EX-ROBESON DEPUTY TO BE JAILED

RALEIGH -- Former Robeson County deputy Steven Lovin was led away in
handcuffs Tuesday after a federal judge revoked his pre-trial release
for contacting witnesses.

A day earlier, U.S. District Court Judge Terrence Boyle accepted a
guilty plea from another former Robeson County deputy -- Billy Wayne
Strickland. Strickland, who had been Sheriff Ken Sealey's chief of
operations as of Friday, pleaded guilty Monday to satellite TV piracy.
Strickland and Lovin are among about a dozen former deputies charged
in a four-year state and federal investigation called Operation
Tarnished Badge. More arrests are expected.

In Lovin's case, SBI Agent Mark Brewington testified that Lovin
contacted four potential witnesses -- a violation of Boyle's July
pre-trial release order. Brewington said Lovin called Grayland
Locklear, a former Robeson County detective, on several occasions in
January and asked him about files pertaining to a fire at Hubert Ray
Locklear's home. Lovin and another former deputy, Roger Taylor, are
charged with burning the home during a drug raid. According to
Brewington's testimony, Grayland Locklear said Lovin told him, "My
life is on the line here. I've got kids." Locklear told Brewington,
"It appeared by Mr. Lovin's demeanor on the phone that he may be
desperate," Brewington testified.

Brewington said Grayland Locklear repeatedly told Lovin that he didn't
want to get involved in the investigation.

Brewington said Herman Madden, a former Robeson County sheriff's
employee, videotaped a 17-minute conversation he had with Lovin on
Jan. 24. Brewington said Lovin requested the meeting to talk about the
case. Investigators tried to show the tape in court, but the sound
wouldn't work. Brewington said Madden gave the tape to investigators a
day after it was made using home surveillance equipment.

Brewington said Lovin also talked with former sheriff's Maj. Mark
Locklear and with Michael Britt, a former sheriff's employee. Under
cross examination from Lovin's lawyer, Michael R. Ramos, Brewington
acknowledged that the defense never received a copy of the
prosecution's witness list or was told who might be targets of
interest. Brewington also acknowledged that none of the witnesses was
threatened or asked to lie to the government.

Boyle admonished Ramos for using an angry tone in his voice in the
courtroom. The judge said Operation Tarnished Badge has already led to
11 guilty pleas from former deputies and could lead to more. Boyle
said the court cannot allow a breach of its rules and ordered Lovin
held in jail pending further hearings in his case.

In Strickland's case, Boyle delayed sentencing, as he has with other
former deputies who have accepted guilty pleas. Strickland faces a
maximum five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for pirating
satellite TV signals. Strickland and Randal Patterson, who resigned
Jan. 31, were two of the sheriff's highest-ranking deputies.
Patterson, who was the chief of detectives, has not been charged in
the investigation. Strickland has agreed to assist the government in
its case against Taylor. Taylor and Lovin are charged in a 12-count
federal indictment with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in
federal drug-seizure money, arson and giving drugs to confidential
informants.

In July, former deputy James Owen Hunt pleaded guilty to stealing
about $160,000 in money seized during drug interdictions along
Interstate 95. Hunt testified that he and Lovin split the money.