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Posted on Thu, Dec. 15, 2005
Bribes, schemes tied to gun's returnTestimony made during perjury trial

BY GEORGE PAWLACZYK
News-Democrat

EAST ST. LOUIS - During wrangling over how to get a .38-caliber revolver out of police custody, city politicians looked for bribes and cooked up fraud schemes, according to testimony Wednesday in federal court.

Illegal immigrant and former city businessman Ayoub "Dave" Qattoum, who faced deportation if the gun was traced to him, testified that these same politicians regularly came to his store at 2501 Louisiana St. and helped themselves without paying.

Qattoum has pleaded guilty and has agreed to testify for the prosecution in the obstruction and perjury trial of former Police Chief Ron Matthews.

Qattoum testified that besides asking Matthews, his attempts to get the pistol returned included:

• Bribing Councilman and city Democratic boss Charlie Powell by returning personal checks that Powell had written for cash at Qattoum's convenience store. Powell, who is awaiting sentencing on a federal vote fraud conviction and is no longer on the council, could not be reached for comment.

• Conspiring with Kelvin Ellis, former director of regulatory affairs for the city, in a scheme that was not carried out to demolish 10 derelict houses, replace the homes using a federal grant to the city. The houses would then be sold for double and the difference split between Ellis and Qattoum. In return, Qattoum said Ellis would use his influence to get the pistol back.

Ellis is being held in federal custody following his conviction on vote fraud counts and his guilty pleas to tax evasion and obstruction of justice.

Powell, Ellis and Councilman Eddie Jackson regularly filled up their shopping bags without paying, Qattoum stated. He testified that he was told Jackson was the key in getting Matthews to release the gun, which was never returned. It is in federal custody.

Jackson, who has not been charged with any crime, has said he won't comment about the trial.

Matthews is charged with accepting $1,200 of a $1,500 total payment from Qattoum to prevent the pistol from being seized. Federal immigration officials wanted to use the firearm to help deport Qattoum, a Palestinian, following Qattoum's arrest. Matthews is also charged with lying to a grand jury.

When arrested in August 2004, Qattoum was an auxiliary police officer on a special anti-drug team who allegedly fought with a regular city officer during an arrest. He testified he was also a felon who could not legally possess firearms.

Qattoum was arrested for interfering with the officer and released without having to appear before a judge. His pistol was seized as evidence and immigration officials later contacted him.

Worried about deportation, Qattoum testified that he met with Matthews at the downtown MetroLink station where Matthews worked part time as a security guard. He said Matthews told him the pistol was in his squad car's trunk.

"He assured me that the INS (the former Immigration and Naturalization Service) was not going to get the gun. He told me that," Qattoum testified.

Matthews' attorney, Stephen Welby, played portions of undercover voice tapes and one videotape made with the help of former Deputy Police Chief Rudy McIntosh, who was working undercover for the FBI.

In several of these, McIntosh is heard saying that Matthews would not talk about the gun.

But under further questioning by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith, Qattoum said he talked almost daily with Matthews about the weapon's return.

At one point, McIntosh, who did not testify, states on a tape that he can get the gun returned for $1,500 but that Qattoum could ask no questions about how this was accomplished. Qattoum said he paid the money to McIntosh the next day.

East St. Louis Police Detective Mattalue Ellis, Kelvin Ellis' daughter-in-law, testified that she was called in to investigate Qattoum's arrest last year. She said she verified that Qattoum was a felon and amassed a large case file that she intended to bring to the office of the St. Clair County State's Attorney.

But several days after the arrest, Mattalue Ellis said she was warned not to make any copies of the report and to bring all her records on Qattoum to a superior's office.

Mattalue Ellis, who said she went ahead anyway and photocopied her Qattoum case files, testified that Matthews and Detective Ken Berry were at the meeting.

She testified that Matthews angrily ordered her to turn over all her records on the case because it was going to be handled "in house." She said she complied.

Contact reporter George Pawlaczyk at gpawlaczyk@bnd.com and 239-2625.