EX-OFFICER, INFORMANT GETS PRISON SENTENCE

WINSTON-SALEM -- A former Thomasville police officer -- who acted as
an FBI informant in a drug case involving three Davidson County
sheriff's deputies, an Archdale police officer and two other men, was
sentenced to two years in federal prison for his involvement in a
drug trafficking ring.

Russell McHenry pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver
marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy in January. On Friday, U.S. District
Court Judge Carlton Tilley sentenced McHenry to two years and one
month in federal prison.

"You've done some horrible things," Tilley said. "And you've done
some brave things to offset them."

After McHenry serves his time, he will be placed under three years of
supervised probation and must perform 150 hours of community service.

"Do you have anything to say?" Tilley asked McHenry at the sentencing hearing.

"I apologize to the citizens," McHenry said before he was overcome
with emotion.

McHenry's friends and family sat in the rear of the courtroom during
sentencing and declined comment after the hearing.

McHenry's attorneys, Joseph Bruner and Charles Lloyd, said they were
pleased with the sentence.

"We're thankful for the judge going along with the sentencing
agreement," said Bruner. He said McHenry cooperated with the State
Bureau of Investigation and the FBI because he realized what he did
was wrong.

McHenry turned informant after his arrest. He worked with the FBI and
SBI to gather information against former Davidson deputies Lt. David
Scott Woodall, Lt. William Monroe Rankin and Sgt. Douglas Edward
Westmoreland; former Archdale police Sgt. Christopher James Shetley;
and Wyatt Nathan Kepley and Marco Aurelio Acosta Soza.

The six men pleaded guilty to federal drug charges in March. They
will be sentenced later this month.

The men conspired to distribute cocaine, marijuana, anabolic steroids
and Ecstasy, court documents stated.

McHenry sold drugs with the men until his November arrest at his
Greensboro home.