DEPUTIES' TERMS VARY FOR DEALING

A U.S. District Court judge sentenced a drug-dealing law enforcement
officer to 27 years in prison and three others to lesser terms Friday.

District Court Judge William Osteen rejected testimony that former Davidson
County sheriff's lieutenant David Scottt Woodall's role as an undercover
narcotics officer in an unsupervised department encouraged him to run afoul
of the law he had sworn to uphold. But Osteen said he considered Woodall's
years of honorable service upon handing down a 27-year sentence. Woodall,
35, who with the others pleaded guilty in March to charges stemming from
their involvement with a drug ring, appeared in an orange jumpsuit and was
clean-shaven and composed as he addressed the court prior to his sentencing.

"I realize that I have ruined my life and hurt a lot of people," he said.
"Undercover work became my life, and it became harder and harder for me to
see who the good guy was and who the bad guy was."

Other former law enforcement officers and their sentences included:

lWilliam Monroe Rankin, a Davidson County sheriff's sergeant, two years,
seven months. He was the only one sentenced who was given credit for
cooperating in the investigation.

"I'd like to say I'm sorry to the community I used to serve," Rankin told
the court.

Attorney Brett Harwell asked the judge to request the N.C. Board of Prisons
not to house Rankin with the others because he fears for his client's safety.

lDouglas Westmoreland, a Davidson county sheriff's lieutenant, 11 years,
three months.

lChristopher Shetley, a former Archdale patrol officer, two years, 10 months.

Woodall's attorney Eugene Metcalf called upon a Boston forensic
psychologist and former U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency vice officer Terrence
Lynn for expert testimony about what led Woodall to break the law.

"When one enters the underworld, they assume an underworld persona that
becomes a separate but distinct part of their identity," Lynn said. Lynn
said Woodall's lack of training and supervision combined with a
departmental policy allowing vice officers to continue undercover work for
extended periods encouraged the officer to become "enmeshed" with his
underworld persona.

Woodall worked in the Davidson County Sheriff's Office vice-narcotics
division for seven years.

U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston dismissed Lynn's opinion as
"generalizations," saying the former officer's actions most likely were the
result of greed.

Metcalf asked Woodall's former supervisor, Maj. Brad Glisson, if Woodall
had asked Sheriff Gerald K. Hege for a transfer to another department.
Glisson said Woodall had been transferred out of vice-narcotics, but was
asked to return after two days.

At Metcalf's request, Glisson read a series of glowing performance reviews
given to Woodall. In 1998, Glisson had written, "Woodall is my best officer."

In retrospect, Glisson said he realized Woodall showed signs of burnout in
1999 when the illegal activities began. Woodall worked long hours in
stressful situations, Glisson said.

Glisson also testified he tired of vice-narcotics work and moved into an
administrative job in early 1999. No one was appointed to take his place as
supervisor of the vice-narcotics department, he said.

Shetley's attorney Walter Jones argued that his client was motivated "by
need, not greed."

Jones said expenses related to Shetley's five children required him to work
a second job in construction, and the former patrol officer turned to
illegal drug sales as another sideline.

Attorney Urs Gsteiger argued that Westmoreland turned down invitations to
join the conspiracy for about a year. Gsteiger said Westmoreland's
motivation "revolved around friendship, and around the climate that evolved
in that vice-narcotics department."

Also receiving sentences were others who were not law enforcement officers
but were tied to the ring.

Wyatt Nathan Kepley, son of Davidson County Commissioner Billy Joe Kepley,
was sentenced to three years and three months.

Kepley was a steroid supplier for the others implicated in the ring, but
not always willing, according to his attorney, Bryant Kepley. Court
documents show Woodall, Westmoreland and Rankin robbed Kepley of cash and
steroids by using a false search warrant.

Bryant said the case against Kepley was the first one he's seen with "a
victim appearing as a defendant."

Bryant described Kepley as a bodybuilder rather than a hardened criminal.
Steroids were a way for him to build muscle, he said.

Kepley apologized to his family and the community and said he regrets the
embarrassment his actions have caused.

"I knew better," he said. "My father raised me right."

Osteen stipulated that Kepley is not to visit fitness gyms during his
post-sentence probation.

Aurelio Acosta-Soza was sentenced to 79 months and was ordered to turn
himself over to the Immigration and Naturalization Service upon his
release. Acosta-Soza is an illegal alien, according to his attorney Danny
Ferguson.

The six were charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine hydrochloride,
marijuana, anabolic steroids and MDMA (Ecstasy) in December.

A later indictment added civil rights violation charges against Woodall,
Westmoreland and Rankin based on allegations they performed an illegal
search of Kepley's apartment to obtain money and steroids.