Pubdate: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 Source: Charlotte Observer (NC) Copyright: 2007 The Charlotte Observer Contact: http://www.charlotte.com/observer/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/78 Author: Shawn Cetrone CHECK WILL HELP FIGHT DRUGS Part Of Money Seized In Raid: Sheriff Gets $204,304 From Charlotte Agency The Union County sheriff's efforts to stem drug traffic seem to be paying off, literally. Thursday morning, representatives from the Drug Enforcement Agency's office in Charlotte handed Sheriff Eddie Cathey a check for $204,304.75. The money is a portion of more than $700,000 the DEA seized during a drug raid with help from the Sheriff's Office. Details of the raid aren't available because the case is still under investigation, Cathey said. In a partnership between the DEA and the Sheriff's Office, Cathey has assigned a deputy to work full time on a DEA task force. The partnership is about a year old, and the Sheriff's Office routinely gets checks from the agency, Cathey said But his office has never received a check like this. "We've gotten in the 80s before, but never this much," he said. The DEA's regional office also is partnered with the Monroe Police Department and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Eighty percent of the drug money seized in the region is divided among the three departments; the rest goes to administration costs, said John Emerson, assistant special agent in charge with the DEA. "The drug war is such a monumental task for us, we can't do it on our own," Emerson said. There are five DEA offices in the state, and each develops regional partnerships. "We'll take this money and buy more equipment, technology and use it for drug eradication programs in Union County," Cathey said. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek