CIA TIE TO CASE HERE STIRS INTEREST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000200170016-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 24, 1999
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: September 18, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

CPYRGHT,
CPYRGHT
1 11 By JOE IIIGGINS '
of Me MILITTr
in various parts
and even the world, people w o
worry ,about the doings of the t p
secret, -C e n t r a 1 Intellige e
Agency will be focusing their at-
tention on Buffalo this week.
For at the U.S. Courthouse
here, the ? government " Tuesd y
will start its trial of four rn,n
on charges of engaging in a' c n.
spiracy to export"warplanes' to
Portugal without obtaining a g w
ernment license. "
Newspapers and magazin s
throughout the nation ha e
taken a great. interest in tie
case, mostly because the qu -
tioh of CIA complicity has he n
.raised. In addition, public -?
tions in as - widely- separat d
places as ;,England and. A -
tralia have, devoted much spa e
to the case.
The four defendants claim t ey
were charged as the result of an
interagency mizup; that the d-
eral agents' who arrested th m
were unaware' that the exp ?ts
were designed to aid Portugal in
a' fight with rebellious' Airic n
in Angola and that the CIA ? a
behind the scheme.
U.S. Atty. John T, Curtin, h
will prosecute the case, scoff a
the claim and secs it as" a' de c
that' may become a "stand r
defense" in future criminal ca es
Characteristic, Silence
The CIA, of course, has ai
nothing and apparently doe n'
plan to say anything:
Charged' with conspiring to do
late' the' Neutrality'Act by ex rt
ling' B-26 bombers; weapons n
~spare? parts' are:- ' . .
, \Henri: M. ? ? F. ' de ,'Marie d
Montmarin, 58, of Paris, ance;
ohn R. Hawke; 28, of Ft:'Lairder-
ale, Fla.; Keat Griggers, 41', of
amestown, Calif., and""Wo6drow
Roderick, 29, of Tucsdtt, Ariz.
A fifth man, Gregory' It.
Board, .45, formerly of., Tucson,
is out of the country-and'cannot
be extradited.
Curtin, who will .be? aided ;dur?
ing the trial by Asst; U.S. Atty.
Richard J.. Lehner; expects the
trial to last about two weeka,rit
The indictment'alleges"drat` in
the spring sand- summer of'1963
seven B26 bombers' of 'a'planned
20 were exported; Charges were
brought, in 'Western New,-'York
because' some of the crafts' are
alleged to' have'-crossed :Theca-
nadian border'' here' on ?their 1Vay
to" Europe: '
French Aristocrat
De- Montmarin a FrenClr count,
is. alleged to have been commis,
sioned in : Paris to 'locate,'B26s
and to have, made contact'.'With
Board. Roderick - allegedly con-
tracted to buy the planes'through'
a Tucson firm, and Hawke,', 'a
former RAF 'stunt ;pilot, Is ;Al-
leged to? have made flights, With
Griggers. I. .., :r
Conviction of `Violating'the?`act
or conspiring to violat'e' It ,`could
bring -p ' rison sentences r'anging
fronc'two to f1v6years' and fdiies
25b~bb
ranging' from $10,006 to
The men, except for Board, all
have pleaded Innocent, :at>Si are
free on bail. ? De. Montmarin., still
maintains the government had;.no .II.
probable cause" to arrest him
and. a 'motion to. this effect'`wiU
be .'argued Monday'-in" a"p7olim ,
inary. :xhs main trial," s't's+"