SECOND MAN SENTENCED FOR ACTIONS IN SHOOTOUT

BOLIVIA - A second man has been sentenced following charges that stemmed
from a shootout during a drug raid last year by Brunswick County sheriff's
deputies.

Lavar Atari Thomas will serve a maximum of 7 years after pleading guilty to
two counts of assault on a law enforcement officer with a firearm.

Mr. Thomas, 23, pleaded last week in Brunswick County Superior Court, a day
before his trial was supposed to start. He is accused of shooting at
sheriff's deputies as he was running from them during the raid.

"We wanted at least five years, so we are satisfied," said Assistant
District Attorney Chris Thomas.

Lavar Thomas, no relation to the assistant district attorney, turned down a
2- to 3-year sentence offered by the district attorney's office earlier
this year in exchange for testifying against his roommate, Paul Pelham.

A Superior Court judge sentenced Mr. Pelham in October to 19 to 26 years
after he was found guilty of various assault and drug charges from the
shootout, including shooting a deputy, narcotics agent Stephen Lanier.

Mr. Pelham, 25, was found not guilty of the most serious charge against
him, attempted first-degree murder.

Mr. Thomas will serve two consecutive sentences of 29 to 44 months for the
two counts to which he pleaded. In exchange for the plea, several other
drug and assault charges were dropped, including assault with a deadly
weapon with intent to kill.

On Oct. 5 of last year, sheriff's deputies raided the two men's Winnabow
home for drugs, which sparked a shootout between the two groups. Officials
said Mr. Thomas jumped out a window and shot at deputies as he ran from the
home.

Both defendants were also shot during the raid.

Chris Thomas said the district attorney's office didn't consider the case
against Lavar Thomas as important as Mr. Pelham's because no one was shot
by him.