Pubdate: Thu, 07 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 (Corruption)

FORMER DEPUTIES, TWO OTHERS PLEAD GUILTY

GREENSBORO - Three former law enforcement officers and two Lexington-area 
residents indicted on federal drug conspiracy charges changed their pleas 
from innocent to guilty this morning in U.S. District Court.

Former 1st Lt. David Scott Woodall, 34, who headed the vice/narcotics unit 
for the Davidson County sheriff's office, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to 
distribute cocaine, marijuana, steroids and Ecstasy; extortion; and using a 
firearm while committing extortion.

Another former vice/narcotics unit member, Lt. Douglas Edward Westmoreland, 
50, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and 
extortion.

A third law enforcement officer, former Archdale police Sgt. Christopher 
James Shetley, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and 
Ecstasy.

Lexington-area resident Wyatt Nathan Kepley, 26, pleaded guilty to 
conspiracy to distribute steroids and possession of a firearm by a 
convicted felon.

A fifth defendant, Marco Aureole Acosta-Soza, 26, a Mexican national living 
in Lexington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana.

In exchange for the guilty pleas, the prosecution agreed to recommend some 
reductions in sentence as well as the amounts of forfeiture of money and 
property.

The plea changes came in a Greensboro courtroom that included about 20 
relatives and friends of the defendants, four days before the men were to 
go on trial.

U.S. District Judge William Osteen scheduled sentencing for June 14 at 2 
p.m. in U.S. District Court in Greensboro. The defendants will remain in 
jail without bond pending sentencing.

A sixth defendant, former Sgt. William Monroe Rankin, 32, of the sheriff's 
office vice/narcotics unit, is scheduled to appear before Osteen for a 
change-of-plea hearing this afternoon. Rankin was the only defendant 
released on bond after the men were arrested in December.

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 conspiring to distribute cocaine, marijuana, steroids and Ecstasy.

The four law enforcement officers resigned or were fired immediately after 
their arrests.

A federal affidavit alleged that the four officers, operating with great 
freedom, stole cash, drugs and guns that they seized in busts, sold the 
drugs for cash, fabricated search warrants, planted evidence, committed 
burglaries, shook down suspects for money and intimidated witnesses.

The affidavit suggested a symbiotic relationship between the Davidson 
officers and Kepley, who was accused of being a major supplier of illegal 
steroids in the Triad. Kepley is the son of Davidson County Commissioner 
Billy Joe Kepley.

On Jan. 25, the grand jury issued a superseding indictment adding more 
charges. The new indictment charged Woodall, Westmoreland and Rankin with 
violating Kepley's constitutional rights by illegally searching his home 
with a fake warrant. It also charged Woodall with two counts of extortion 
and one count of firearm possession during the commission of a felony.

The new indictment charged Westmoreland and Shetley with one count of 
extortion each. It charged Kepley with one count of possession of a handgun 
by a convicted felon.

The new indictment also sought to force the forfeiture of $2 million by 
Kepley, $250,000 each by Woodall and Westmoreland and much smaller amounts 
of cash or property by Rankin and Shetley.

Much of the information used to indict the six defendants was provided by a 
confidential witness - a Triad police officer charged Nov. 5 with intent to 
distribute cocaine, marijuana and Ecstasy.

As described in the federal affidavit, the 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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