MI-5, DATED 2-9-67
Agency: FBI
Originator: SEE TITLE
From: MI-5
Document date: 00/00/0000
Document type: PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC 2107 Note) .

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JFK Assassination System

Date:

6/1/2015

Identification Form

Agency Information

AGENCY: FBI

RECORD NUMBER : 124-90154-10124

RECORD SERIES: HQ

AGENCY FILE NUMBER: CR 162-1-202-67

Document Information

ORIGINATOR: SEE TITLE

FROM:

[Restricted]

TO:

TITLE: [Restricted]

DATE:

PAGES:

SUBJECTS :

00/00/0000

14

MICHAEL MCLANEY

[Restricted]

DOCUMENT TYPE :

PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION :

Secret

RESTRICTIONS :

1B; 1C; 4

CURRENT STATUS :

Withhold

DATE OF LAST REVIEW:

10/30/1998

OPENING CRITERIA:

INDEFINITE

COMMENTS :

MEMO

v9.1

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SECRET

our Ref: SE.52/5

720-

#214

326

Classified by

9th February, 1967.

gambling activilies-Bahamas Islanie

You

will recall that on 30th December, 1966, I forwarded

to yoù a memorandum based on information received from the Bahamas

Police (Special Branch - Supt. Gregory Bentley in charge) via

my Headquarters as well as from my opposite number in Jamaica.

2.

As paragraph 7 thereof indicates,

we were most anxious

that no action be taken by you to prejudice either the source

or subsequent investigation in the Bahamas; we are grateful

for your co-operation in this respect.

We did, however, ask

you to let us have details of any records you had relating to

those mentioned in the report.

Such records as were available

you kindly forwarded to us on 5th January, and since that time

I have made oral requests for further information relating to

MCLANEY, and for a further attempt to be made to check the name

566856

CLASSIFIED BY

DECLASSIFY ON: 25X

D3

As indicated at the time, the material I passed to

you

emanated from a source whose reliability had then to be

established; the same state of uncertainty regarding the source

pertains today.

As you will appreciate, the report as it

stands indicates that the P.L.P. in their recent election

campaign in the Bahamas expected to derive appreciable assistance

from the u.S. contacts named in the report, some of whom (such

as PROBINSKI seem to be concerned unexceptionally with the

Civil Rights movement and others, such as Michael MCLANEY

perhaps with organised crime syndicates.

In the event, the

election passed off without violence, but this may have

been

due more to the fact that the P.L.P. (unexpectedly) won the

election than to any other factor; even though the allegations

GADR 7/20/35

of arms trafficking made in the report cannot be confirmed,

there

is reason to believe (based on what the F.B.I. Field Office in

Miami has passed to the Bahamas Police in recent months - para

of my note

refers) that the P.L.P. (if so disposed) could have

laid their hands on sufficient firearms to make their point.

4.

• The result of the elections was that the P.L.P. came to

power, and L.0. PINDLING (para 2(d) of my note) is now Prime

Declassify

Minister.

While investigations in the Bahamas have by no

means confirmed the entire story as recorded in my letter of

30th December, it is nevertheless a fact that since the

election

MCLANEY has been seen in and around a Bahamian Minister's office

and-this naturally gives rise to concern on the part of the

Governor and also the Commonwealth Office in London as to the

extent to which those named in my note of 30th December, may

havelycceeded in ingratiating themselves with the P.L.P.

Leaders for purposes which,

to say the least, are most unlikely

to be conducive to good government.

ENCLOSURD

alonel

15. The !..

REG 13 162-1-202607

€ FEB 23 1967

32340095

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5 .:

The question of the extent to which Mr. PINDLING and

his ministers should be advised against maintaining associations

with undesirable clients such as MCLANEY not only raises

problems of dissemination, but also (and perhaps even more

important) the extent to which it would be wise to base an

approach solely on the contents of the unconfirmed report sent

to you on 30th December.

6.

If I may say so, my own view has been from the outset

that your expert assistance should have been enlisted in an

attempt to get to the bottom of this report, particularly

as it contains suggestions that U.s. citizens may have been

engaged in unlawful activities within your jurisdiction.

am glad to say that this view has now been accepted; accordingly

I have been instructed to approach you on behalf of

the British

Government departments concerned, as well as my own Service,

and to request that you would be

so good as to consider mounting

an investigation of those named in the report, including the

interviewing (where possible) of those concerned, with a view

to assisting us to determine its reliability.

7:

In an attachment to this letter, I attach additional

information relevant to the original report which I have re-

ceived from the Bahamas, and. may I say not only how much your

collaboration at this stage would be welcomed by us, but

also that my services are

always at your disposal, should

clarification of any point be required.

8.

In view of the delicacy of the matter under reference,

we have been at pains throughout to avoid publicity of any kind,

and for this reason none of the suspects have been questioned

in the Bahamas itself.

You should know that the source of the

report in question was in lact James HAWTHORNE!

and while we

see no reason why he should not be questioned in due course, we

do venture to suggest that care should be taken to avoid

giving him any reason to think that you are aware of his role

as a source of Special Branch Bahamas, and that perhaps he

should not be approached until after some of the others con-

cerned have been seen,

and have provided (at least notionally)

collateral on which to base the approach to HAWTHORNE himself.

I believe that at the moment HAWTHORNE, MCLANEY and PROBINSKI

are all in the Bahamas.

9.

Since drafting the above, I have also heard that on

6th February, a Mr. Peloquin of

visited the Bahamas, and indeed spoke to Mr. PINDLING about

the undesirable aspects of the characters of MCLANEY (whom he

said was

'in trouble' with the Internal Revenue service,:

PROBINSKI (a bankrupt, who had kept a house of prostitution),

and one 'Tex' MCCRARY, whom Mr. Peloquin said had been in

/touch ...

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÷ 3-

touch with him last week in Washington, and had indicated that

Mr. PINDLING wished to have information about McLANEY and

PROBINSKI. As a result of his visit to the Bahamas, Mr.

Peloquin has agreed to supply full dossiers on MCLANEY,

PROBINSKI, MCCRARY and CHESIER to the Governor, through the .

Consul General.

10.

Mr. Peloquin is no doubt keeping you informed of his

interest in this matter, although I myself dia not hear of his

plan to go to Nassau until after he had returnea.

I under-

stand that Mr. Peloquin is aware of my contacts with you on

this matter; I accept that he may well be in a position to

supply the Bahamas with information from U.S. agencies other

than

• the F.B.I.

(with which I have no contact) but notwithstanding

what Mr. Peloquin may have on record, and the channel to the

Bahamas he has established (through the U.S. Consul General)

it still seems

to me to be right to present you now with all

the facts as I know them, and to invite you to pursue some

active enquiries in order to get to the bottom of the

'HAWTHORNE' story.

11°

Amongst the enclosures to this letter will be found a

somewhat fuller version of the source material included in our

note of 30th December 1966.

Enc.

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INFORMATION

C Para 11 o covery utters refers).

ti.

3 .

the following is a summary of the information which bas

been reced!

Y up to 16 DEC 06.

The sour

j18 engaged in tbe

activitléster the us and Bahamian citize

" concerned, and tbe

Speclal Branch assessment of the source is that he 18 thought

to be reliable and that

the information is probably true.

SECRET

- a). A group of American citizens named Michael

agreed to give financial and other assistance

to the PLP, in return for gambling concession8

after the PLP form the lovernment. MCLANEY 18

the leader of the group.

b) HAWTHORNE will leave for EUROPE p.M. On L6 DEC 06

to arrange for the purchase of sone 1,500 small

arms and ammunition to be used by the PLP in

an armed insurrection, planned to take plâce

should the pLp lose the Election at the polls.

MCLANEY has arranged for purchase funds to be

made available at the EXCHANGE & INVESTMENT

BANK, 15 PIERRE FATIO, GENEVA, where a person

named LouiS POLTAR is to be contacted.. The .

arms are to be purchased in BELGIUM, and

shipped from ANTWERP to a port which has not

yet been decided, butthe ultimate destination

may be TREASURE CAY in the Bahamas.

c) Should the PLP not obtain a majority of seats

at the Election, MCLANEY 1s determined tbat

the armed insurrection will start, irrespective

of the then policy of the PLP Leaders.

d), An unidentified' contact of MCLANET's, Who 18 a

resident of NEW YORK, has promised to loan a

twin engine aeroplane and pilot to the pip for

campaign purposes.. The same person promised

25,000 (2 or g?) to the PLP campaign fund

when he

me tErENd INcRE NEW YOrK recently.

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-2.

CREN

OVINSKY WilL move to NASSAU

advise the

on campaign tactics and rul

their public

rolations.

He is known to nare brought in

excess o

$15,000 to, NASSAl over the week-end

3 - 4 DEC

06 and this

money is believed to

have

Deer

ear-marked for the syment of PLP:

candidates, deposits on y DEC D0 (Nonination

day) •

f) ? VINN wiid be responsible for PLP public

relations in the lISA, including PLP propaganda

in the international

press.

He 18 also arranging

for the provision of PLP campaign propaganda to

the

Bahamag.

FOULKES and Milo BUTLER

enrared in a plan which is aimed at the

exploitation of certain documents stolen from

the FREFPORT AUTHORITy and the: law offices of

Stafford SANDS.

In essence, PINDLING will be

given the documents after he has given evidence

which will ensure the withdrawal of certain

indictments, returnable to the NEW YORK Grand

Jury, issued recently against the present

possessor of the documenta:

h) MCLANEY will arrange for a 321 boat to be

placed at the disposal of PLP candidates in

the out Islands.

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SECRET

James Russell HAWTHORNE LOU POLLAR

Subject of your memorandum 15402 dated January 1967;

this indicates

, that he has an extensive record of violent crime.

Introduced to Special Branch Bahamas, through Roy

SOLOMON, former Minister for Communications and Works in U.B.P.

government defeated at January 1967 elections.

Apparent motive

for coming forward was desire to be on the right side in the

event of trouble, and to gain standing with U.B.P. in hope of

obtaining new gambling concession.

Early in January 1967, HAWTHORNE claimed to have been to

Geneva to collect a letter of credit from the Exchange and

Investment Bank, 15 Pierre Fatis, and to have handed this over to

Mone IouiSXPOLIAR, who was it seems to have been some kind of

contact man

with access to supplies of arms in Brussels, which

would be shipped later to the Bahamas (possibly Treasure Cay)

via Antwerp.

POLLAR, according to HAWTHORNE refused the letter

of credit,

and added that in any case no arms were available in

Belgium because stocks had been bought up by King Hussein of

Jordan.

Enquiries in Switzerland revealed that the Exchange and

Investment Bank was

established in 1959, and moved to Geneva in

1966:

There are six Swiss directors, and one American.

The

latter is Benjamin, WHEELER Of Miami - your memorandum 15403 of

4th January refers.

No trace could be found in Swiss records

Of either HAWTHORNE or POLLAR having been in Switzerland up to

6th January, but on 9th January, it was reported that LOU POLLAR,..

an American citizen with large sums at his disposal was due to

arrive

there that day; in fact he did not arrive.

In the

meantime a check had been made of Belgium immigration records

for details of any visit there (December/January 1967) by

HAWTHORNE, with negative results.

At this stage, an opportunity was taken of questioning

HAWTHORNE about his movements with a view to verifying the

story he gave as at paragraph 3 above.

On 7th January, he

claimed to have flown to Europe from Nassau on 19th December

accompanied by an English girl, whom he had met in Bahamas on

16th December, and went straight to Geneva; he claims to have

returned from Europe to Nassau on 4th January 1967, via Bermuda

and Miami®

It is confirmed that HAWTHORNE was in

fact a

passenger'

to London on BOAC Flight BA 672 from Nassau on 19th

December.

There is no record of any onward journey from

London on HAWTHORNE's part.

HAWTHORNE alleged that he stayed

in London at the Carlton Towers Hotel; the result of a check on

this statement is awaited from London.

16.

It ...

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2

6.

It is not without interest that HAWTHORNE is the subject

of an exclusion order in London; he clearly slipped through the

Immigration control at London Airport; Furthermore, according

to Interpol, he was sentenced to two years imprisonment in

on was sentenced

absentia in

1961 for fraud.

He married a Belgian girl in London

in December 1960.

7°

HAWTHORNE aIso alleges that when in London in December/

January 1967 he saw "quite a lot" of a man named WESTON "a

person of substance and high level contacts".

He added that

WESTON had had a very satisfactory interview

with Wallace GROVES

in Freeport, Bahamas involving a land transaction worth 12z million

dollars.

WESTON has not yet been identified.

HAWTHORNE also said on 7th January, that the arms dealer

he had met in Geneva was not POLLAR after all,

but an unnamed

West German; it was this man who refused to do business with him.

He told Special Branch Bahamas that he (HAWTHORNE) would be

seeing MCLANEY for frank instructions on 7th January (i.e.

prior to the Bahamas elections).

9.

Regarding LOU POLLAR referred to above, a delicate source

reports that a U.S. citizen named Lou POLLER who lives in Miami,

is an even larger shareholder of the Exchange and Investment Bank

of Geneva than Benjamin WHEELER.

It was this man who was due

to reach Geneva on 9th January, but did not arrive; WHRELER

informed the Bank of POLLER's delay by telephone.

POLLER iS

said to have two addresses in Miami - one being

Biscayne Avenue,

and the other Ireland Terrace, Corablue (? sic). It is believed

by those concerned with the bank in switzerland, that POLLER is

a man undoubtedly capable of any shady deal. Have you any

record of POLLER please?

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John

Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Aet of 1992 144 USt 2107 Hotel

SECRET

Michael McLANEY

SamuelXRICE

Tex MCCRARY

and others.

Bahastia

Subject of your memorandum No. 15400 dated 5th January

1967.

It is reported that since the recent advent of power of

the P.L.P. MCLANEY, is a,

frequent visitor to the Ministry of

Tourism office, and is negotiating for a lease in his own name

of offices to be used by the P.I.P. in Bay Street, Nassau.

One Of MCLANEY's associates

in Nassau who has been seen

visiting Mr. PINDLING'S Office is Samuel RICE,

described as an

attorney from Florida (Fortlauderdale); he is

known to act for

Samuel BENTON who has been declared a prohibited immigrant in

the Bahamas (see also your memorandum No.15401 dated 4th January

1967).

Have you any record of this man please?

I apologise

for the dearth of personal particulars.

4.

RICE arranged for the following aircraft to be mäde

available for use by the P.L.P. in its election campaign:-

(a)

Cessna 206 - N 3436 I - piloted by one Len ROSSMAN,

carrying credit card in name of Meray CaroL/BRAZIE

c/o American Aviation Corporation, Tameana

Airport, Florida.

( 10)

Beech Queenair, registered as N. 11000, owned by

Telectron

(associated with;

or subsidiary of

Metalab

etsubject of your memorandum No.15404 dated

4th January 1967).

( c)

Helicopter belonging to Adventure Helicopter

Corporation piloted by one Paul WOODS.

5.

Regarding paragraph 4, one HarolaXENSEN, a U.S. aircraft

pilot who has beén living in the Bahamas for some years,

he has been employed by

the Bahamas Tractor and Equipment, Co.

Ltd., told Special Branch that prior to the elections a pilot

friend of his who works for the Crescent (?) Aircraft Company

of Fort Lauderdale,

had told him of an approach by a man named

William SKILLINGS (owner of a Port Lauderdale public relations

firm and at one time P.R.O. at Riley Aeronautics). This

approach had to do with hiring a helicopter for use by the P.L.P.

subsegnently there was a meeting attended by SKILLINGs and sam

RICE (see above), PINDLING, John Ward EVANS, Vice President o1

Riley Aeronautice who lives at 9941 S.W. 66

Street, Miami,

one George NEESMITH (phonetic) of Crescent Airlines, and

one

Joseph A. WHITCOMBE, of whom we have no further particulars.

EVANS ...

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EVANS and NEESMITH are rumoured in the Bahamas to have had in-

volvements in the past with 'American Intelligence'

6.

A fourth aircraft involved was a D.C. 3 owned by the

Carolina Aircraft Corporation leased to one Carl BOY of Fort

Lauderdale, and piloted by one Chase ANDERSON.

7.

Any likely record of any of the individuals mentioned

in paragraphs 5 and 6 which you may be able to produce would

be appreciated.

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David

PROBINSKY

Bihamas

1920

Віррлоу

Referred to in my earlier letter as David

PROVINSKY;

your memorandum No.15405 dated 4th January 1967, said that

PROVINSKY was no trace in your records, on the basis of the

particulars sent to you.

2.

I understand that PROBINSKY is said to be about 46

years of age.

On 11th January 1967, a newspaper in Jamaica

said that a 46 year old American named PROBINSKY had managed

the P.L.P's campagin after "having been active in Civil Rights

activities in the United states"

3.

Currently in Nassau, he is reported to be a close

contact of both Michael MCLANEY and "Tex" MCCRARY.

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FoR Records Collectio

Released under the John

DATE:

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Rof:

SF.

y/A.

TOP SECRET

OUTLINE BRIEF FOR INTERROGATIONS OF OXFORD PERSONALITIES

1. Michael MCLANEY

a) When did contact with PINDLING first start?

b) How and through whom was contact with PINDLING made?

• Were othar PLP personalities involved in the contact at

any stage and if so, the details

d) Why is MCLANEY supporting PINDLING and the PLP?

@) Did. PINDIING make promises to MaLANEY of concessions

of any sort in return for his support and 1f sò, the details?

I) What are the details of the support given by MCLANEY to

PINDLING and the PLP?

Did MèLANEY obtain assistand if so, the details?

financial or otherwise,

frow other l.S. citizens and

h) Were

38.

any arrangements made to supply arms to the PLP

in the event of a UBp victory on 10 JAN 67?

} )

were there any plans made for any form of civil disorders

in the Bahamas in the event of a UBP victory at the polls,

either da 10 JAN 67 or in the post-election period?

) Did MeLANEY attend a meeting at TREASURE CAY On 27 NOV 66

at which pup election campaign plans/strategy were discusse

and i1. 3o, who was present at this meeting and what was

discussed?

1) Did MCLANEY visit PINDLING's office on 12 or 13

DEC 66

if so, what was the purpose of this visit?

m) MCLANEY has visited NASSAU on a number of occasions since

10 JAN 67, what was

the öbject of these oisits?

n) Can MOLANEY give any information concerning a number

documents, possibly stolen, which are held in NEW YORK

at the present time and which purport to prove malpractice

by menbers of the previous UBP Government?

o) What is the extent of, and background to, MOLANEY'S

contact with wallace GROVES and LoU CHESLER?

P)

Is MCLANY interested in starting, or participating in,

any form of

gambling operation in

the Bahamas and if

80,

the

details.

9) What

or shes, the extent of MCLANEY!s contacts wich

members

of the previous UBP Government of personalities?

r) what are

the details of MCLANEY's contact with Sam RICE

in whose

company he has been seen in NASSAU?

8) DOes MCLANEY own any land or property in the Bahamas?

lia sire

TOP SECRET

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TOP SECRET

2-

2) Dave PROBINSKY

a) How, why and when did PROBINSKY become involved with the

PLP•

what has he been doing for the party?

who has

his salary for the work

that he has

c) What is his object in working for the PLP and how long

is this work to continue?

d) What is the background to, and the extent of, his

contact with MCLANEY?

e) What does PROBINSKY, KnOW Of MCLANEY?

i What are his relations with PINDLING and the leaders

of the pLp, and what 1s his exact position with the party?

g) Who are the other U.S. citizeng with whom PROBINSKY has

been working since he was first retained to work for

the PLP?

h) what bas the extent of his contacts/activities in the

Bahamas prior to the start of the election campaign?

j) Does PROBINSKY know of any plans formulated to use

firearms had the UBp won the election?

k) What policy would the PLP have adopted in the event of a

UBP victory at the polls?

1) What is the present PLP policy, and planning,

on gambling

concessions in the bahamas.

aS PROBINSKY given advice,

or been consulted on this by PLP leaders?

m) Is PROBINSKY interested personally in obtaining gambling,

of any other type of concessions, in the bahamas?

n) what was!

or is,

the extent of PROBINSkY's contact with

che previous UBP Government or personalities.

0) Has PROBINSKY any contacts living at FREEPORT and has he

any interests there?

p) What are the details of PROBINSKY'8 contact with Sam RICE,

in whose company he has been seen in NASSAU?

9) Does PROBINSKY Own any land or property in the Bahamas?

3) Sam RICE

3o be asked the same questiong as PROBINSKY exCept (9) mtr

appropriate name amendments) plus the following.

0gId:32340095 Page 13

8) Does RICE own, or claim onershipt land or property on

GREND BAHAMA or elsewhere in the Bahamas?

D) HAS RICE instituted,

or 1s he planning to institute,

legal

proceedings against any persong in the Bahamas and

if so, the details?

c) From where was the PLP political propaganda obtained which

RICE was diaseminating in large quantities?

di::

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main mannere.

TOP SECSEP

-3.

d) Way has RICE visited the Ministry of Tourism recently?.

e) Did RICE have the authority to offer concession öf any ?.

type to U.S. citizens on behalf of the PIP?

ine!

.34

677:4

161,

.:..

ve.

...

+ ::

5646

337/a0

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