Pubdate: Thu, 17 May 2007 Source: Herald-Sun, The (Durham, NC) Copyright: 2007 The Herald-Sun Contact: http://www.herald-sun.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1428 Author: Brianne Dopart Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States) 2 OF FIRED DEPUTIES WON'T BE CHARGED DURHAM -- Two former Durham County sheriff's deputies fired in the aftermath of a drug-related sting at a Durham nightclub last October are not being held criminally responsible, but a third former deputy - -- the then-owner of the club -- has pleaded guilty to drug charges and will be sentenced Aug. 10. Former deputy Michael Paul Owens pleaded guilty last month to maintaining the La Zona nightclub at 2825 North Roxboro Road as an establishment for the sale of drugs and conspiracy to traffic cocaine, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Hairston said Wednesday. Hairston said Owens could be sentenced to up to 20 years in federal prison. Owens and six other men were arrested in an Oct. 13 raid at La Zona. Five ounces of cocaine were confiscated during the raid. Owens is the only person to date to have been charged in connection with the alleged trafficking conspiracy. Hairston declined to say whether charges against more people will be filed. The two former deputies who lost their jobs -- William "Keith" Dodson and Brad King -- had moonlighted as security guards at La Zona. They were fired after the raid for violating the Sheriff's Office secondary employment policy, Sheriff's Office Captain Paul Martin said Wednesday. Martin said the October raid cut short an undercover probe of alleged criminal activity at the club. That investigation was believed to be much more wide-ranging than the eventual drug case built against Owens and any possible unnamed co-conspirators. Law enforcement reportedly made its move after evidence surfaced that Owens and perhaps some others were planning an armed robbery. Search warrants linked to the La Zona raid alleged that vehicles and people seen frequenting the club were known to be involved in a wide array of criminal activities, including "drug trafficking, armed robberies, murder (for hire), prostitution and human trafficking." On Oct. 12, 2006, investigators orchestrated what law enforcement referred to as a controlled buy at the nightclub. Investigators gave a confidential informant cash to buy several ounces of cocaine to be used as evidence that the establishment was the site of drug trafficking, Martin said. During the exchange, investigators got more than they bargained for when the informant was allegedly asked to return the following night with a gun. The informant, Martin said, was asked to participate in a planned home invasion and robbery. Owens, Martin added, could be heard offering the informant a weapon to use. Because investigators had learned of possible violence, they cut their probe short and decided to charge Owens solely on the basis of the drug evidence because, Martin said, they did not have enough information to advance the other charges. Martin said he felt justice has been served in Owens' case. "We took it as far as we could," he said. He added that the La Zona incident and a current Sheriff's Office investigation into a former employee's alleged embezzlement of county funds should be considered "aberrations." "We've had two unfortunate incidents in the dozen or so years under Sheriff [Worth] Hill," Martin said. "Whenever you have an organization made up of human beings you're going to have mistakes. We're handling those mistakes and we're doing the best we can." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman