Threatened By YouTube

MARCH 23--A convicted cocaine trafficker directed family members to blood-soaked assassination videos on YouTube in a threatening bid to keep them from providing prosecutors with potentially damaging information about him, investigators allege. According to probers, Jay Marlowe, 49, sent links to a pair of violent online clips in an attempt to silence his brother, who had contacted a federal prosecutor with information about how Marlowe had 'falsified information' relating to his criminal sentencing and was bragging about having 'pulled one over on the government.' Marlowe, who was arrested in May 2005 as he tried to smuggle 55 pounds of cocaine into California from Mexico, pleaded guilty last year to a felony drug trafficking charge and was sentenced this month to 41 months in prison. In January, as he awaited sentencing, Marlowe allegedly became aware that his brother James had spoken with a prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's office in San Diego. According to a search warrant application, James told law enforcement officials that Marlowe, who was seeking a significantly reduced prison term, made 'misrepresentations on his sentencing documents filed with the court.' In an alleged bid to intimidate his sibling, Marlowe sent his brother's son links to a pair of graphic videos on the popular web site. Both clips appeared to show the bullet-riddled bodies of victims of Mexico's drug cartels and included personal messages to the recipient. 'Your dad needs to see this video before he makes phone calls,' one message noted. A second message, written in Spanish, stated, 'Listen Mr. Marlow, if you fuck us, we will fuck you with all our might.' Both messages were signed, 'Thanks, jaymarlowe.' The March 15 search warrant was issued to YouTube and sought subscriber information, messages, and videos related to user names and e-mail addresses connected to Marlowe. The warrant, a copy of which you'll find below, states that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement probe has established probable cause to show that Marlowe's actions constituted evidence of 'transmitting threats to injure via interstate commerce.' While YouTube has apparently removed the videos to which Marlowe sent links, a still from one of the clips can be seen above. It shows singer Valentin Elizalde lying dead in an auto after a November 2006 ambush reportedly carried out by a Mexican drug cartel. (9 pages)