3 Davidson Ex-Deputies, Others Accept U.S. Prosecutors' Deal Greensboro Three former Davidson County deputies, a former Archdale police officer and two other men pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Greensboro to drug-conspiracy charges as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecuters. The men, who had all pleaded not guilty when they were arrested in December, changed their pleas after receiving concessions from the U.S. Attorney's Office, including an agreement to dismiss some charges. [continues 710 words]
Davidson District Attorney Says Accused Deputy May Have Planted the Evidence LEXINGTON -- Garry Frank, the district attorney for Davidson County, said yesterday that he intends to ask a judge to overturn drug convictions against a man who may have been set up by at least one former deputy now charged with distributing drugs. Based on conversations and correspondence Frank had with the U.S. Attorney's Office, and state and federal investigators, he said that there is evidence that drugs were planted on Darick Owens, 34, before he was arrested more than a year ago. [continues 742 words]
He Endorses Four Candidates Running For Commissioners LEXINGTON -- Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege's political machine kicked into gear yesterday as he filed for re-election and endorsed four candidates for the county board of commissioners. Hege, 53, is running for his third-term in office. A Republican, he brought an entourage of supporters along with him to the board of elections, including family members, more than 12 deputies and sheriff's office employees, and county commissioner candidates. In a news conference after he filed, Hege said he plans to campaign for John Faust, Don Truell, Sam Watford and Paul Housand for the four open county-commissioner seats. [continues 481 words]
Arraignment takes place in U.S. court -- trial is set for March Three former Davidson County deputies and a former Archdale police officer pleaded not guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court to charges of conspiracy to distribute drugs, extortion and civil-rights violations. Federal and state investigators allege that the men and two others were involved in a drug-distribution ring that sold cocaine, marijuana, steroids and Ecstasy. The four arrested on the charges on Dec. 12 are: former Davidson County Lts. David Scott Woodall, 34, Douglas Edward Westmoreland, 49, and former Sgt. William Monroe Rankin, 32; and former Archdale police Sgt. Christopher Shetley, 35. [continues 279 words]
Ex-Officer Pleaded Guilty To Federal Charges Instead State drug charges against a former Thomasville police officer were dropped yesterday, a day after he pleaded guilty to similar charges in federal court, court officials said. Sgt. Russell Earl McHenry Jr. 32, pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, Ecstasy and marijuana in U.S. District Court in Greensboro. As a result of pleading guilty to the federal charges, the state drug-trafficking and conspiracy charges against McHenry were dropped, said Howard Newman, the Guilford County assistant district attorney handling the case. [continues 465 words]
Grand Jury Returns 7-Count Indictment, Including Extortion GREENSBORO - A federal grand jury indicted yesterday three former Davidson County deputies and an Archdale police officer who were arrested in December on drug-distribution offenses on additional charges of civil-rights violations and extortion, a court record shows. The grand jury returned the seven-count indictment against the men in U.S. District Court in Greensboro. Most of the new charges against the men stem from a continuing investigation of their activities and from information given to state and federal investigators last November by an unidentified former police officer who authorities say conspired with the men. [continues 352 words]
He Will Be Electronically Monitored, Have A Curfew One of the three Davidson County deputies who were arrested on drug-distribution charges in December was released from jail yesterday. Former Davidson County Sgt. William Rankin was released on bond today after a federal judge determined that there wasn't enough evidence to hold him in jail. Rankin, 32, was one of three Davidson County vice-narcotics deputies who were indicted on drug distribution charges last month. Rankin was released on bond set at $50,000. [continues 224 words]
Move Affects At Least 26 People -- 4 Freed From Jail LEXINGTON -- At least 26 people charged with drug-related offenses won't have to stand trial because three former Davidson County deputies who were arrested earlier this month were involved in their cases. District Attorney Garry Frank dismissed about 65 charges against those people this week. All the cases were pending trial in Superior Court. The charges range from trafficking in cocaine to manufacturing marijuana and date back to July 1999. [continues 599 words]
A 4th Could Be Released Without More Evidence Three former law-enforcement officers and two other men charged with distributing drugs will remain in jail until their trial, a federal judge ruled yesterday. But one of the men, Davidson County Deputy William Rankin, 32, could be released on bond by Jan. 7 if state and federal agents don't present more evidence against him, said Judge Russell Elliason. Rankin, along with fellow former deputies David Scott Woodall, 34, and Douglas Westmoreland, 49, were arrested last week after an eight-month investigation. [continues 793 words]
Drastic Steps Are Needed To Restore Confidence Of Public, Counterparts Say Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege outlined a plan to overhaul his vice-narcotics unit yesterday, a week after federal authorities arrested three of his top investigators on drug-distribution charges. Several new deputies have been assigned to the unit. Hege, along with four of his highest-ranking officers, will supervise these deputies, Hege said. The sheriff also will execute search warrants and go on drug raids with his deputies who will undergo more extensive drug testing that will include use of steroids, Hege said. [continues 695 words]
Flight Plans Raised The Suspicions Of San Diego Officials LEXINGTON -- A federal drug investigation that led to the arrests of three Davidson County deputies and two police officers started when airport officials in San Diego stopped the son of a Davidson County commissioner in April. Investigators found six receipts to private mailboxes in Wyatt Nathan Kepley's pockets when they stopped him April 5, said Damon Mosler, a deputy district attorney in San Diego County. Those receipts led them to investigate area law-enforcement officers who were charged with distributing drugs around the Triad, including cocaine, marijuana, Ecstasy and steroids. [continues 706 words]
Recent Days Have Been Some Of Toughest In His Career One of the first questions Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege gets asked these days is, "How are you doing?" But his answer isn't his usual and enthusiastic, "Wide open." Instead Hege says, "not so good." In fact these past few days have been some of the worst in his seven-year tenure as sheriff of this sprawling, largely rural county. The man who welcomed controversy with his tough talk and unconventional style is still reeling from the arrests last Wednesday of three of his top investigators on federal charges of distributing drugs. [continues 1346 words]
An Archdale Police Officer, Two Civilians Also Charged LEXINGTON - Three high-ranking Davidson County sheriff's officers and an Archdale police officer were arrested along with two other men on charges that they distributed crack cocaine, marijuana, steroids and Ecstasy for more than a year, authorities said yesterday. Officials from the FBI and the State Bureau of Investigation arrested Lt. Douglas Edward Westmoreland, 49, Lt. David Scott Woodall, 34, and Sgt. William Rankin, 32, at 5:30 a.m. yesterday at the National Guard Armory in High Point, said Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege at a news conference. [continues 904 words]
Counts Against Sergeant On Force 11 Years Include Trafficking, Intent To Sell An 11-year veteran of the Thomasville Police Department has been charged with trafficking drugs. Agents with the State Bureau of Investigation arrested Sgt. Russell Earl McHenry, Jr., 32, at his home in Greensboro on Monday night. McHenry was charged with two counts of trafficking the drug Ecstasy, two counts of conspiring to traffic Ecstasy, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, and conspiracy to deliver marijuana, according to the arrest warrant. [continues 310 words]
