AUTHORITIES CHARGE EIGHTEEN IN COCAINE RING

In the latest of several large drug busts this decade in Isle of Wight and
Surry counties, federal officials have charged 18 people with conspiring to
make and distribute crack cocaine.

A federal grand jury indicted the 18 after the Pagan River Drug Task Force,
made up of local agencies and the Virginia State Police, completed a
1½-yearlong investigation into crack operations in both counties.

This bust targeted "principal" drug suppliers, those getting drugs to
underlings to sell on the street, Smithfield Police Chief Mark Marshall said.

"In the local drug culture, these names are very significant," Marshall
said. The arrests "send a very strong message to lower-level dealers and
users."

Seventeen of those charged have been arrested. Only James Earl Tynes, known
as "Scuffer," remains on the loose.

Most of the arrests were made Monday with about 40 officers involved,
including those from Smithfield, the Isle of Wight Sheriff's Office, Surry
County sheriff, state police and FBI agents.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Richmond sealed the indictments until most of
those charged had been arrested. The names and charges were released
Thursday night. Each person charged faces the possibility of life in prison
and a fine of $4 million if found guilty.

Exactly how much crack cocaine has been trafficked by this group is
unclear, but officials know that the group has made at least $444,000 in
illegal drug sales.

Those arrested are expected to be arraigned in federal court in Richmond on
Feb. 19.

Local officials have been involved in large drug busts before.

In 2000, the Isle of Wight grand jury issued 80 indictments against as many
as 35 suspects charged with drug trafficking.

And in 1994, Surry County officials, with help from other agencies,
arrested 17 men and charged them with cocaine possession and distribution.
That was the result of a yearlong investigation.

Normally, the investigations result in local charges and rarely involve
federal agencies. This bust was different because it targeted suppliers,
rather than street dealers, Marshall said.

It's been at least a decade since federal charges were brought against
local drug dealers, he said.

Surry Sheriff Harold Brown said drug activity in both counties had been a
high-priority target for law enforcement. He attributes part of the success
of this operation to citizens informing police of drug activity.