NAACP CHIEF'S SON INDICTED ON DRUG CHARES

A son of NAACP President Kweisi Mfume was indicted by a federal grand jury
in Washington yesterday on six drug-related charges and jailed without bond.

Ronald T. Gray, 29, was arrested Wednesday at his home in the 1100 block of
Fifth Street NW by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration. He was
indicted in U.S. District Court on three counts of distributing powdered
cocaine and three charges of using the telephone to arrange drug sales.

Gray pleaded not guilty at his arraignment before Magistrate Judge Alan Kay.
The judge ordered that he remain in custody and set a hearing for Monday to
decide whether he will be jailed until his trial. Gray was represented in
court by a public defender, Maria Jankowski, who said she will seek his release.

The indictment alleges that Gray arranged cocaine sales that took place
April 30, May 5 and May 12 in the District. No other arrests have been made,
authorities said. One law enforcement source said the case does not involve
a large amount of drugs.

Gray is one of five sons of Mfume, who was a five-term Democratic
representative from Maryland and head of the Congressional Black Caucus
before becoming president and chief executive officer of the NAACP in 1996.

Mfume, who recently has been considering making a run for mayor in
Baltimore, was in Ghana yesterday but released a statement through NAACP
spokesman John C. White.

"This is the worst nightmare of any parent. It is a call that no mother or
father ever wants to receive," Mfume said, adding that he will stand by Gray
"in this hour of great pain for our family."

Staff writer Michael A. Fletcher and staff researcher Bobbye Pratt
contributed to this report.