Celtics in Drug File Convince Auerbach It’s Phony

Boston Celtics President Red Auerbach said he is satisfied that players whose names and telephone numbers reportedly were found in a file seized in a raid on the home of an alleged cocaine dealer are telling him the truth when they say the whole thing was phony.

Discovery of the file was reported Wednesday by the Boston Globe and Boston television station WCVB.

The names and telephone numbers of several unidentified Boston area professional athletes, including Celtic players, reportedly were found in the file.

Auerbach told the Globe that police contacted him last Thursday and that he talked to the players.

“When the team came to Washington to play a game on Saturday night, I took the players named aside,” Auerbach told the newspaper.

“I looked them right in the eye, and I told them I wanted the truth. They told me they never heard of the man and never met him in their lives. They said the whole thing was phony.

“I want it reported that before this ever hit the press, we conducted our own investigation. I am satisfied my players are telling me the truth. I told them to forget about it,” he said.

According to the Globe, George R. Snierson, 43, of Brookline was arrested Oct. 25 in Brookline on a warrant in connection with a bad check.

Search warrants indicated that a search of Snierson’s home later found 51 grams of cocaine, a small amount of marijuana, $38,259 in cash, gaming slips, more than 100 pieces of jewelry and records, the newspaper said.

Unnamed sources told the Globe that the records included a file catalogue of telephone numbers containing the numbers of several ballplayers.

The newspaper said it was told that Brookline police turned the file over to the Norfolk County district attorney’s office, and that prosecutors gave it back to police, who returned it to Snierson.

District Attorney William Delahunt, Brookline Police Chief George Simard, Brookline Chief of Detectives Capt. Francis Hayes and Snierson’s lawyer, Anthony Traini, declined comment. Traini said he advised Snierson not to comment.

In an affidavit, Brookline Detective Robert L. Allen said material seized from Snierson’s home “is consistent with a large-sized illegal narcotics distribution operation.” He declined comment to the Globe.

Search warrants filed in Brookline District Court do not list the telephone file among evidence seized by police.

Snierson pleaded innocent to charges of larceny by check and trafficking in cocaine and was released on personal recognizance Oct. 29. A pretrial conference is scheduled Friday.