INMATE, ACCUSED OF GETTING DRUGS IN BEACH JAIL, STRIKES A DEAL

VIRGINIA BEACH - An inmate accused of receiving drugs while in custody at
the city jail made a deal with prosecutors today to testify against two
others allegedly involved in the scheme.

In return, he could get a shorter prison sentence.

The inmate, Byan D. Auer, 25, will receive concurrent jail time for three
convictions - one count each of conspiracy to distribute, possession of ,
and intent to distribute the prescription drug Oxycodone - when he is
sentenced Feb. 15 by Circuit Judge Frederick B. Lowe.

The concurrent sentences will make his jail time much shorter than if the
sentences were to run consecutively, said his attorney, Keith Thurman.
Thurman said the maximum penalty for the charges is 40 years in prison, but
a less severe sentence for Auer is likely.

Auer was serving time for a DUI-related manslaughter when he was charged
with the drug offenses in March . The charges brought Auer together with
the region's most notorious DUI offender: Roy Lee Everett.

Everett, who has a long record of DUI charges, is serving a 14-year
sentence for killing a 16-year-old Lake Taylor High School student, Landon
Chambers, who died May 6, 2003, when the car in which he rode was struck by
a car driven by Everett.

On March 13, police videotaped Everett's mother, Teressa Ann Everett, and
Michael Chambers as they visited Everett and Auer at the jail. Michael
Chambers is not related to Landon Chambers.

In the videotape, Chambers can be seen taking a folded piece of paper from
Teressa Everett. He opens the paper and removes 11 cocktail straws.
Chambers then begins pushing the straws through the metal voice grid
separating the visitors from the inmates.

At one point, Teressa Everett can be seen apparently trying to push one of
the straws through the voice grid.

A police detective testified at an earlier hearing that when he confronted
Auer in jail after the visit, he found Auer with 11 straws. He said they
fell onto the floor when Auer was ordered to disrobe.

Analysis showed that most of the straws contained a prescription painkiller
called Oxycodone, said Teressa Everett's attorney, Larry B. Slipow. Slipow
said his client has a prescription for the drug.

Other straws contained Tylenol with codeine and Valium, Slipow said.

Another police detective testified at an earlier hearing that he found
hundreds of pills in Teressa Everett's purse immediately after the incident
was videotaped.

Later, jail officials retrofitted the visitation rooms to prevent a
recurrence. A new jail wing being built will have a video conference system
for prisoners and visitors.

According to Auer's plea agreement, Auer must testify truthfully against
Teressa and Roy Lee Everett during any subsequent trials involving the drug
smuggling incident