FORMER ROBESON LAWMAN SPITS AT SBI AGENT

RALEIGH - Former Robeson County deputy Vincent Sinclair spit on a
State Bureau of Investigation agent Thursday while being led out of
court after his federal sentencing to more than 34 years in prison
for posing as an on-duty officer and terrorizing drug dealers.

Earlier in the hearing, Sinclair, 45, accused the agent and two
assistant U.S. attorneys of lying. Minutes later, he threatened them.

"It might not be today, but somebody is going to trip you up, and
you're going to get it," Sinclair said during an animated argument
that U.S. District Judge Terrence Boyle allowed for several minutes.

"You stop, and you listen to me," Boyle finally said. "You have made
actual threats, not veiled threats, but actual threats to law
enforcement officers of the Unites States. Your behavior is
outrageous. Your whole conduct in this case has been an insult to the court."

Sinclair was implicated in 2006 in Operation Tarnished Badge, a
corruption investigation into the Robeson County Sheriff's Office. He
pleaded guilty last year to kidnapping and armed robbery charges,
most of which stemmed from an incident involving two drug dealers who
were kidnapped in Virginia in an attempt to steal between $300,000
and $400,000 that was believed to have been hidden in their van.

Late last year, Sinclair said he wanted to change his plea, accusing
his lawyers - Coy E. Brewer Jr. and Ronnie Mitchell of Fayetteville -
of misleading him. Brewer and Mitchell said they could no longer
represent Sinclair, and Sinclair filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea.

Thursday's hearing was to consider Sinclair's motion, but Boyle ruled
there was no evidence to support Sinclair's claim that he didn't
understand the charges. He then allowed Sinclair to speak before
handing down his sentence.

"This man right here set me up, and that man on the other side is
just as dirty," Sinclair said, pointing to Assistant U.S. Attorney
Michael James and State Bureau of Investigation Agent Mark Francisco.
Boyle sentenced Sinclair to 34 years and five months, which was the
maximum sentence under the guidelines.

Sinclair denied having a major role in the kidnapping and robberies,
countering the government's claim that he was one of the leaders.

"They can cover it up, but that's not going to stop what's happening.
What's happening outside this courtroom is wrong. ... This man right
here is a liar, and this man here is an even bigger liar," he said,
pointing to prosecutors and Francisco. "I don't know how you go home
and sleep at night."

Boyle threatened to sentence Sinclair without further proceedings
unless Sinclair adhered to court decorum. After a short break,
Sinclair apologized, saying, "I just got a little out of hand. I got upset."

Agent's testimony

Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Frank Bradsher called Francisco to the
stand to recall Sinclair's role in the Feb. 27, 2004, kidnapping and
other crimes.

Francisco said Sinclair and former deputy Patrick Ferguson
accompanied three other men to Virginia Beach, Va., on a drug
dealer's tip that another dealer had between $300,000 and $400,000
hidden in a van. Sinclair and Ferguson used their Robeson County
badges to kidnap two drug dealers and brought them back to North
Carolina. The dealers were bound with duct tape and beaten. One was
shot in the leg.

Francisco said Sinclair admitted to the kidnapping when he was
arrested on state charges May, 11, 2005.

In another robbery, Sinclair and Ferguson were among a group that
beat and terrorized another drug dealer to steal his money. Francisco
said Sinclair repeatedly cocked and dry fired his pistol with the
muzzle against the man's head. They stole $150,000 and two kilograms
of cocaine from the dealer, Francisco said.

In still another incident, Francisco said Sinclair used lighter fluid
to burn a man's arm - then put the flame out and then lit it again -
in an attempt to force the man to reveal a stash of money. The man
was a laborer with no connection to drugs.

In all, corrupt deputies are linked to 28 such robberies, and
Francisco said Sinclair was involved in 14. Ferguson was sentenced
previously to 21 years for his involvement in the crimes.

Bradsher said Sinclair failed to cooperate with investigators and
flunked a polygraph test. Before announcing his sentence, Boyle
rejected the notion that Sinclair had accepted responsibility for his
crimes, which is a factor that could have shortened his sentence.

Boyle had just left the courtroom when Sinclair, in handcuffs and
ankle chains led by U.S. marshals, glared at Francisco. As Sinclair
passed Francisco, he lunged toward the agent and spit, hitting
Francisco's suit coat lapel. Marshals mobbed Sinclair and whisked him
through the courtroom's side door.

Boyle declined to bring Sinclair back to the courtroom for any
additional charges.

Operation Tarnished Badge has resulted in convictions and guilty
pleas of 22 former Robeson County lawmen, including former Sheriff
Glenn Maynor, whose case is among several that are pending. Three
other former deputies were sentenced late Wednesday for stealing
satellite TV services.

James Carter received six months in prison and was ordered to pay
$2,500 in restitution; Robert Ivey was sentenced to three months'
confinement in a halfway house and three months' home confinement and
ordered to pay $4,680; and Hobart Britt was sentenced to six months'
home confinement and ordered to pay $10,200.