DATE: Saturday, July 19, 1997               TAG: 9707190277

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Briefs 

                                            LENGTH:   54 lines

VIRGINIA [BRIEFS]

ROANOKE - A car dealer accused of laundering money for a drug smuggler gave 16 cars to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency during the past six years, but was not charged until the case was publicized this week.

David A. Thompson was charged Wednesday with money laundering. Six years ago, he first agreed to plead guilty to the same charge, as well as to forfeit $500,000 worth of vehicles, internal DEA documents show.

U.S. Attorney Bob Crouch said the DEA planned all along to charge Thompson at the end of its investigation. He also said there was nothing wrong with the plea agreement that involved car forfeitures.

But an Alexandria attorney who helped set up the asset forfeiture office at the Department of Justice said Friday that Thompson's case is unusual, both in the way it was handled and the length of time it took to conclude.

Smith said seizures are usually made all at once and the proceeds usually go to a general fund and do not ``feather the nest of a particular office.''

Thompson laundered between $250,000 and $350,000 for Roanoke-based Colombian drug-smuggler Javier Cruz in 1991, according to the DEA.

By law, the vehicles must be used for law-enforcement purposes.

House speaker questions

slow funding for parks

RICHMOND - A powerful Democratic legislator has accused Republican Gov. George F. Allen's administration of slowing development of new parks.

House Speaker Thomas W. Moss Jr. of Norfolk aimed his criticism at Allen's natural resources secretary, Becky Norton Dunlop, during a meeting of the Commission on the Future of Virginia's Environment on Thursday.

The commission, which Moss heads, was told that spending for parks is trailing spending for other projects approved by voters in a 1992 referendum. Moss suggested the slower spending for parks stems from Dunlop's opposition to public ownership of land.

``Somebody has done some foot-dragging, and I think it goes back to the secretary of natural resources and her basic philosophy,'' Moss said.

Dunlop denied that she is holding back parks projects. She said she generally favors private ownership, but citizens have a right to seek lands for public use.

Virginians voted by a 2-1 margin in 1992 to spend $95.4 million on parks and recreation projects. As of May 31, only 43 percent of that money had been spent, according to administration figures given the commission.

By comparison, 86 percent of bond money approved for education and 78 percent for mental health projects had been spent.

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