Pubdate: Mon, 04 Mar 2002
Source: Dispatch, The (NC)
Copyright: 2002, The Lexington Dispatch
Contact:  http://www.the-dispatch.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1583
Author: William Keesler
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm

CHANGE-OF-PLEA HEARINGS SET FOR FORMER OFFICERS

Three former Davidson County narcotics officers and three co-defendants 
accused of distributing drugs are scheduled to appear Thursday in U.S. 
District Court in Greensboro for change-of-plea hearings.

The hearing comes four days before the six men were to go on trial.

According to records in the federal clerk's office, former 1st Lt. David 
Scott Woodall, 34, and former Lt. Douglas Edward Westmoreland, 50, of the 
Davidson County Sheriff's Office, former Sgt. Christopher James Shetley, 
41, of the Archdale police and Lexington-area residents Wyatt Nathan 
Kepley, 26, and Marco Aurelio Acosta-Soza, 26, will appear before U.S. 
District Judge William Osteen Thursday at 9:30 a.m. for change-of-plea 
hearings.

Former Sgt. William Monroe Rankin, 32, of the sheriff's office will appear 
before Osteen at 2 p.m. for a change-of-plea hearing.

Lynn Klauer, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said this 
morning she could not discuss the hearings.

After an eight-month investigation by the FBI and the State Bureau of 
Investigation, a federal grand jury indicted the six men Dec. 7 on charges 
of distributing cocaine, marijuana, steroids and Ecstasy. Federal and state 
agents arrested the defendants on Dec. 11 and Dec. 12. A federal affidavit 
alleged that the four law enforcement officers, operating with great 
freedom, stole cash, drugs and guns that they seized in busts, sold the 
drugs, fabricated search warrants, committed burglaries and extortion, and 
intimidated witnesses.

The officers all resigned or were fired after their arrests.

On Jan. 25, the grand jury issued a superseding indictment adding more 
charges. Woodall, Westmoreland and Rankin face a civil rights violation 
charge for an alleged illegal search of Kepley's home.

Woodall also faces two counts of extortion and one count of firearm 
possession during the commission of a felony. Westmoreland and Shetley face 
one count of extortion each. Kepley faces one count of possession of a 
handgun by a convicted felon.

All six men have pleaded innocent.

The defendants potentially face life in prison and $4 million or more in 
fines. They also might have to forfeit the proceeds of illegal drug 
activity. The superseding indictment seeks $2 million from Kepley, $250,000 
from Woodall and Westmoreland and much smaller amounts of cash or property 
from Rankin and Shetley.

Much of the information used to indict the six defendants was provided by 
an unnamed Triad police officer charged Nov. 5 with intent to distribute 
cocaine, marijuana and Ecstasy. As described in a federal affidavit, the 
confidential witness bears a striking resemblance to former Thomasville 
police Sgt. Russell Earl McHenry Jr., 32. McHenry entered a guilty plea in 
federal court on Jan. 29 and is scheduled for sentencing on May 21.
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