FBI Investigates Bucs Intruder

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

September 17, 1998 / 10:18 PM EDT / CBS Sportsline

The FBI is investigating the case of a Florida man who sneaked into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' locker room at Lambeau Field on Sunday allegedly carrying lots of money and some marijuana.

Raoul Farhat, 36, of Clearwater, Fla., is scheduled to be arraigned Friday on a felony burglary charge for allegedly taking a T-shirt and cap from the locker room. He was arrested after claiming to be a team doctor.

Green Bay police later recovered a duffel bag containing marijuana, Farhat's passport, credit cards, $112,000 in cash, $3,700 in traveler's checks and a $52,000 cashier's check made out to Farhat.

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Farhat, who is being held at the Brown County Jail on $50,000 bail, has refused to tell investigators what he was doing in the locker room two hours before the game with the Green Bay Packers.

"This is a bizarre case," said FBI special agent Barry Babler in Milwaukee.

Babler said the bureau was looking into whether the man violated federal interstate commerce laws.

But a law enforcement source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the case didn't appear to be one of drug trafficking. "We're looking at a number of things and that's really not one of them," the source said.

Farhat, carrying a black medical bag, told police he worked part-time for the Buccaneers. But a Tampa Bay security worker said Farhat was not with the team.

Inside the bag police found marijuana and a photo identification card for Farhat. After he was taken to the Brown County Jail, officers found a disposable Kodak camera hidden in the crotch area of Farhat's pants.

Police suspected Farhat might have photographed players changing into their uniforms, but the developed film showed an empty stadium.

When Farhat was arrested Sunday, he was issued citations for trespassing, theft, possession of marijuana and unlawful conduct. After a night in jail and an appearance in municipal court, those citations were dropped and Farhat was released.

The district attorney decided on a more serious burglary charge, and Farhat was arrested again a short time later after a dispute over his motel room bill in Appleton, about 25 miles south of Green Bay.

The team is trying to figure out how Farhat entered the stadium and the viitors' locker room without clearance.