Pubdate: Wed, 29 May 2002
Source: Sun News (SC)
Copyright: 2002 Sun Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://web.thesunnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/987
Author: Erin Reed

GORE TRIAL BEGINS WITH DRUG TRADE TESTIMONY

FLORENCE - About 30 people were selling drugs regularly during the 
mid-1990s in Atlantic Beach, according to testimony Tuesday in the trial of 
a former Town Council member. Four witnesses testified in U.S. District 
Court during the first day of trial in a drug trafficking case involving 
former Councilman Vander More Gore, his nephew Johnny Lee Gore and Anthony 
Pridgen.

The men are charged with conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of 
crack cocaine, more than 5 kilograms of powder cocaine, 50 kilograms of 
marijuana and less than 100 grams of heroin.

The trial is scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. today.

"This case is all about family," Assistant U.S. Attorney Rose Mary Parham 
told the jury in her opening statements. "And it is all about family drug 
dealing that has been going on for years."

Vander More Gore's two sons, Vander Keith Gore and Jeffrey Lee Gore, and 
his nephew Ronell Gore, have pleaded guilty to the charges.

Parham said most of the prosecution's 52 witnesses are convicted drug 
dealers who have made plea agreements with the government.

Parham said she must prove to the jury that the three defendants worked 
together in selling drugs. She said the case involves more than 50 drug 
dealers working in Atlantic Beach for more than 20 years.

The defense compared the government to tuna fishermen.

"Sometimes those nets catch innocent people," said attorney Chip Finney, 
representing Pridgen.

Finney is the son of Vander More Gore's attorney, Ernest Finney Jr., 
retired chief justice of the S.C. Supreme Court. Johnny Lee Gore is being 
represented by Hank Anderson.

The defense focused on the witnesses' plea agreements. By agreeing to 
testify, the witnesses, all of whom are in prison or facing prison time, 
have a chance to have their sentences reduced.

Three witnesses, Andrew Page of Florence, Greg Bellamy of Little River and 
Demetrius Lewis of Atlantic Beach, said they had been involved in drug 
activity with the defendants. The fourth witness, Tyrone Powell of 
Hallsboro, N.C., had not finished testimony Tuesday.

The witnesses described a white Chevrolet Lumina they called a "stash car" 
that they said was owned by Vander More Gore. A stash car has a secret 
compartment where drugs are stored.

Witnesses said they normally dealt with Jeffrey Gore but also worked with 
Vander More Gore.

Bellamy testified that he sometimes bought drugs from Vander More Gore.

Page said he also dealt with Pridgen - whom he called a close friend - and 
saw Pridgen deal drugs with other people.

Page said testifying against Pridgen was "the hardest thing I've ever had 
to do."

Bellamy said he has known Vander More Gore and Johnny Lee Gore about 25 
years. He started selling drugs in the 1980s, he testified.

"Everyone I was hanging around with was doing it," Bellamy testified. "I 
had to make money."

When he was arrested in the early '90s, it was for selling drugs he bought 
from Vander More Gore, Bellamy testified.
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