U.S. CUSTOMS AGENT ASKED ABOUT MISSING DEFENDANT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000100420001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 29, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 1, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

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Sanitized - ApprovAtWIMFM r tiA &7
The trial of three men alleged
to have conspired in the un-I
lawful exportation of seven B-;
26 bombers to Portugal will re-
sume in Federal Court Tuesday.'
It will mark the start of the
third week in the case before)
Judge John 0. Henderson and al
jury of 10 men and two women.'
The missing, defendant, Greg
ory R. Board, 45, of Tucson,
Ariz., was a topic of defense
cross-examination of U. S. Cus-`
toms Agent Richard E. Pyne
late Friday.
Responding to questions from
Edwin Marger, a defense at-
torney, on, Board's whereabouts,
Mr. Pyne said he had "no idea"
but had last heard Board was
In Jamaica.
, "I don't believe Mr. Board
went to Jamaica with the knowl-
edge of U. S.. authorities," Mr.
Pyne added. I
The defendants, J o h n R.
Hawke, 28, and Henri Marie
Francois , de Mann de Mont-
marin, 58, were arrested 'in
Florida in September 1965, after
landing there in a C-46 cargo
plane with Board. While, Hawke
and de Montmarin were arrested
by customs agents, Board
escaped.
For Use in Training Pilots
Frank.Tummonia, a licensing
officer in the State Department's
Office of Munitions Control, said
no export licenses to lawfully
ship B-26 aircraft to Portugal
were issued to any of the de-
fendants.
A New York City bank official
testified in Federal Court earlier
that he was told 20 B-26 bombers
in a 1965. export deal were des-
tined for use in training Portu-
guese pilots and cadets.
The testimony of Thomas W.
Cross, assistant vice president of
the Bank of America's Middle
East-Africa Division, came at
the trial of three men charged
with unlawfully exporting seven
bombers to Portugal:
The Bank of America, 'Mr,
Cross said, was the reimbursing
agent for a Tucson, Ariz., bank,
which administered a $694,000
letter of credit in the plane deal
from Luber, S. A., a Swiss cor-
poratipn, to Aero Associates. Inc.
of Tucson. The proposed desti-
,nation of the 20 aircraft was
omltted In the letter of credit,
Mr. Cross said.
Utilizing Hardware '
In checking this out, Mr. Cross
recalled a visit in New York by
a man he identified as "Count
de Montmarin," Mr. Cross said
he could not positively identify
the defendant de Montmarin as
the count, noting "I only saw
him once for 20 minutes, 18
months ago."
"I asked about the utilization
of his hardware," Mr. Cross
added, "and he told me they
were to be used by the Portu-
guese government in training
pilots and cadets in flying .
He said they would be flown to
Lisbon and to the best of his
knowledge would not leave Por-
tugal."
He said the count told him he
was a client of the United Over-
seas Bank, Geneva, Switzerland,
which initiated the letter 'of
credit for Luber.
On trial are: John, R. Hawke,
28, a former Royal Air Force
pilot; Henri Marie Francois de
i Marin de Montmarin, 58, a
Trench businessman,. and. Wood-
row W. Roderick, 47, a Winni-
,peg, Man., businessman.
Flew to Montreal
Buffalo Customs Agent Rich-
ard E. Pyne testified that he had
a conversation at Rochester
Sept. 10, 1965,. with Gregory R.
Board, 45, the missing defendant
in the case.
"Board said he had recently
exported a B-26 aircraft to Can-
ada, which was delivered to a
W. W. Roderick. in Montreal,"
Mr. Pyne said. "Mr. Hawke said
he had flown the plane to Monf-
real."
At first, Mr. Pyne said Board
explained he was renovating
B-26 aircraft for civilian use.
Later, Mr. Pyne added:
"Board said he had negotla-
tions 'with the Saudi Arabian
.government for delivery of 40
of these bombers . for mill-