FBI OFFERS REWARD FOR MISSING MARIJUANA

PITTSBORO -- After a six-month investigation into the disappearance of
nearly 5,000 pounds of marijuana from the Chatham County Sheriff's
Office, the FBI is offering a reward of up to $40,000 for information
leading to the arrest and prosecution of anyone responsible for the
missing drug.

Agents are looking for specific information about the marijuana taken
from a truck where it was stored at the sheriff's department,
according to Chris Swecker, special agent in charge of the Charlotte
Division of the FBI.

Swecker announced the reward at a news conference in Pittsboro
Tuesday.

The 4,840 pounds of missing marijuana was seized during a drug raid in
Siler City on Feb. 8, 2000.

The confiscated marijuana was stored in an Army surplus truck in the
sheriff's office parking lot because of a lack of storage space.

The doors to the back of the truck were locked, but access could be
gained through a sliding window in the side of the truck that had no
lock.

Swecker said the lock on the truck door had not been tampered
with.

Deputies discovered a large part of the marijuana was missing when
they drove the truck to the Chatham County Landfill in September 2000
to bury it.

After notifying officials of the missing portion, the deputies buried
the remaining marijuana in a pit at the landfill.

Several weeks later it was discovered that the marijuana, which came
from Mexico into the country through Texas, had been unearthed and
taken from the landfill.

After former Sheriff Don Whitt left office and Ike Gray became sheriff
in December 2000, Gray asked the FBI to conduct an independent
investigation.

Swecker said the bureau is a couple of weeks away from presenting a
case for prosecution regarding the marijuana stolen from the landfill.
He said there are five to 10 suspects, all N.C. residents.

Swecker was prepared to present a case a month ago, but he said new
information caused a delay.

"We're hoping to get at least some of the marijuana (stolen from the
truck) back," Swecker said. "We've already recovered some of the
landfill marijuana."

Although burying confiscated marijuana is an authorized means of
disposal, Swecker said "it's not optimum." Gray is changing the
department's policy so that all confiscated marijuana is burned.

Swecker said his department has fielded several calls about the sale
of marijuana, but not many strong leads about the truck.

"Where the truck was parked, virtually anyone had access," Swecker
said.

There were 10 agents at the sheriff's office Tuesday, and they plan to
return today to follow leads and conduct interviews within the department.

Gray and several deputies have taken polygraph tests, Swecker said,
and have cooperated with the investigation.

"There is no evidence at this point linking the sheriff department to
the landfill dig," he said. Gray said they have not yet interviewed
the former sheriff.

"Our department has been under scrutiny since this thing has happened.
A lot of people have ridiculed our officers," Gray said.

Swecker said two or three agents will continue to work on the case
until it is solved.