DRUGS TAKEN FROM EVIDENCE

Cocaine and marijuana taken off the streets of Davidson County were stolen
from an evidence room by a sheriff's deputy, court documents state.

Former deputy Douglas Edward Westmoreland -- one of the three deputies who
pleaded guilty to federal drug charges Thursday -- signed out 60 pounds of
marijuana and 2 kilograms of cocaine from the Davidson County Sheriff's
Office's evidence room about Jan. 24, 2001, according to the documents.

He and another former deputy, David Scott Woodall, discussed selling the
marijuana, but it is unclear what they did with the cocaine. One thing is
certain, the documents stated: The drugs were never returned to the
evidence room.

The three former deputies -- William Monroe Rankin, 32; Woodall, 34; and
Westmoreland, 49 -- along with former Archdale police officer Chris
Shetley, 35, and Lexington residents Wyatt Kepley, 26, and Marco Aurelio
Acosta Soza, 23, pleaded guilty to federal drug charges Thursday in federal
court.

Political rivals of Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege say he shoulders
some of the blame for what his former deputies did.

Roy Holman of Lexington, a longtime political foe of Hege and current
candidate for sheriff, said Thursday he blames Hege for the actions of his
deputies.

"He's not been tending to the store," Holman said. "He's been busy doing
all of this promotional stuff that has nothing to do with being sheriff."

In December, Hege said through his public information officer that he had
an officer who performed unannounced inspections of evidence. He said
evidence is documented from the time it is brought to the sheriff's office
until the case is resolved.

Hege declined to comment further on the drug case.

Hege's public information officer said the sheriff strictly enforces the
code of ethics.

"Sheriff Hege is very strict and enforces the rules to the extreme,
including the wearing of hats, lying, cursing, etc.," the December release
stated.

Since the arrest of the deputies, more than 80 drug charges have been
dropped against defendants in Davidson County.

District Attorney Garry Frank is seeking to overturn a drug case against
Darick Owens of Thomasville.

Owens spent 50 days in jail before being sentenced to two years' probation,
which ends in November.

A convicted Lexington drug dealer has asked for a new trial because the
same three deputies arrested him.

George Branham Jr., 18, was sentenced to 14 years in prison last year after
a jury convicted him of possession and trafficking of LSD.

According to court documents, the jailed deputies were witnesses against
Branham during his trial.