FEDS: OFFICERS DEALT DRUGS

3 Of 4 Indicted Lawmen Were Deputies Of Famed Sheriff Gerald Hege

Three Davidson County narcotics deputies and an Archdale police sergeant
have been indicted on federal drug charges, along with two men the officers
initially went undercover to investigate, authorities said.

The charges against the deputies brought unwelcome attention to a
department led by Sheriff Gerald Hege, known for controversial
tough-on-crime tactics.

The suspects each face between 10 years and life imprisonment. Agents with
the FBI and the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation arrested the six men
late Tuesday and early Wednesday following an eight-month investigation.
Agents searched a Davidson County narcotics and vice sub-station and five
patrol cars as part of the probe.

The indictment, unsealed Wednesday, alleges the suspects distributed drugs
in Davidson County, including cocaine, marijuana, anabolic steroids and
Ecstasy, a mood-enhancing drug most commonly associated with raves.

Lt. David Scott, 34; Sgt. Douglas Edward Westmoreland, 49; and Sgt. William
Monroe Rankin, 32, are no longer with the force, Hege said.

"Their services are no longer needed here," he said.

Hege would not say whether he fired the deputies or they resigned. The
deputies' tenure with the Sheriff's Office ranges from four to 10 years.
Sgt. Christopher James Shetley, 35, of the Archdale Police Department,
resigned as agents arrested him, said Police Chief Gary Lewallen. Shetley,
a patrol supervisor, had been on the force six years.

Also charged are Aurelio Acosta Soza, 23, and Wyatt Nathan Kepley, 26.
Neither is a law enforcement officer.

According to the indictment, the suspects distributed more than five
kilograms of cocaine in Davidson County and elsewhere. Five kilograms are
worth more than $120,000 in bulk. When packaged for individual sale,
authorities said the street value increases significantly.

The indictment also alleges the suspects sold more than $200,000 worth of
marijuana. The quantities and value of the Ecstasy and anabolic steroids
were unclear.

The suspects remained in federal custody late Wednesday pending detention
hearings. Law enforcement sources said there could be more arrests.

There are no records available, but authorities say felony charges against
law enforcement officers are rare.

"But it does happen," said Cumberland County Sheriff Earl Butler. He's
president of the N.C. Sheriff's Association.

Late Wednesday, Hege said he didn't know when the deputies stopped
investigating Soza and Kepley. He would not say when he became aware his
deputies were under investigation.

"Anytime you put undercovers out there, you have to trust them to do their
jobs," he said. "This type of conduct has an effect on the whole law
enforcement community. You have nightmares about this happening and hope it
doesn't happen to you."

Hege said he expected criticism following the arrests because of his
celebrity. Since his election in 1994, Hege has had a weekly cable show
(now in syndication), has painted jail cells pink and has outfitted
deputies in military-style fatigues.

"Anytime you're in the spotlight, you've got to expect to take some heat,"
he said.