“[United States District Court, District of Oregon] Judge Redden sentenced Jerry Ruth to six separate eight-year prison terms. He sentenced Michael Palmer to three separate eight-year prison terms. Additionally, he fined Ruth five thousand dollars and Palmer one thousand. During Ruth’s and Palmer’s sentencing, Judge Redden again called the cocaine case “the largest in Northwest history,..”.(easy money)

Although credit card purchases are safe on my website, I know some folks make it a policy never to make cc online purchases. If you are one, yet still want to purchase my books, we can make it happen. Send an email to ray@raytercekbooks.net. Include your mailing address in the email. I will mail the two-book set (USPS). You can send me a $16 check using the return address on the package.

[Chapter One, book two]: US attorney Charles Turner issued a press release on April 19, 1984: The federal grand jury at Portland Oregon has returned a 37-count indictment charging eight individuals in connection with an international cocaine trafficking group centered in the Portland area… smuggling and distribution of an estimated five hundred pounds of cocaine with a wholesale value of fifteen million dollars…[the investigation] developed by the Northwest Organized Crime Drug Task Force, one of twelve regional task forces established by president Ronald Reagan…to disrupt trafficking by organized criminal groups throughout the nation.
…Jose Carlos Chavez-Vernaza, Lake Oswego, Oregon, and James Francis Barnard, Jr., Portland, were identified in the indictment as the principals in the cocaine smuggling and distribution organization… Others charged with conspiracy and distribution of cocaine were Michael D. Gogan, Michael G. Palmer, James A. Ruth (also known as Jerry Ruth), Julio Rodolfo Morchio-Godoy, Jaime Alfredo Santos-Chacon, and Diego H. Romani-Jimenez.

James Barnard was the perfect partner for Pepe Chavez. He had moxie, and he was relatively unknown by police. The partnership was good for James Barnard, too. He had simple interests. His first interest—his passion—was drag racing in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). His second interest was the business of cocaine. In reality, the two interests were one. He was in the NHRA to be the world champion, and he was in the cocaine business for the same reason—to be the world champion. Through 1980, Barnard worked his business all over the NHRA circuit. “Auto parts,” he called the product, when boxed and delivered. Racing colleagues Michael Palmer and Michael Gogan lived in the Tacoma area. Palmer and Gogan, together, had a drag car that they raced on tracks in the smaller northwest circuit. They hadn’t hit the big time, like Barnard, but they hoped to soon—with cocaine sales. In 1981, Barnard picked up another distributor. He was Jerry “the King” Ruth a former national champion.

…business for the enterprise was up to a load a month—two kilos per delivery. It was smuggled in at $62,000 per kilo, then—diluted, cut again, and repackaged—it went and out for sale. It went out, cut by forty percent—priced by the ounce, and sold by the gram—for a return of $160,000 to $200,000.

SERT-TheRedLionHotel

February 28, 2013

Your Books sound fascinating since I used to go to Seattle International Raceway in the 70s and saw Jerry Ruth and Mike Palmer [driver of the Looker, Keating, and Gogan dragster in 1980, formerly Palmer, Petty, and Keating] run top fuel dragsters. I was stationed in the Air Force in the early 80s at Norton AFB in San Bernardino and also saw Ruth and Palmer at the Winternationals at Pomona Fairgrounds and Orange County Int’l Raceway in Irvine, and saw Jim Barnard win the 1982 World Finals over Gary Beck in the final. Sometime in ’84 my father, who was in  Tacoma, told me about Jerry Ruth getting busted in a cocaine ring, although I had no idea that “Barney” was actually the big wheel of the two… can’t wait to read them, and I can learn something about real
police procedures. I also recognized “Leland Beard” as decorated top fuel and funny car crew chief Lee Beard who started out with Ruth and then worked for Barnard.

I took a cursory glance this afternoon and like you said I recognized some more names from the drag racing community, Marty
Maltais, who ran a very polished and classy Pro Stock Vega up until late in the ’79 season with a first-class corvette AA Funny car. All the while I wanted to send this email of thanks since I put off going to dinner and buying some clothes for several hours once I started going through the volume!

Thanks again,
Joe Moore

February 19, 2013
Greeting Mr. Tercek!
Just purchased both your books! I am a life long Portlander, your books are a treasure. Thank you for your service and keeping the history alive. Much appreciations. How many years did Robert L. “Bobby” Lee serve? Did the government confiscate everything? …Your accounts should be turned into a movie – I’m serious.
Best Regards,
T. Kong