo of cocaine as usual, on my body. I think HUGO MATA might have used the name RAYMOND COOK and I used my own name. I sometimes used the name PHILIP HEPLER. I bought the birth certificate from some guy down in MIAMI. You only need a birth certificate to get into BERMUDA. I used that identity when I wanted to enter BERMUDA without the brothers knowing I was visiting.

HUGO MATA and I stayed at a guest house, owned by TED MING and his brother RAY. It was a two bedroom apartment with a kitchen, living room. It was pink, and the apartment was on the top floor of a two storey building. It had a TV. We paid the rate of $60 a day to RAY MING, that was for both of us, it was a good deal. We stayed there for about a week. We took a cab from the airport to DEXTER’S apartment where I introduced HUGO MATA to DEXTER DILLAS and LARRY EBBIN and TED MING. I might be mistaken - I think it was a half kilo as the money we received from DEXTER DILLAS totalled $21,000-$25,000, that would be the cost of half a kilo. We were selling cocaine at about $48,000-$50,O00 a kilo in BERMUDA. We were buying it for $12,000, $13,000 a kilo in the States. When I went on trips on my own behalf I sold cocaine by the ounce for $2,500 an ounce.

The exchange of cocaine for money took place in DEXTER & LARRY’S apartment, TED MING wasn’t there at that time. DEXTER tested the cocaine as "cooking" it and then he weighted it. TED MING came to the apartment and was introduced to HUGO MATA. It was arranged that TED MING hold the money while we were in BERMUDA. TED had a false closet wall or hiding place where the money would be secure. We trusted TED MING because he had introduced me to DEXTER and the organisation. The money was mixed, Bermuda and US currency. We changed BERMUDA money into US dollars at the banks. We used the all the banks. A couple of days later TED MING brought all the money down from his house and we counted it at DEXTER’S kitchen table. HUGO MATA had been away to his other contact in BERMUDA, the one that DONNA, the fat black American woman I had met on previous trips had been delivering the cocaine to . I think this was HUGO MATA’S first trip to BERMUDA as he kept asking me things about the island and I had to give him the informtion. HUGO went off somewhere after our arrival and collected money from his other contact and brought it back to DEXTER’S home. TED MING held that money for us as well. The total amount was $52,000. I remember the amount as I was accused in DEXTER’S apartment when we were sorting it out to convert the Bermuda to US currency of taking $2000 as the amount totalled only $50,000. TED MING had brought the money down from his house. Nobody accused TED, they thought it was me, which was crazy as I was sitting at the table with them and wearing a short sleeve shirt. We changed a lot of the money at all the banks, LARRY EBBIN would take us and we would run in using any old names.

HUGO and I visited TED MING’S house, he showed us around and we had Thanksgiving dinner with him and his wife. TED MING’S wife is white, Canadian and her name is RUTH. TED MING’S house is very spacious, tastefully decorated and the house was white. We spent the evening there.

I left BERMUDA after approximately a week and HUGO MATA stayed on for about another week or ten days. I carried some money out, probably the usual $8,000 or $10,000. I flew back to Newark and stayed in New Jersey.

I went over to Bermuda on three occasions for HUGO MATA, MARCUS COHAB & LUIS APARICIO between May 1988 until about the end of August 1988, a total of 3 kilos.

I then made two trips on my own behalf mid September 1988 until the beginning of November 1988. The first trip I took 2 1/2 oz, the second 8 oz.

I went down to BERMUDA with HUGO MATA in the middle of November, Thanksgiving, with a pound of cocaine. We agreed that I had made enough trips, that’s the brothers. I was considered as a "hot" item. I still worked for them and kept in contact. I got cocaine from them, selling it in New Jersey.

After that, in approximately April 1989, I was at DEBRA OWEN’S/MARTIN’S house, in Norwood Aye, Longbranch, New Jersey. DEXTERDILLAS had called DEBRA’S home. After I stopped going to BERMUDA, DEBRA OWEN/MARTIN was carrying the drug to BERMUDA for the Cuban brothers. DEBRA had carried about 8 kilos of cocaine to BERMUDA, about a kilo every month. She travelled by plane, cruise ship and MARCUS COHAB even travlled with DEBRA to BERMUDA on a cruise ship. This must have been in the spring or summer of 1989. She had to be withdrawn because she was a "hot item" (could be well known). DEBRA was in contact with DEXTER DILLAS a lot. She stayed with him when she went to Bermuda, DEXTER was fucking DEBRA, DEXTER used to travel to NEW JERSEY and BOSTON often.

Anyway I spoke to DEXTER on DEBRA’s phone, he said he would see me when he got to New Jersey, but I never got to see him.

The last trip to BERMUDA was on 23rd October 1989. I went alone and I carried 3 1/2 oz of cocaine in a body belt. I stayed at WINDSONG guest house which is near to the Mazda dealership. I stayed in Bermuda for 7 days. I arranged this trip with MURRAY BEVERIDGE. I met MURRAY BEVERIDGE at the 40 Thieves nightclub through DEXTER DILLAS and LARRY EBBIN on a previous trip. MURRAY BEVERIDGE was the manager of the 40 Thieves. He’s from Scotland, he’s tall, about 6’ 2 1/2", white, blond coloured hair. I had known him for about a year, I met him with HUGO MATA, DEXTER & LARRY. I met him on several occasions, I had his number (telephone). I gave him my "beeper" number. I used cocaine with him socially; he was a friend who I could trust. His place was somewhere I could go with safety. He would not tell the brothers in Florida about my visits. He knew the situation and did not want to be an accessory and get on the wrong side of the Cuban brothers. I went to this house, which is very close of Hamilton. His Wife is very pretty, a Portuguese girl, her name is MELLO, she works as a cashier at the Paraquet, her name is ARLENE.

I phoned MURRAY from New Jersey and arranged to bring cocaine in for him. The arrangements wre made with 3 or 4 phone calls over a three week period before I arrived on the 23rd October 1989. I gave him the drug at Windsong and the price ‘was $2,500 an ounce. We kept half an ounce for our own use. He took one ounce, the first visit, and came back with $2,500. He had a contact he had made in the Sparrows Next, a club in Hamilton. Apparently this contact has a barbers shop outside Hamilton and he wanted me to bring in a kilo of cocaine for him, according to MURRAY BEVERIDGE. MURRAY took the three ounces off me for a total of $7,500.

When I was in Bermuda on this trip I was shopping in the Supermart on Front Street when I ran into DEBRA OWEN/MARTIN. It was a surprise for both of us and she apparently told the Cubans, HUGO MATA, MARCUS C,OHAB & LUIS APARICIO that I was in Bermuda again. This was after my warning on the boat in TAMPA BY. The result was that a contract for 10,000 was put on me by the Cuban brothers. I left Bermuda the 30th October 1989 for the last time. I got an apartment in Long Island, New York and a job shortly afterwards.

The "motherload", the big shipment for Bermuda was due for January 1989. The Cuban brothers bought a 36’ "LONESTAR" sail boat; they had to learn how to use it. They bought it expressly for this trip, they had been planning the trip since 1982. They planned to bring into Bermuda 300 lb of cannabis and as much cocaine as she could carry. The boat is now in Florida somewhere, they occasionally go to the Bahamas. My investment in the boatload was lost once they put the contract on my head. I was really upset with the Cuban brothers because I had put them in touch with TED MING, DEXTER DILLAS and LARRY EBBIN, and they made a lot of money out of my contacts and I made nothing out of it. They threatened to kill me in TAMPA BAY and now have a contract on me, I owe them nothing. I even checked out Bermuda and found the place where they could land the boat in the boat’s Zodiac inflatable. The Cubans have brought into Bermuda, I would estimate, a kilo a month (or a month & a half) that would be approximately 18 to 20 kilos in the last 2 years since I was working with them and aware of their operations; since our release from prison. COHAB has been operating in Bermuda since 1982, so you can work out for yourself how much has gone into Bermuda since then.

The other people involved with the Bermuda deal were COLIN SMITH, he was at DEXTER’S apartment often and we used the drug (cocaine) when I was there. He was high and I saw him buy $50 amounts.

ANGELA TRAPASSO is HARRY OWEN’S girlfriend. OWENS is a goafer for the Cubans.

CHERYL ANN OWENS is DEBRA OWENS sister. They all use cocaine and all hang around with anyone who uses cocaine.

DANIEL LATINI is MARTIN PIZZO’S uncle. PIZZO is connected with HUGO MATA.

I have been involved in cocaine for 20 years, I am a habitual user. I am trying to straighten myself out. I got a job, an apartment and hoped to stay clean.

Statement recorded between 2.35pm and 4.2Opm Monday 30th July 1990 and between ll.50am and 3.45pm Tuesday, 31st July 1990.

Both interviews recorded at Monmouth County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office (District Attorney) by the undersigned.