Lee Shown Taking Alleged Bribe Money

Jurors in the racketeering case against International Boxing Federation founder Robert Lee Sr. got their first glimpse Friday at hidden-camera videotape of Lee receiving alleged bribe money.

The flickering tape shows Lee in a hotel suite with longtime IBF rankings chairman Douglas Beavers. Beavers pulls up his pants leg and removes a packet from his sock.

“Christmas cheer,” he says.

Lee takes the packet and asks: “What, how much is this?”

“It’s $5,000,” Beavers says.

Prosecutors in federal court in Newark, N.J., introduced the evidence in their continuing effort to paint Lee as the ringleader of what they claim was a 13-year scam that wheedled $338,000 in bribes from promoters and managers.

As one of boxing’s three major sanctioning bodies, the IBF issues rankings that determine which fighters get big-money bouts. The bribes allegedly served to push some fighters up the standings.

Lee, 66, has called the accusations against him outrageous. He faces 39 counts ranging from racketeering to money laundering to tax evasion.

Also charged are IBF executives Donald “Bill” Brennan, Francisco Fernandez and Lee’s son, Robert Jr. Only the Lees are before the jury now. Brennan was severed from the trial because of ill health and Fernandez remains at large.

So far, a month of testimony has centered on Beavers, the prosecution’s star witness. Confronted by FBI agents in May 1997, he secretly cooperated in compiling hours of videotapes and recorded conversations.

In the tape shown Friday, Lee and Beavers met on Dec. 18, 1997 to discuss the IBF rankings and, it appears, bribes.

The packet Beavers hands to Lee was allegedly part of a $10,000 payment made by Colombian promoter Billy Chams to improve the standings of welterweight Hugo Pineda and junior-featherweight Victor Llerena. Both fighters jumped several places subsequent to the December meeting.

At one point, Beavers frets about dealing with the Colombians, saying that “they’ll send them . . . guys . . . and cut me and you both up.”

Lee responds: “Feed us to the fishes.”

On numerous occasions, the men refer to “Fuzzy” or “Fuzzy Wuzzy,” the nickname they allegedly used for promoter Don King. Prosecutors allege King made many improper payments to the IBF and have identified him as an unindicted co-conspirator in the case.

The tape shows Beavers wondering about future payments from King, saying: “I hope Fuzzy sends us a Christmas turkey.”

“Amen,” Lee responds. “It wouldn’t be Christmas without a turkey . . . and some stuffing.”