NEWPORT NEWS POLICE OFFICER ACCUSED OF DEALING DRUGS

NORFOLK -- Federal authorities arrested a Newport News police officer early
Monday, charging him with trafficking in cocaine and heroin for nearly four
years, roughly from the time he was hired.

Wayne Erving Ferrell II, 29, offered to help another man package heroin,
collect his drug money and use his position as a police officer to help him
sell drugs in Norfolk and elsewhere, according to an indictment unsealed
Monday in U.S. District Court.

Ferrell was taken into custody at 3 a.m., while he was on duty, by FBI
agents and police, the U.S. attorney's office said.

A federal grand jury in Norfolk indicted Ferrell on June 23. The indictment
alleges that he helped deal cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin from fall
1995 until March 11, 1999.

He is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to
distribute cocaine, crack cocaine and heroin, one count of interstate
travel to further controlled-substance trafficking, and two counts of
distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin.

Ferrell was hired by Newport News police on Sept. 27, 1995, the U.S.
attorney's office said.

In a prepared statement, Newport News Police Chief Dennis A. Mook said
Ferrell's arrest "greatly saddens me,'' and that "it is a shock to our
police family.''

Newport News police were aware of the investigation and cooperated fully,
the U.S. attorney's office said.

Ferrell resigned Monday morning immediately after his arrest, said police
spokeswoman Janet Cox.

The FBI and the Norfolk Police Department investigated the case. Norfolk
was involved because that is where most of the drugs were sold, said U.S.
attorney's office spokeswoman Jannie Bazemore.

Ferrell will have a detention hearing in U.S. District Court today and will
be arraigned Wednesday morning.

Reach Chris Grier at 446-2643 or cgrier@pilotonline.com