CONDOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000100890054-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 20, 2010
• Sequence Number: 54
• Publication Date: February 22, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100890054-6
UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
22 February 1983
TAMPA, FLA.
CONDOR
An FBI agent has confirmed federal officials are investigating the
operations of a man who local officials are holding under $250,000 bond for a
worthless check charge.
William C. Cruse, 64, was arrested Friday for passing a worthless $100 check
and sheriff's deputies said the high bond was requested by the FBI because he
still is under investigation.
An FBI spokesman said no charges have been filed against Cruse and said he
did not know if any were anticipated.
Cruse came to Tampa last June as president of Condor Tampa Inc., which he
said would build a telecommunications research plant employing several hundred
people.
He told Committee of 100 Executive Director Fred Meade he was a project
director for Fairchild Camera and Instrument Co. in Palo Alto, Calif., and the
new plant would be a division of Fairchild or a joint venture.,
But Meade said this week he didn't hear much further about the plant until a
few weeks ago when several local businesses called and said Cruse was seeking
credit.
Meade said he contacted Cruse about his reported financial problems and was
told he had switched from Fairchild to Northrop and was shown papers indicating
Cruse had been approved a defense contractor by the Defense Department at
Edwards Air Force Base in California.
But Meade said neither the defense department nor Northop had any record of
Cruse.
He said Cruse told him the lack of funds was a ''counterintelligence mixup. "
''It's just where the money is coming from that is top Secret," Cruse told
Meade. "Don't worry about it.''
Cruse left Tampa Tuesday, allegedly for Zurich, Switzerland, to resolve
problems in getting money transferred from bank accounts there to accounts in
Tampa. FBI agents were waiting to question him when he returned Thursday.
Cruse told a reporter Friday his firm ''had suffered a major leak in its
security," and indicated a counter-espionage investigation was under way
involving the FBI, the CIA and the Department of Defense.
He said his financial problems were "compounded by a banking foulup, " and
would be straightened out soon.
Arthur Roth, who was hired away from another company by Cruse to handle
construction of the proposed plant, said he and several other employees decided
last week that too many of Cruse's stories conflicted and turned to the FBI.
''We decided it was time to ask the FBI to investigate,'' Roth said. ''They
did and determined there were many irregularities in the operation.''
Roth said he left Condor Tampa Inc., last week after his pay check bounced.
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100890054-6