ARREST OF ARRESTING OFFICERS RESULTS IN RELEASE OF SUSPECT

A local man who spent more than a year in federal prison on a drug
conviction has been set free because of credibility issues linked to the
arrests of his arresting officers. Former Lexington resident Joe Edward
Hedgepeth is the first federal prisoner whose sentence has been terminated
because authorities say they now consider unreliable evidence that led to
his conviction, said Lynne Klauer, assistant U.S. attorney.

David Scott Woodall, 34, and Douglas Edward Westmoreland, 49, are two of
three former Davidson County vice/narcotics officers who have since pleaded
guilty to a variety of drug conspiracy and civil rights charges. They
compiled the evidence against Hedgepeth, court documents say. Last year, 65
pending Davidson County drug cases were dismissed after the three officers
were arrested on drug conspiracy charges.

Hedgepeth pleaded guilty Sept. 6, 2000, to a charge of possession with
intent to distribute crack cocaine and was sentenced Dec. 7., 2000, to a
125-month prison term.

Woodall, Westmoreland and fellow Davidson County vice/narcotics officer
William Monroe Rankin Jr., 32, were arrested in December. In January,
Hedgepeth petitioned the court to discontinue his sentence. In March, U.S.
Attorney Anna Mills Wagoner granted his request.

"The government has concluded that the advice of counsel given to the
defendant and the quality thereof was based in large part on the
incident/investigation reports of Davidson County Sheriff's Deputies
Woodall and Westmoreland," Wagoner said in court documents.

The documents also state that in his motion, Hedgepeth said he is not
guilty of the charge "and that, if anything, he is guilty of an attempt to
obtain an amount of cocaine hydrochloride."

Wagoner said that the government "cannot dispute this contention."
Hedgepeth was released from a Petersburg, Va., prison March 20.

Earlier this year, District Attorney Garry Frank filed a motion for
appropriate relief in the case of Darick Owens, a Thomasville man who
pleaded no contest to felony drug charges over a year ago.

Owens was arrested on evidence collected by one or more of the
vice/narcotics officers now facing sentencing. Frank said later evidence
uncovered by FBI and State Bureau of Investigation officers led him to
believe Owens had been framed.

After a rehearing, Owens' conviction was overturned.

Also arrested were Christopher James Shetley, an Archdale police officer,
and five citizens, Wyatt Nathan Kepley, Marco Aurelio Soza, Jonathan Eric
Apt, Elizabeth Ann Harward and Chad Douglas Wilson.

A Thomasville police officer, Russell McHenry, was arrested on drug charges
in November. He was also part of the drug ring.

All have pleaded guilty and await sentencing.