FORMER COUNTY DRUG OFFICER RELEASED ON BOND

WINSTON-SALEM - Former Davidson County vice and narcotics Sgt. William
Monroe Rankin is a free man - at least until a judge or a jury decides
whether he is guilty of conspiring to distribute illegal drugs.

Following a 10-minute hearing in federal court Monday, a magistrate
released Rankin, 32, on a $50,000 secured bond after he posted $5,000 in cash.

Rankin, confined to Forsyth County Jail since his Dec. 12 arrest by FBI and
State Bureau of Investigation agents, left the courtroom with about 15
family members and friends.

"I think it's obvious that he was relieved to be out and back with his
family," his lawyer, Fred R. Harwell Jr. of Winston-Salem, said later.

Rankin is the only one of the six defendants in the case to gain release.

After lengthy hearings on Dec. 19, Magistrate Judge Russell A. Eliason
ordered the other five - fellow Davidson County vice and narcotics Lts.
David Scott Woodall and Douglas Edward Westmoreland, Archdale police Sgt.
Christopher James Shetley, and two Lexington-area residents, Wyatt Nathan
Kepley and Marco Aurelio Acosta Soza - held without bond until trial.

But saying then that Rankin appeared less seriously involved in the alleged
conspiracy than some of the others and that he had cooperated in providing
information about his financial assets, Eliason gave prosecutors two and a
half more weeks to find any evidence that he was engaged in other drug
dealing or illicit activity.

When Eliason asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston on Monday if she
had been able to find anything, however, she said, "No sir, your honor, we
have no further evidence in this matter."

Eliason ordered Rankin released under a series of conditions, including
that he be electronically monitored and mostly restricted to a residence
except for court appearances, appointments with his lawyer and work. He and
his wife will live with relatives in Davidson County, Harwell said.

Rankin, Westmoreland, Woodall and Shetley all lost their law enforcement
jobs after their arrests. Harwell said Rankin has job offers from
businesses in West Davidson and High Point. "He will begin work at one of
those places right away," Harwell said.

Several of Rankin's supporters prayed together in the courtroom before the
hearing. The group included Westmoreland's brother, Nelson Westmoreland,
who is married to Rankin's sister. Rankin's wife patted him affectionately
on the arm as they left together after the hearing.

A federal grand jury has charged Rankin and the other five defendants with
conspiring to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine, more than 100
kilograms of marijuana and unspecified quantities of steroids and Ecstasy.

A 33-page affidavit outlining the conspiracy, however, ties Rankin to the
distribution just of steroids.

The affidavit, based largely on information from an unnamed former Triad
law enforcement officer, alleges that Rankin used illegal steroids himself
and helped supply them to the unnamed officer, who allegedly sold steroids
to others.

The affidavit also alleges that Rankin helped Woodall and Westmoreland
break into Kepley's apartment at least three times and steal more than
$160,000 in cash. On one occasion, he allegedly broke a window to get in.

The affidavit further alleges that after indications last spring that the
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was investigating possible involvement
by the Davidson County sheriff's office in steroid trafficking, Woodall and
Westmoreland discussed killing Rankin out of fear that he might confess to
authorities.

During the Dec. 19 hearing, FBI Special Agent Philip A. Celestini testified
that after Rankin's arrest, a search of the home of his in-laws, where
Rankin's family was staying while building a house, produced 16 firearms
and $9,700 in cash. Celestini said a search of an outbuilding on the
property, with Rankin's permission, turned up an unspecified quantity of
what appeared to be steroids. Harwell, however, emphasized that the
residence was owned by someone besides his client.

Like the other defendants, Rankin has entered a plea of innocent to the
conspiracy charges and is scheduled for trial on Feb. 11.

The investigation is continuing. Nothing was said during Monday's hearing
to indicate whether Rankin is cooperating with investigators and might
testify against co-defendants or other potential defendants.

"That would be a matter relating to the investigation at this point and
something I could not discuss," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynne Klauer,
a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Harwell said he is prohibited from discussing future proceedings in the case.