Search of business owners’ home part of P.G. County corruption probe
The government also revealed in federal court Tuesday that Tick Tock Liquors owners Amrik Singh Melhi, 51, and his wife, Ravinder Kaur Melhi, 49, of Clarksville, were caught on wiretap talking about bribing public officials.
The Melhis were among nine people — including three Prince George’s County police officers — who were arrested Monday in a wide-reaching probe that also led to the dramatic arrest last week of County Executive Jack Johnson and his wife, County Councilwoman-elect Leslie Johnson.
During a hearing Tuesday, prosecutors said that agents raiding the Howard County home of the Melhis found $400,000 in cash stashed away in a closet. Prosecutors allege the Melhis and others paid Prince George’s County police officers to help smuggle untaxed cigarettes and alcohol from Virginia into Maryland.
Prosecutors said they listened in on a conversation in which the Melhis discussed paying off Prince George’s County public officials, but the government did not provide any more details.
Law enforcement officials said one of the defendants, 45-year-old Sgt. Richard Delabrer, moonlighted for the Mehlis and helped provide protection for the conspiracy.
A judge ordered the Melhis to remain behind bars. A third defendant, Amir Milijkovic, 39, the owner of an auto glass store in College Park, was released under court supervision. Delabrer, Cpl. Chong Chin Kim, 42, and the other defendants are scheduled to have their first appearance later this week.
The Johnsons were charged with destroying evidence Friday after authorities said the couple tried to flush a $100,000 check from a developer down a toilet and stuffed $80,000 in cash into Leslie Johnson’s underwear as FBI agents were closing in on them.
Prosecutors will not say how the Johnson case is directly related to Monday’s arrests, but described the cases as part of series of investigations into official wrongdoing.
Police Officer Sinisa Simic, 25, was indicted in a separate indictment on drug trafficking and gun charges.
Jack Johnson was back to work at the government offices Monday.
