I got a call from a criminal defence lawyer whom I had gone to law school with; he wanted to see me about a client, someone whom the law was searching for, but could not find. His missing client was the accountant for my largest client drug organisation, who had apparently been under indictment for some time. I did not know this, because in the Federal system, cases where the defendants are not yet apprehended are sealed, and not available to the public. You do not know they are gunning for you until it is too late.

Everybody else in the gang were either:

• Convicted after a long criminal trial, where the biggest kingpin in custody received three life sentences plus 200 years, and the others received nasty sentences.

• Fugitives, on the run, in either Mexico, Europe, or heaven knows where, under assumed names.

• Hoping that they would not be named in subsequent indictments.

• Cooperating with the authorities, having received immunity from prosecution for their assistance.

His client had been initiated into the organisation several years before. I needed to make sure the major leadership in the organisation had no prior tax issues, which would have raised their profiles, so I took them to a tax professional whom I knew; This accountant.

Whilst reviewing the client's filings, and deciding whether to declare certain amounts of income, he happened to disclose that he was running an effective money laundering operation. If you've been paying attention, you know by now that I was constantly on the lookout for new money laundering schemes. Here it is:

• This one involved hiring my clients as commission salesmen for a company that sold food to pizzerias.
  

• The clients soon were listed as being the most successful salesmen in the region, and they earned large "commissions" each week.
  

•  In truth and in fact, they were dropping off their drug profits, which were being deposited and returned to the clients in commission cheques, less a fee earned by the accountant and his confederates in the pizza business.
  

• The clients promptly paid all necessary income taxes on their commissions, and the balance was totally legitimate; clean funds.

Thus, the accountant and I were involved with these clients, together, early on.

The lawyer wanted me to identify all the players; the cast of characters in the latest superseding indictment, a mammoth document that included ship's captains, domestic land transporters, wholesale sales staff, and a host of persons who performed offbeat but necessary maritime or marketing tasks for the organisation.

It seems that I was the only one who could identify the more obscure suspects, their job descriptions, and where they were currently evading justice, or serving prison sentences. I was happy to help, because I was certain to acquire some information in the process. It would be a mutually beneficial exchange.

So we went through the names and charges, one at a time. After the session was over I realised that, if I was indeed a central player in this drama, I might be on there next time the indictment was amended. Whilst the lawyer did not throw me any surprises, it was what was not said that was of major importance. Who was to be next?

Next Week: The enemy approaches.