Posted on 11/29/2005 10:19:40 PM PST by Nachum
TRACES of cocaine were found on Michael Jackson’s underwear during a police raid, it was revealed yesterday.
The discovery emerged as the troubled singer faced shock new claims that he is abusing and trafficking drugs.
Cops are secretly investigating allegations by former aides that Jacko, 47, is hooked on anti-depressants and painkillers.
They say he pops up to 40 pills a day — and was seen falling flat on his face after injecting himself with a mystery drug.
He is suspected of transporting drugs from California to Bahrain, where he currently lives, and obtaining them with fake prescriptions.
Claims ... cops say Jacko is hooked on drugs
The probe is being led by Santa Barbara’s notorious District Attorney Tom Sneddon.
He is still smarting after failing to convict Jacko on child sex charges in the summer.
A Jackson aide said: “Sneddon still smells blood and is determined to nail Michael.”
The star could face up to 20 years in jail if he is brought to trial and convicted.
But aides fear the strain of a new court battle could kill him.
The investigation centres around a huge stash of prescription drugs seized when police probing the child sex claims raided Jacko’s Neverland ranch in 2003.
The swoop also unearthed the cocaine traces on the singer’s underwear. Residues of the painkiller Demerol and sedative Promethazine were also said to have been on the garments.
It is not known how the coke got there or in what form it was found.
The discovery was not revealed at the child sex trial because cops could not be certain it was Jacko who used the drug. They could not rule out the possibility the underwear had come into contact with maids or cleaning staff.
Jacko made repeated visits to hospital during the trial, suffering from excruciating back pain.
He once turned up in his pyjamas after a hospital visit. He often appeared dazed and on heavy medication. Pals believe he is takes so many painkillers and anti-depressants that he is constantly intoxicated.
The Neverland stash allegedly included bottles of Vicodin, Oxycontin, Versed, Promethazime, Xanax and Valium.
They were in Jacko’s bedroom but had been prescribed by doctors for aides including his assistant Frank Tyson. Police also seized notes from a doctor advising Jackson on how to use an opiate to wean himself off Demerol.
Cops suspected Jacko was using staff to fetch drugs in their own names or under bogus monikers.
They decided not to pursue the drugs case in favour of concentrating on the child sex claims.
But they are now reviewing evidence given by former Neverland security guard Chris Carter.
In papers just released by the Santa Maria court where Jacko was tried, Carter claimed Jacko took up to 40 anti-depressants a day. The transcript of a police interview with Carter, 25, reads:
Carter said he would get Xanax prescriptions at pharmacies for Jackson under different fictitious names including Carter’s own name.
He added that Jackson was taking ten-plus Xanax pills a night.
Carter said he expressed his concerns with Dominic Cascio (a friend of Jackson) and Dominic told him Jackson was doing better because he was down from 30-40 Xanax pills a night.
He said a doctor told him Jackson was addicted to Demerol, but said he was giving Jackson a placebo to wean him off.
He described a situation in Florida where Jackson and a security detail were in a hotel room alone and Jackson fell on his face.
He said he later found out that Jackson was intoxicated and had hurt himself.
Carter — now in jail for robbery and kidnapping — also claimed Jackson smoked pot in a recording studio with Bee Gee Barry Gibb.
Cops on Sneddon’s investigation have contacted doctors who treated Jacko and former Neverland staff. Californian pharmacies that may have dispensed the drugs will also come under the spotlight.
A Jackson aide said: “Sneddon thinks Michael could be getting drugs flown to Bahrain. The investigation is being kept secret.
“But Sneddon is considering whether he can get Michael on charges of conspiracy to export a controlled substance and prescription drug abuse. He hopes to put together a strong case and file it in the next few months.”
Jacko will fiercely deny any drugs charges brought against him.
A source close to his family said last night: “Michael would fight this in court. But none of us knows if he could cope with another investigation.
“Sneddon is obsessed with bringing him down. This is not justice, it’s a witch-hunt.”
Sneddon refused to answer calls yesterday. A spokeswoman said: “He has no comment to make at this time.”
Another source told of growing concern for Jacko because he has isolated himself from his family and loyal staff.
He lives in Bahrain because he fears being arrested if he returns to California.
The source said: “People just can’t get hold of him. The family are worried he is letting his business interests go in America because he is still taking too many prescription drugs.”
A string of top aides have quit over their inability to communicate with the star.
Even Jacko’s dad Joe has been unable to get hold of him.
He tried while his son was staying in London recently but was told by an aide still serving the star that he was busy.
Jacko’s lawyers and business managers are often told he is too tired to talk. The source said: “They fear Jackson is too drugged up to deal with anybody. They want him to go into rehabilitation to save his life.”
Zing!
I heard that MJ moved to Bahrain to train as a Jockey. He loves to ride three year olds.
If he wants to use drugs and doesn't hurt anyone in the process, it is none of my business. That being said, he should be in prison as a convicted child molester, making this thread a moot point, except California arguably has the worst criminal justice system of all 50 states.
Quite frankly, I wish he'd do everyone a favor, move to the hard stuff, and overdose on crack or heroin.
I question your state of mind and anyone who abuses drugs, as it does lead to such things IN VIRTUALLY EVERY CRIMINAL CASE that we see involving sex perverts, murderers, rapists, etc., etc., ad nausea!
Charles Ng, Leonard Lake, Tookie Williams, Michael Jackson, O.J., Ted Bundy,... ad infinitum...
HOW LONG DOES THE LIST HAVE TO GET ???
No more pings from you please, thanks sir.
And MARIJUANA is the biggest cash crop!
Imagine that!
I'm doing so here. Take me off.
Pathetic? You may disagree with specific things the prosecutors did, but to say that they were more pathetic than MJ reveals more about you than them.
Other than drug offenses, there is no correlation between marijuana use and crime. Needless waste of tax dollars. Marijuana is the largest cash crop in many states...but this doesn't affect the crime rate (except for drug-related offenses). It is not the largest cash crop in many liberal bastions...places with soaring crime rates (Michigan, D.C., etc.).
Before I get flamed as some type of libertarian junkie, (1) I have tried marijuana many years ago about five times in the aggregate, and (2) I don't use it now. Suggest you try it once before claiming it leads to Reefer Madness and the fall of Western Civilization.
why would anyone use an opiate to wean off demerol?
class A opiates have more favorable properties than demerol.
maybe they meant switching to lower dose percocets or lortabs instead of demerol
anyhow...looks like Chester was neck deep in a pharmacopia
I simply would not want to know badly enough to go through MJ's dirty undies. Oh the travails of being a policeman!
He sure appears to be very seriously damaged psychologilcally and from an early age. It's difficult to look at what he as turned himself into and remember the incredible talent he was in the early 80s. It was just sad until he started molesting kids. Now he needs to be stopped, for the children.
Ba-dum-dump!
You get the recycling award for reviving that old joke! Good one, though.
"If you want to be removed from this list please do so here..."
Remove me.
Of course, NAMBLA and other pedophiles are furious with Snedden. He and his family have received death threats.
And you have what you call a life?
You don't even know what life is...
Not very effectively, it would seem.
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