FORMER POLICE CHIEF GETS MORE THAN 6 YEARS

A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced Bethel's former police chief,
arrested in 2005 in connection with drug and weapon charges, to more
than six years in a federal penitentiary.

The morning sentencing hearing for Reginald Laverne Roberts came about
three months after he pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting another
and knowingly and unlawfully distributing more than five grams of
crack cocaine. The 42-year-old showed little emotion, uttering only
one sentence during the nearly 30-minute hearing.

"I want to apologize to the court, my family and the town of Bethel,
as well," Roberts said to Judge Malcolm Howard before taking a seat
next to his attorney, James M. Ayers II.

The apology came minutes before Howard imposed a six-year, six-month
prison sentence. With credit for the time Roberts has already served
since his Oct. 27, 2005, arrest, he could be out in about five years.
He would then begin serving a five-year supervised probation sentence
where he will be required to submit to warrantless searches of his
home.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John H. Bennett said he felt the sentence was
appropriate, though he'd asked for the maximum -- seven years, three
months. "We are really thankful justice was served," Bennett said.
"When push comes to shove, we rely on people wearing a badge. When you
breach that trust you have violated a community in a way that's
profound." The punishment for Roberts was harsher than for friend and
former Bethel police lieutenant Jerome Earl Cox. Cox received a
three-year, two-month active prison sentence last month. Bennett said
Cox's cooperation with prosecutors early on caused for the lighter
sentencing. Information prosecutors obtained indicated Roberts was
"the principle motivator" in the crimes, Bennett said.

Roberts -- Bethel's police chief since 2000 -- and Cox were arrested in
October 2005 after a three-month probe by the FBI and the Beaufort
County Sheriff's Office into allegations of drug trafficking and
illegal gun sales. The charges the men pled to stem from an incident
the same month when Roberts, Cox and a law enforcement informant went
to an impound lot in Washington, N.C., to steal drugs and money
stashed in a supposed drug dealer's truck.

Roberts and Cox took turns smashing a window on the truck before
obtaining about 11 grams of crack cocaine, a scale and about $2,000
cash. The men divided the cash and gave the drugs to the informant,
court documents show. Three days later when Cox and Roberts were
arrested on the first floor of the United States District Courthouse,
law enforcement officials found marked bills from the impound lot in
Roberts' wallet. Roberts' family could not be reached for comment
Tuesday, but letters Ayers submitted for Howard to consider painted a
picture of Roberts. In a one-page letter filed at the courthouse by
his wife, Kellye, she describes Roberts as a good-hearted person and
family man who went the extra mile to support his children's activities.

"I realize that Reggie has made a terrible mistake and will be
punished for choices that he made, but he was a very good Marine and
police officer," his wife wrote in the letter dated March 3. "He was
proud of his accomplishments, and I believe that he gave all to insure
that Bethel, N.C., was a safe place to live."

For Barry Stanley -- named Bethel police chief in July 2006 after
months as interim chief -- Tuesday's sentence resolved the issue for a
police department he says "never missed a step."

"It's good for his family," said Stanley, who knew Roberts as a
colleague when Roberts was chief. "At least now things are moving on."