EX-SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES, OTHERS PLEAD NOT GUILTY

WINSTON-SALEM - Three former Davidson County narcotics officers and two
other defendants entered new pleas of innocent to charges of conspiracy to
distribute drugs and other charges this morning in U.S. District Court in
Winston-Salem.

Former Davidson County Sheriff's Office First Lt. David Scott Woodall, Lt.
Douglas Edward Westmoreland and Sgt. William Monroe Rankin, as well as
former Archdale Police Sgt. Christopher James Shetley and Lexington area
residents Wyatt Nathan Kepley and Marco Aurelio Acosta-Soza were indicted
in December by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiring to distribute
cocaine, marijuana, steroids and Ecstasy.

On Jan. 25, the grand jury added six additional counts, charging:

* Woodall, Westmoreland and Rankin with depriving Kepley of his
constitutional rights by performing an illegal search on his home.

* Shetley with extortion.

* Woodall and Westmoreland with extortion.

* Woodall with extortion.

* Woodall with carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.

* Kepley with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The new indictment also added forfeiture counts against all defendants,
except Acosta-Soza.

All except Acosta-Soza appeared in court this morning and pleaded not
guilty to all charges in the new indictment.

All five are now scheduled for trial on March 11.

Acosta-Soza, who was not charged with anything additional in the new
indictment, remains scheduled for trial next Monday.

Rankin remains free on bond pending his trial, but the other defendants
remain in jail.