Former World Cup ref busted with heroin at JFK Airport

Another bad call.

A controversial soccer referee, whose contentious call knocked Italy out of the 2002 World Cup, was busted at JFK Airport on Monday with over 13 and half pounds of heroin strapped to his body, the feds said today.

Byron Moreno Ruales, who was flying from his native Ecuador, aroused Customs inspectors suspicions when he became “visibly nervous” during routine questioning at the airport, according to Special Agent Carlos Soto.

A customs agent felt "hard objects on the defendant's stomach, back and both of his legs," the complaint said. A strip search revealed that the lumps were 10 clear plastic bags, it said.

"I'm looking into the circumstances that led to this unfortunate situation," Moreno's attorney, Michael Padden, told The Associated Press.


Moreno enraged Italian fans in 2002 when he ejected Francesco Totti, giving the Italian a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the penalty area 13 minutes into overtime of 2-1 loss to South Korea in the World Cup's second round.

A 111th-minute goal by Italy's Damiano Tommasi that would have advanced Italy was disallowed, apparently for offside, and South Korea was awarded a penalty kick – that goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon saved – for a foul by Christian Panucci against Seol Ki-Hyeon.

"I think Moreno already had the (heroin) in 2002, but not in his underwear, in his body," Buffon said. "Joking aside, when sports people get involved in drug cases it means they're scraping the bottom of the barrel.

"It also means they've lost the real meaning of the sport, which is also to save kids from the street and various dangers, like drugs," Buffon said.

In 2003, Ecuadorean soccer officials suspended Moreno for 20 games after a game there drew complaints about him from both teams. He added 11 minutes of stoppage time to a game between domestic clubs Barcelona and Liga de Quito without recording it. He resigned a short time later.