RICKI SUE JACOBSON

BEFORE THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS

COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS

November 4 and 5, 1991

Committee On Interior and Insular Affairs

United States House of Representatives

1324 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C.

Good afternoon, Chairman Miller and Members of this Committee. My name is Ricki Sue Jacobson. I am here today in response to the Committee's subpoena regarding my employment with Wackenhut Corporation. I reside in Miami, Florida with my three children and I am currently training to be an executive secretary.

I accepted employment with the Wackenhut Corporation in November of 1989. I had no previous investigative experience. Until that time, I had worked as a realtor since approximately 1976. However, in early Fall of 1989, a friend of mine suggested to me that I would make a good investigator and recommended that I contact an acquaintance of hers if I were interested. Her acquaintance was Mr. Wayne Black. At that time, Mr. Black was not with Wackenhut Corporation, but was operating his own practice. I contacted Mr. Black and he explained that his firm was being bought out by Wackenhut and that he would soon be employed there. After several meetings and discussions, and once Mr. Black had joined Wackenhut, I was hired as an entry level trainee. For licensing purposes, my position was known as "private investigator intern".

At the time my employment began, Mr. Black told me that my duties would basically involve property and asset searches, especially since I had a good real estate background. He also indicated that I would occasionally be doing "witness locates". In the initial weeks of my employment, I worked with more experienced investigators. During this period, I also worked on some surveillance assignments. In approximately February or March, 1990, Mr. Black asked if I would like to travel to Alaska on an assignment. Originally, I hesitated because I do not like being away from my children for long periods of time. However, after being assured by Mr. Black that I would be gone only briefly, I agreed. I was not told the name of the client or the nature of the operation. I was given only the case number, which was 427.

Mr. Black briefed me for my assignment during March of 1990 and I was due to leave around March 20, 1990. In my briefing, Mr. Black told me I would be attending an environmental conference in Anchorage, that I would be travelling under an assumed name, and that I was to have no public contact with Mr. Black or Mr. Rick Lund while in Anchorage. Mr. Lund was an investigator under contract with Wackenhut who often worked with Mr. Black. My assumed name was "Ricki Eidelson". Eidelson is my maiden name and Mr. Black suggested I use it since it would be easy to remember. In the course of my briefing, I was also instructed by Mr. Black to become generally familiar with various ecological groups because I would be attending the conference pretending to be an ecological researcher for an environmental group in Miami. The environmental group I would be representing was called "Ecolit" and was a fictitious organization created by Wackenhut for the purpose of this assignment. After preparing in accordance with my instructions, I travelled to Anchorage on or about March 20, 1990. Prior to my departure I was given false identification documents to support my assumed name. These documents included a Florida driver's license issued in my fictitious name, business cards from Ecolit, and luggage tags. Mr. Black and Mr. Lund travelled on board the same plane, but we had no contact with each other, as per the instructions I had received. Mr. Black's assumed name was Wayne Jenkins, also supposedly with the Ecolit group. I believe Mr. Lund's assumed name was John Fox, though I am not certain. At this time I still had no knowledge of the client's name, the nature of the operation or effort of which I was a part, or the name of any persons who might be the subject of any investigation to be conducted by Wackenhut.

After my arrival in Alaska, I travelled to my hotel, the Captain Cook, and registered. Mr. Black and Mr. Lund also travelled to the hotel, though separately from me. Shortly after we arrived at the hotel, Mr. Black and Mr. Lund met with me in my room and discussed various details of my assignment. The essence of their instructions was that I was simply to attend, and take notes at, the environmental conference scheduled to begin the next morning. However, in the course of this meeting, Mr. Lund also asked that I attempt to see the conference registration list and to let him know if the name "Charles Hamel" appeared on that list. This was the first time I ever heard the name "Charles Hamel", and nothing further was said about him. When I inquired later about the list, I was told that a registration list was not available and I therefore reported to Mr. Black and Mr. Lund that I was unable to determine whether Mr. Hamel had registered at the conference.

On March 22, 1990, the third day of the conference, while I was seated with other conference attendees in the dining room of the hotel, Mr. Black approached me and whispered "the guy we want you to eyeball is in the lobby." I believe these were Mr. Black's exact words. He then motioned for me to follow him. I was surprised because I did not know anything was expected of me beyond my attendance at the environmental conference. However, I walked to the doorway of the dining room and Mr. Black pointed out Mr. Hamel standing in the lobby. Mr. Hamel was speaking with a man and a woman. I observed them for a few moments, but did not overhear their conversation. When they left the lobby, I returned to the dining room and later reported my observation to Mr. Black.

During the evening of March 22, 1991, the day the conference ended, I visited a local restaurant and bar with a fellow conference attendee. Upon my return to the hotel, I noticed Charles Hamel standing in the lobby area. Believing that Mr. Black and Mr. Lund would be interested in Mr. Hamel's whereabouts, I contacted one of them (I do not remember which) and advised him of Mr. Hamel's presence in the lobby. I was instructed to keep Mr. Hamel under observation and, if he left the lobby area, to follow him. After a short time, I followed Mr. Hamel into the hotel bar. He was in the company of another gentleman and I learned later that his name was Rick Steiner. I sat a few stools away from Mr. Hamel and Mr. Steiner and, after a few moments, I used the phone in the bar and called Mr. Black or Mr. Lund (I do not remember which), and notified him of my whereabouts. A few moments later, Mr. Black and Mr. Lund entered the bar separately, as if they did not know one another, and took separate seats. After approximately twenty to thirty minutes, Mr. Hamel and Mr. Steiner left the bar. My observation terminated at that time. However, I believe either Mr. Black or Mr. Lund followed Mr. Hamel and Mr. Steiner out of the bar. During the time I was in the bar, I do not recall engaging in any direct conversation with Mr. Steiner or Mr. Hamel, and I do not believe I did. However, I recall having brief eye contact with one or both of them in the course of various comments I was exchanging with the bartender.

Sometime after I returned to my room that evening, Mr. Black and Mr. Lund came to my room and we discussed the events of that evening and our travel arrangements home, now that the conference had ended.

I left Alaska on the morning of March 24, 1991. While waiting to board my flight in the Anchorage Airport, I noticed Mr. Hamel in the concourse area. I was very surprised that I happened to be booked on the same flight. After being seated in the coach section, Mr. Hamel noticed me and apparently recognized me. After exchanging a few words, he invited me to sit with him and I did. I was very nervous because my assignment was over and I did not know how to handle this particular situation. Since Mr. Hamel had just been the subject of our surveillance in the bar, and because I wanted to be very careful, I introduced myself using my assumed identity and purpose.

Mr. Hamel's destination was Seattle, the first stop on my flight to Miami. During the time we sat together, Mr. Hamel very candidly discussed many things of concern to him, including a lawsuit with Exxon, his own oil leases and problems he encountered with water being mixed with his oil. He also mentioned that he had various sources inside Alyeska Corporation feeding him various types of sensitive information. He discussed secret meetings and even the suicide of one person involved. I did not understand much of what he was saying and felt very astonished and uncomfortable at the great degree of trust he was showing a complete stranger. In addition to these discussions, Mr. Hamel asked me a lot about myself and about Ecolit. In the course of that part of our discussion he mentioned that he would be coming to Miami and that, when he did, he would visit Ecolit. After I returned to Miami, I reported my experience with Mr. Hamel to Mr. Lund and then to Mr. Black and subsequently dictated a memorandum to Mr. Black containing the same information. I maintained no activity logs during my stay in Alaska because I was told by Mr. Black that none of the usually required activity logs were to be maintained in connection with the Alaska trip. Several days after my return to Miami, at the direction of Mr. Black, I contacted Charles Hamel one or two times at the number Mr. Hamel gave me on the airplane. The purpose of my phone call was to attempt to arrange an introduction between Mr. Hamel and Wayne Black (posing as Wayne Jenkins of the Ecolit Group). Mr. Black was present during my calls to Mr. Hamel and spoke with Mr. Hamel himself once the introduction had been made. Subsequently, it is my understanding that he made several additional phone calls to Mr. Hamel. I witnessed approximately two of the calls made by Mr. Black (Jenkins) to Mr. Hamel. I observed at least one of these telephone calls being recorded by Mr. Black. The device used was a wire with a suction cup attached to the receiver and the other end attached to a small tape recorder on Mr. Black's desk. I know other phone calls to Mr. Hamel were recorded because Mr. Black played for me the tape of at least one of the phone calls which he made to Mr. Hamel.

In the days immediately following my return to Miami, Wayne Black arranged to establish an official Ecolit office in Miami, in the Coconut Grove area. This was done because Mr. Hamel had stated to me on the airplane that he would be coming to Miami and would come by to see Ecolit's offices and get to know more about the group. However, within a few weeks after my return, Mr. Hamel had indicated that he would not be coming to Miami. Therefore, Mr. Black determined that we would have to travel to Washington, D.C. in order for him to meet Mr. Hamel. At that point, Mr. Black directed me to travel to Washington with him to make the introduction. I did not really want to go, and I did not want to be a part of any further deception of Mr. Hamel. In fact, on April 30, 1990, I wrote a letter to Mr. Black explaining this and I have provided that letter to this committee in response to the subpoena served upon me. Nevertheless, after much discussion, Mr. Black did succeed in convincing me to travel to Washington with him and to introduce him (as Wayne Jenkins) to Mr. Hamel with the understanding that I would not again be asked to have contact with Mr. Hamel or to engage in any further deceit pertaining to Mr. Hamel. I wrote Mr. Black an additional letter, on May 6, 1990, which he received on Monday, May 7, 1990, confirming my earlier statements to him that I was uncomfortable about my role in the Hamel matter, that I was above my head in terms of my experience as an investigator, and that I wanted no further contact with Hamel or this case. I would add, however, that at this point in time, May 6, 1990, I still had received no information from Wackenhut regarding the identity of the client or the nature or purpose of the operation. My letter of May 6, 1990 was provided to this committee in response to the subpoena served upon me.

I arrived in Washington, with Wayne Black, on approximately May 9, 1990. Mr. Hamel picked us up at a restaurant in downtown Washington and drove us to his office. Wayne Black was introduced as Wayne Jenkins of the Ecolit Group, and Mr. Hamel introduced Mr. Black and myself to several other persons present at Mr. Hamel's offices. Mr. Hamel picked up his mail at his offices and placed the mail and several other items, such as newspapers, in the back seat of his car. He then drove us to his home in Alexandria, Virginia. During the time we were riding to Mr. Hamel's home, Wayne Black was seated in the back seat and I was seated in the front passenger seat. At one point during our trip, I looked back and observed Mr. Black going through Mr. Hamel's mail. I did not see Mr. Black actually take any of the mail. After we arrived at Mr. Hamel's home, Mr. Hamel took the mail and other items into his home and placed them on his desk in the livingroom of his home. Nearby, on the floor, were many other stacks of papers. Mr. Hamel left the room twice while we were there. During each of his absences, I observed Mr. Black leafing through Mr. Hamel's mail and the numerous papers stacked on the floor. Mr. Black was very happy about the opportunity to observe Mr. Hamel's mail and papers and commented to that effect several times. I became extremely nervous and apprehensive and very much regretted being there.

After a while, Mr. Hamel reappeared with his wife and we all chatted for awhile, primarily about Ecolit. Mr. Hamel seemed quite suspicious about Ecolit and asked many questions of Mr. Black. After awhile, Mr. Hamel and his wife invited us to join them for dinner at a nearby restaurant. Just prior to departing for dinner, Mr. Black used the bathroom in the Hamel home. A short time later, while walking to the restaurant with Mr. and Mrs. Hamel, Mr. Black quietly stated to me that he intended to tape the dinner conversation. Specifically, he advised me not to talk too much so that the tape would not contain too much unnecessary chatter. Sometime after we reached the restaurant, Mr. Black went to the restroom and after he returned he whispered that the tape had not worked, that the conversation did not record. Based on this, I concluded that Mr. Black had wired himself at the Hamel home and attempted at the restaurant to tape the dinner conversation with the Hamels.

After dinner, we walked back to the Hamel home and Mr. Hamel drove Mr. Black and me around Alexandria and then to the airport. on the flight back to Miami, Mr. Black removed from his brief case two long envelopes, bearing metered postage, which he indicated he had taken from Mr. Hamel, although I cannot recall whether he stated the items were taken from Mr. Hamel's car or his home. I reacted with surprise and asked how he could have taken the items and he responded that "they were stolen anyway" and that they did not really belong to Mr. Hamel.

After returning to Miami, I discontinued all contact with Mr. Hamel. I resigned Wackenhut on or about June 25, 1990. Between the time of my return and my resignation, among other duties, I continued to man the undercover Ecolit office and, on one occasion, I was asked to -- and did -- examine trash which I was told had been taken from Mr. Hamel's residence. I resigned in writing and my resignation letter has been provided to this committee in response to the subpoena served upon me. I have had no further contact with the investigation pertaining to Mr. Hamel, or with the Wackenhut Corporation except in connection with these proceedings.

I hope that this information is helpful to the Committee and I will be happy to try and answer any questions which you may have.

/s RICKI SUE JACOBSON

SWORN TO AND SUBSCRIBED before me the 1st day of November, 1991 in the County and State aforesaid.