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Levi to decideon strike forcesWASHINGTON (API — Atty. Gen. Edward Levi will decide within a few weeks whether to disband special strike forces against organized crime, according to the head of the Justice Department’s criminal division.While Levi’s evaluation is taking place, the department has swapped the chiefs of its narcotics and organized crime sections in an apparent effort to change the practices of both.Asst. Atty. Gen. Richard L. Thornburgh said Wednesday that the changes will mean that the special organized crime inves^ tigators will concentrate less on numbers runners and bookmak-ers and more on major infiltrations of legitimate businesses by organized crime. The federal drug effort will be better coordinated, he said.Thornburgh said he is shifting William S. Lynch, head of theorganized crime section, to a new job as chief of the Narcotics andDangerous Drugs section.He appointed Kurt Muellenberg to take over the organized crime section. Muellenberg had been temporary Chief Of the narcotics unit.“I have been somewhat uneasy about the management of the organized crime section. That has been no secret,” Thornburgh said.Thornburgh said the organized Crime strike fbrcee Currently operating in 15 cities “have strayed from a concentration on involved, sophisticated schemes.” He is pushing for more intensive investigations of crime syndicate infiltration of legitimate businesses, financial institutions and labor unions.“That’s where the big movement is” among the leaders of organized crime, he added.He indicated he believes Muellenberg will be better able to control the strike forces which have engaged in sometimes fierce rivalries with U.S. attorneys and others in the department.Thornburgh said the changes also signal a more intense f ight against illegal drug traffic.In a memo released at the time of the announcement, Lynch said Thornburgh “advised me tobegin an enhanced federal effort in the area of drug abuse law enforcement/*Thornburgh said the move is designed to get prosecutors in at the ground level of major narcotics investigations.In the past, the Drug Enforcement Administration often has delayed informing prosecutors about major cases until very late in the investigations and this has sometimes hampered prosecutions, Thornburgh said.Thornburgh said he is continuing to review the effectiveness of the organized crime strike forces and he expects to make a recommendation to Levi soon.Asked whether the strike forces have been productive, he responded, “I don’t want to get into that while they’re under re-ICview.
Newspaper Details
Wichita Falls Times
Wichita Falls, Texas, US
Thu, Oct 14, 1976
Page 30
Full Page
Clipped by
Madison H.
NA, 25 May 2023
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