Pubdate: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 Source: Columbus Dispatch (OH) Copyright: 1999, The Columbus Dispatch Contact: http://www.dispatch.com/ Author: Frank Hinchey, Dispatch Assistant State Editor JUDGE ORDERS AUCTION DELAYED POMEROY, Ohio -- The auction of thousands of items seized in a Meigs County drug raid won't happen anytime soon. A continuance will provide more time to analyze the legality of a forfeiture agreement. The southeastern Ohio sale advertised nationwide was temporarily halted June 29 by Meigs County Common Pleas Judge Fred M. Crow III, who questioned whether the prosecutor's office and the county could dispose of the property without following civil or criminal forfeiture laws. Fred M. Priddy, 47, of Rutland in Meigs County claims that he was coerced by the prosecutor into an agreement to give up more than 75 cars, 160 guns, heavy equipment and real estate. Prosecutor John Lentes said his office had an out-of-court agreement signed by Priddy in lieu of forfeiture, which allowed the sale. The document, which was signed by Priddy two days before he began serving an eight-year prison sentence for possessing more than 700 ounces of marijuana, is being challenged by Priddy's attorneys. After hearing some testimony yesterday, Crow granted a continuance until Sept. 3 in the request filed Friday by Priddy to permanently halt the auction. Crow ordered the delay so the prosecutor's office could provide Priddy and the court an inventory and an accounting of what was seized during the April raid. He ordered Lentes to supply "a description of his efforts to determine the ownership . . . of each item of property he purports to be included'' in the agreement with Priddy. "You were ordered to do so this (June 29), and let's get it done,'' Crow told Lentes yesterday. "We can't have a situation where you and you alone, and your office alone, knows what's going on, but no one in the world knows what's going on.'' But Crow also used his written order to say that Priddy is a convicted drug felon and that the court has no interest in protecting or returning drug assets. Priddy was in court yesterday as his attorneys argued that Lentes, the Major Crimes Task Force of Meigs County, Meigs County commissioners and Sheriff James Soulsby were illegally holding his property under the agreement, which is not legally enforceable. "Priddy signed the acknowledgment under duress, under influence of the prosecutor, under threats of greater incarceration (and) refusing to release him on bond until he signed the agreement'' attorneys Thomas DeBacco and Shelly Kennedy wrote in the complaint. Lentes said Priddy went to the Meigs County Fairgrounds voluntarily after he posted bond on May 11 and identified various cars and other property that was purchased with drug money and that he was allowing the task force to sell at public auction. Lentes also said he remembered calling the jail to advise them to check with authorities to see if there was a federal holder on Priddy before he was released from jail. Priddy had been released from federal prison from a previous drug conviction and had nearly completed his probation at the time of his arrest in Meigs County. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake