Largest Meth Dealer in O.C. Is Convicted

A jury Wednesday convicted a man described by authorities as Orange County’s largest methamphetamine dealer, whose enterprise was so powerful that it had a deputy district attorney as a tipster and generated weekly sales sometimes exceeding $1 million.

John Ward, 30, of Orange was found guilty of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute “ice” methamphetamine as well as cocaine, prescription pills and ephedrine. The jury’s verdict caps a five-week trial in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana and a federal investigation that included more than 12,000 hours of wiretapped conversations, discussions that revealed the inner workings of the drug network.

“We believe that a major . . . distribution ring has been dismantled,” said Assistant U.S. Atty. James Spertus. “Typically, these labs are small, mom-and-pop operations. This one, though, made millions in proceeds.”

Ward, who faces life in prison, was described during the trial and in court records as a larger-than-life figure who taunted undercover officers staking out his home and who once gambled away $400,000 during a Las Vegas weekend.

Ward’s parents--Dianne, 53, and Steve, 54, of Orange--were convicted of money laundering in the case and face up to 20 years imprisonment. Defense lawyers had argued that the parents had no knowledge of their son’s drug business and were simply tarred by an “avalanche” of negative evidence presented against their son.

Much of that evidence came from drug-ring members who pleaded to lesser sentences and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Former Deputy D.A. Tipped Off Ward

A key prosecution witness was Bryan Kazarian, a former Orange County deputy district attorney who kept Ward one step ahead of the law by providing him with insider information. Kazarian’s arrest in 1999 proved key in getting inside Ward’s organization, officials said.

Kazarian pleaded guilty and received a reduced sentence of less than 10 years in prison in exchange for his testimony.

Immediately after the jury verdict, prosecutors moved to forfeit more than $1 million in Ward’s property, including vintage cars, dune buggies, jeweled watches, a briefcase containing $150,000 in cash, and a Gucci dog collar with a $5,000 casino chip affixed to it.

Throughout the trial, Ward insisted that he made his living as a high-stakes gambler, as a dealer in vintage autos and as the owner of a T-shirt company. But prosecutors said Ward lost money on those pursuits and that his gambling debts at one point totaled roughly $2 million.

Spertus told jurors that Ward made his money by manufacturing a pure form of methamphetamine called ice and marketed the product in Hawaii. The drug was produced at Ward’s two estates in Orange and Anaheim, Spertus said.

Following his conviction Wednesday, defense lawyer Ronald Richardson said an appeal was certain. “John’s a fighter,” Richardson said.

Ward Is Unshaken After Verdict Is Read

Ward appeared unshaken shortly after the verdict was read and even laughed and smiled. He immediately urged the judge and jury not to allow the federal government to seize his property. His skin pale from prison confinement and his hair slicked back, Ward insisted that many of the dozens of items were gifts from Las Vegas casino operators. But the only piece of property that the government relented on confiscating was a 1920s-era train set that belonged to Ward’s grandfather and was given to him by his mother. The jury will decide the fate of the rest of Ward’s property Friday, when it resumes deliberations.

Richardson said the government’s attempt to seize Ward’s property was overkill. “Once the knife is stuck, there’s no reason to twist it even more,” he said.

Officials said Ward’s drug operation was aided by Kazarian, who passed along confidential information about a police investigation and told him about a law enforcement informant within the drug ring. On the stand earlier this month, Kazarian said he considers Ward a friend who treated him to several “high roller” weekends in Las Vegas.

For Kazarian’s protection, authorities have refused to say where he is being held.