By Dan Horn
Enquirer staff writer

A Cincinnati lawyer who represents suspects in criminal cases is now a suspect himself.

Jason Hennekes, who has worked for about a year with the Hamilton County Public Defender's Office, is one of four men indicted on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics.

The 27-year-old lawyer is accused of helping at least one of the other men avoid arrest for involvement in a scheme to distribute 17 kilograms, or about 37 pounds, of cocaine in the Cincinnati area.

According to the federal indictment, which was unsealed Friday, Hennekes spoke to an unidentified informant about concealing 14 kilograms of cocaine belonging to Eduardo Martinez, who also is charged.

Last month, the indictment states, Hennekes relayed a message from Martinez to an informant: "Eddie said if you want to dump your dirty laundry, someone will come pick it up."

The indictment also states that the lawyer discussed discarding cell phones and buying new phones so the men could communicate without fear of authorities eavesdropping.

Martinez and the other men charged in the case - Carlos A. Garza-Jimenez and Sergio Ahumada - are Mexican citizens. They are accused of arranging shipment of the cocaine from Mexico to Cincinnati. All are being held without bond.

Hennekes, who is free on $25,000 bond, could face 10 years or more in prison if convicted of the conspiracy charge. He declined comment Monday.

Some who know Hennekes said they were stunned to learn of his indictment. "He showed a lot of promise, a lot of enthusiasm," said Public Defender Lou Strigari. "As far as I was concerned, he was a comer."

Hennekes was not on Strigari's staff but frequently served as appointed counsel for the public defender in criminal cases. Strigari said most of those cases were low-level felonies, such as thefts and drug possession.

He said new counsel would be appointed to handle all of Hennekes' pending cases.

The indictment does not state whether Hennekes had been serving as a lawyer for any of the men charged in the case. Fred Alverson, spokesman for U.S. Attorney Greg Lockhart, declined comment.