Access Given to Some Reports in Bonanno Drug Case

U.S. District Judge Howard B. Turrentine on Monday granted attorneys for Joseph C. Bonanno Jr. access to some reports prepared by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation that resulted in Bonanno’s arrest last year on suspicion of conspiring to sell cocaine.

The court, however, denied a request for documents and statements made by people that the prosecution contends assisted Bonanno in the alleged conspiracy.

The list of agencies that the defense alleges compiled documents on Bonanno through the use of informants include the San Diego Police Department, the FBI and investigators for the State of California Department of Justice and the attorney general’s office, as well as agents from the Nevada Department of Justice, the Nevada attorney general’s office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

“The credibility of the government agents and informants is going to be a crucial issue,” said Barton C. Sheela III, Bonanno’s attorney. “The stuff we requested is going help us demonstrate their lack of credibility. Once we get the information, we can begin our own investigation.”

Bonanno, son of reputed Mafia chief Joseph (Joe Bananas) Bonanno, was arrested along with his wife, Karen, and four others in November on suspicion of conspiring to sell cocaine to an undercover agent. The Bonannos are free on $100,000 and $50,000 bail, respectively.

Turrentine ordered Assistant U.S. Atty. Michael Lasater to turn over the material by Feb. 19.

Sheela requested and was granted access to material that contains references to promises of immunity or leniency made by state and federal government agencies to the informant.

He also was granted access to statements concerning money or promises of money made to the informant to solicit his cooperation by federal or state agencies, and government agencies are to provide statements and dates of the transactions and the amounts paid.

Sheela sought copies of all personal telephone calls made by the informant from his residence over the past year, but Turrentine limited his access to calls made by the informant that were paid for by government agencies.

The court also agreed that the government must provide Sheela with transcripts of grand jury testimony by witnesses who testified against Bonanno.

While the court ordered the government to release some information requested by Sheela, it denied his requests for lists of all subpoenas served seeking information about Bonanno and letters and other written documents that show communications between the U.S. attorney’s office and other state and federal agencies concerning the targeting of Bonanno as a defendant.