SHERIFFS, SLED SETTLE MONEY DISPUTE

ANDERSON -- The State Law Enforcement Division and Oconee County Sheriff's
Office have agreed to give the Anderson County Sheriff's Office a share of
$800,000 worth of property to settle a lawsuit between the three law
enforcement agencies.

The out-of-court agreement was reached Tuesday after six hours of
deliberations, ending months of legal battles over the William "Ronnie"
Burkhart estate.

Authorities say Burkhart was a big-time drug smuggler, but died three years ago
before criminal charges could be filed. His assets were seized and deputies
from Oconee and Anderson counties as well as SLED and local prosecutors agreed
to split the property, cash and other items with Burkhart's family.

Anderson Sheriff Gene Taylor sued after his sheriff's office received only
$61,000 from the cash seized in the Burkhart estate, while SLED and Oconee
County deputies got about $270,000 each. Attorneys for the SLED and Oconee
County had argued that Anderson deputies did little work in the case, but
Taylor has said he had spent more than 20 years investigating Burkhart.

Retired customs agent Dave McDonald said Tuesday the Burkhart family has been
the subject of an ongoing drug investigation between the Anderson County
Sheriff's Office and U.S. Customs since 1989.

Before the agreement was reached, the agencies wrote a statement acknowledging
that sheriff's offices in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties and SLED
contributed equally to the investigation.

The money from the settlement will be split four ways after the estimated value
of the property is verified and the property auctioned off, said Taylor's
attorney Beattie Ashmore.

Of the estimated $800,000 in property, the Burkhart family will get 55 percent
of the proceeds when it is sold, and 20 percent will go to the solicitor's
office. The state will collect 5 percent and the sheriff's office will keep the
remaining 20 percent.

Oconee County sheriff's Capt. Donnie Fricks, who was present in the
deliberations, would not comment on the settlement.

Sheriff Taylor said he was satisfied with the agreement.

"The settlement shows we worked hard in the case," he said.