NO BAIL FOR ACCUSED ECSTACY RINGLEADER

NORFOLK -- Tim Douros was described in court Wednesday as a dedicated
father, the son of a minister and the brother of two police officers, one
of whom was killed in the line of duty.

A federal prosecutor countered that Douros in recent years turned to drugs,
both as a user and a dealer. He was using drugs while on state probation
for a prior conviction, and he was selling the club drug Ecstasy at raves,
or dance parties, he held, the prosecutor said.

That was enough to persuade a federal judge that Douros should remain in
jail without bond pending his March 28 trial.

Douros, 38, is charged with four counts of conspiracy to distribute
Ecstasy. Prosecutors said many of the drug sales occurred at raves that
Douros put on at local nightclubs through his company, TMX Entertainment.

On Tuesday, two others charged in the case also were denied bail.

Lori Walker, Douros' wife from 1986 to 1994, testified that she remains
friends with her ex-husband and that he keeps up with his $425 monthly
child-support payments for their 12-year-old daughter.

Walker said she knew nothing about the allegations of his drug dealing.

"I did not expect this," she said.

Douros' father, Tom Douros, pastor of the Community Church of Norfolk for
43 years, and his mother, Alice, both testified that they do not believe
their son was involved in drugs. They asked that the court release him to
their supervision.

Douros was raised in Norfolk and comes from a large family, including seven
siblings. A brother, Bobby Douros, is a Norfolk police officer who survived
being shot in 1996. Another brother and Norfolk officer, Stephen Douros,
was killed in 1980 during a car crash while on duty.

In arguing for bail, Andrew Sacks, Douros' attorney, also pointed out that
the case does not involve violence or weapons.

"I don't think we can equate this case with every other drug case that has
come through here," Sacks said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Tayman said in court that somewhere along the
way, Tim Douros took a wrong turn.

"He has ignored his family values," she told a judge Wednesday.

Douros' felony conviction followed an arrest by Virginia Beach police in
1998 after officers discovered 12 pounds of marijuana in his former home on
Bardith Circle.

Court records said that following the 1998 arrest, Douros began dealing
Ecstasy and holding raves, where he supplied the drug to club-goers. The
records said Douros also dealt and used cocaine, steroids and the date-rape
drug GHB. Police discovered more than 6

ounces of Ecstasy at Douros' home on Bracston Road during a court-ordered
search last week, Tayman said.

Citing a court investigation, Tayman said that Douros admitted using drugs
while on probation.

"He's shown disrespect for the state court," U.S. Magistrate Judge Tommy E.
Miller said in denying bail.

"He's lied to his family. They don't believe that he's done it," he said.
"There's no reason to believe they would have any control over him now."

Douros will be tried with the other suspects, Charles Atilla Bacs and
Daniel Heath Hansen. Each faces a minimum of 10 years in prison if convicted.

Reach Tim McGlone at tmcglone@pilotonline.com or 446-2343.