WPD OFFICERS IMPERSONATED DEA AGENTS

Several Wilmington police officers impersonated Drug Enforcement
Administration agents during a drug sting last year. As a result,
then-Interim Police Chief Tandy Carter received a letter from the U.S.
Attorney's office pointing out the danger regarding such actions.

Impersonating DEA agents apparently could jeopardize the successful
prosecution of certain cases, according to the Oct. 21 letter, signed
by Robert Higdon Jr., assistant U.S. attorney and chief of the
criminal division.

Mr. Higdon said Tuesday that he couldn't comment on the specifics of
the issue. In general, it is appropriate for officers to misrepresent
themselves to make suspects more comfortable so they will cooperate.
But it depends on the stage of the investigation whether officers
should continue to misrepresent themselves to potential defendants, he
said.

While conducting a ruse can be a valuable tool in drug investigations,
officers shouldn't cross the line and misrepresent themselves to
"targets" concerning their status and role when it is appropriate, Mr.
Higdon said in the letter.

"To fail to be candid may have serious implications for the admission
of evidence and the legality of any statement which might be taken
from a target," the letter says.

Chief Carter, who left Wilmington in February to take over as police
chief in Shelby, declined to comment on the incident Tuesday. "I left
Wilmington on the 12th of February and I haven't looked back since
then," Chief Carter said. "I don't have any obligation to you. You are
not my local paper," he added.

Interim Police Chief Bruce Hickman said he was not aware of the
incident. "This is the first I've heard about it," Chief Hickman said.
"This is news to me."

Al McKenzie, city of Wilmington's personnel director, said he was
unaware of the incident and there are no records of officers being
disciplined for their actions.

City Manager Sterling Cheatham said he talked with Chief Carter about
the incident after the chief received the letter from the U.S.
Attorney's Office. Mr. Cheatham couldn't recall the exact number of
officers involved, but said it was no more than three.

He said the chief reviewed the situation with the officers and the
command staff and took the appropriate action. Mr. Cheatham couldn't
recall what action was taken involving the officers. He said the
department "immediately corrected the lack of protocol."

The letter, dated Oct. 21, 2003, says the DEA got an e-mail from
Raeford Brown with WECT-TV, who learned that Wilmington police
officers were assisting the Pender County Sheriff's Department in a
drug investigation. During the investigation, Wilmington police
officers "donned DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) ball caps,"
according to the letter from Mr. Higdon.

Mr. Brown said Tuesday that the News Department was working on a story
when he found out that the police officers impersonated DEA agents.
When a television reporter contacted both Mr. Cheatham and Chief
Carter about it, Mr. Brown said they both denied that it happened. He
said Chief Carter responded through Officer Linda Rawley, a
spokeswoman for the Police Department.

Mr. Brown said he contacted the U.S. Attorney's office when a reporter
received denials that anything happened. Mr. Brown said Chief Carter
called WECT's general manager, John Shine, to say that a news story
would interfere with an ongoing drug investigation. Mr. Brown said he
checked and agreed that a news story could hinder the investigation so
the story wasn't aired. He said

Tuesday that he was told the investigation had concluded.

Mr. Brown said WECT's reporter was trying to determine if anything was
improper involving police officers who were impersonating DEA agents.

Mr. Cheatham acknowledged Tuesday that he was made aware of the
incident, but that it didn't hinder the Police Department's
relationship with the DEA.