Jury out in Camden drug slaying case

A federal jury in Camden began deliberations yesterday in the trial of Juan Rivera-Velez, who is accused of killing a rival drug dealer and attempting to kill a witness to cover up the slaying.

The jurors asked two questions during a half-day of deliberations before going home for the night. They are scheduled to resume work at 9 a.m. today.

Prosecutors say Rivera-Velez, 35, worked for cocaine kingpin Ray Morales, who ran one of the city's largest cocaine empires from 1992 to 2004. Morales, who began cooperating with federal investigators to dismantle the organization after his arrest in 2003, was a key witness against Rivera-Velez.

The jury asked for a transcript of Morales' testimony, as well as transcripts for seven other witnesses who testified over six weeks. The panel also asked whether Rivera-Velez could be found guilty of attempting to kill a murder witness if he was not found guilty of killing the drug rival. Rather than directly answer the question, U.S. District Judge Joseph E. Irenas read portions of jury instructions presented to the panel before deliberations. The transcripts, he told them, will be available today. - Barbara Boyer