FBI Case Files Michigan by Greg Stejskal

Author:Greg Stejskal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Published: 2021-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Arrest photograph (mugshot) of James Frederick Hill. Author’s collection.

I immediately began to investigate James Hill. I found that Hill owned a house in an affluent part of Ann Arbor. He also owned a business in Ann Arbor, an ice cream shop on Main Street, The Lovin’ Spoonful (sort of makes you wonder what was in the ice cream), and an eighty-acre farm just west of Ann Arbor. Hill had a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. He had no criminal record, aside from an arrest for a traffic violation in 1973. It was nothing serious, but there was an arrest photograph. I sent a copy of the photograph to Indianapolis, and after seeing it, several of cooperating witnesses identified James Hill as the person they knew as the Joker.

Indianapolis obtained an arrest warrant for Hill, also known as the Joker. Early the next morning, we set up an arrest team at Hill’s farm. When he was observed leaving the farm, we arrested him and took him to the Ann Arbor FBI Office. I explained to Hill that he had been identified as the Joker in a federal indictment from Indiana, charging him with multiple drug trafficking violations; I told him that he would be taken to Detroit to be arraigned and that he would likely remain in custody until he was transported to Indianapolis. He didn’t really question anything and seemed to have expected to be arrested. He indicated that he would be cooperative but said he didn’t want to be interviewed until he got to Indianapolis.

When the media learned of Hill/the Joker’s arrest at the arraignment, they wanted to know how he had been identified. Rather than say nothing and encourage speculation, I made a statement that one of the cooperating witnesses in Indiana had identified him, which was partially true.

Hill was removed to Indiana and did cooperate. Tipper and Topper were identified as sisters Jennifer and Patricia Hanlon of Ann Arbor. They later pleaded guilty and were each sentenced to six years. In late 1989, the Heilbrunns lost their two-year fight against extradition and were returned to the United States. In October 1990, Hill pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the Heilbrunns. In his plea agreement, Hill admitted to having received several 1,200- to 2,000-pound shipments of marijuana, starting in 1976. Then, between March and November 1985, Hill received marijuana shipments of 18,000 pounds, 20,000 pounds, 40,000 pounds and a pair of 2,000-pound loads from the Heilbrunn organization. Hill said he made his last payment to Heilbrunn in 1986. By then, he had paid the Heilbrunn organization about $20 million for more than 100,000 pounds of marijuana.

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