LEXINGTON -- Plea bargains that dropped some of the charges against three Davidson County deputies and three other men didn't play well along the county seat's Main Street. "I don't see why not telling the truth the first time should get you a lighter (prison) sentence," said Frankie Nance, owner of the Army-Navy Store. But things were business as usual for Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege and his department. Hege, who is taking heat in this election year because of the charges against his former deputies, declined to comment on the court proceedings Thursday. [continues 413 words]
3 Davidson Ex-Deputies, Others Accept U.S. Prosecutors' Deal Greensboro Three former Davidson County deputies, a former Archdale police officer and two other men pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Greensboro to drug-conspiracy charges as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecuters. The men, who had all pleaded not guilty when they were arrested in December, changed their pleas after receiving concessions from the U.S. Attorney's Office, including an agreement to dismiss some charges. [continues 710 words]
A phone call soured the annual Christmas breakfast at the Archdale Police Department. "We need to come see you," state agents told Chief Gary Lewallen. Related Story Shock over arrests lingers for residents The SBI agents brought Lewallen unsettling news. State police were going to arrest one of his men, a trusted sergeant, on drug-conspiracy charges. And they needed to arrest him on the job so he'd have no chance to run. Within minutes, brawny Sgt. Chris Shetley was in custody, head bowed, hands cuffed behind him like any other suspect. That sight -- a uniformed officer being led out of a police station in handcuffs -- broke hearts all over the building, the chief says. [continues 3077 words]
Editor: I am writing a letter in regard to how the Davidson County Sheriff's Office runs things in this town. Do we as American citizens have rights anymore? Well, I think Gerald Hege thinks not. He runs things how he sees fit in order to make himself look good. Deputies have been indicted on drug charges from which the drugs they were selling were taken from prior busts they had performed. What kind of man are we letting run this county? If we do not vote Hege out of office this election, things will only get worse. I will be voting against him and those of you who vote for him, your time is coming to have your rights stripped out from under you. They have slandered my name and I have done nothing wrong and have not been charged with anything. Please take heed to my words. If not, one day you will regret it. Dana Berrier, Lexington [end]
He Endorses Four Candidates Running For Commissioners LEXINGTON -- Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege's political machine kicked into gear yesterday as he filed for re-election and endorsed four candidates for the county board of commissioners. Hege, 53, is running for his third-term in office. A Republican, he brought an entourage of supporters along with him to the board of elections, including family members, more than 12 deputies and sheriff's office employees, and county commissioner candidates. In a news conference after he filed, Hege said he plans to campaign for John Faust, Don Truell, Sam Watford and Paul Housand for the four open county-commissioner seats. [continues 481 words]
LEXINGTON -- Gerald Hege packed a posse of 36 supporters into the Davidson County Board of Elections office Monday as he filed to run for his third term as the county sheriff. Hege, surrounded by his wife, mother, sister, deputies and other sheriff's department employees, talked about how crime has dropped in the eight years he has been sheriff, the amount of money he has generated for the county and the need for higher salaries for his deputies. He said he wasn't there to try to change the minds of people who may want his tenure to end in December. [continues 341 words]
LEXINGTON -- For some, the arrest of three former Davidson County Sheriff's deputies may have been the equivalent of a get-out-of-jail-free card. For others, it could have been vindication of an unjust blemish on a life otherwise clear of brushes with the law. Since January, the Davidson County District Attorney's Office has dismissed charges against 31 people, ranging from misdemeanor possession of marijuana to felony possession of cocaine. The cases had to be dropped, District Attorney Garry Frank said, because then-deputies David Woodall, Douglas Westmoreland and William Rankin played a significant role in the arrests. [continues 353 words]
Editor: A great Texan once said, "Why must those who are in the wrong always bury a 10-cent topic in $10 words?" When you slice through all of the heated rhetoric surrounding Sheriff Gerald Hege, you finally come to the unalterable conclusion that he has failed the citizens of our county. I, like most of you, was originally impressed with his "no-nonsense" tactics. The idea of using inmates to clean up our streets and taking away some of the luxuries of the jail that we all paid for was a welcome change. Had it stopped there, Sheriff Hege would be getting my vote in the next election. But, it didn't stop there. [continues 572 words]
The Davidson County District Attorney's Office has dismissed 65 criminal cases investigated by three county narcotics officers now charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to distribute drugs. District Attorney Garry Frank said the cases, involving about 25 defendants, include not just drug possession allegations but also some drug trafficking and habitual felon charges - cases his office normally gives high priority. "To have to dismiss these is extremely regrettable and distasteful," Frank said. He said his staff, which started the review the day after the arrest of the three narcotics officers, has finished going over every pending Superior Court case, as well as a few District Court cases, in which the three officers - 1st Lt. David Scott Woodall, Lt. Doug Westmoreland and Sgt. William Monroe Rankin - are involved. [continues 483 words]
Editor: This letter is in response to Sandra Causey about us citizens in Davidson County not whining about Mr. Hege any longer being in office if another person is elected in office. Personally, I think getting another sheriff in office would be the best thing for this county. Well, Sandra makes no common sense with what she says. Just watch the television and read the newspapers about the events that took place in Mr. Hege's department and on our streets. How can any of us trust our law enforcement officers now? [continues 542 words]
LEXINGTON -- People facing drug charges in Davidson County had the slate wiped clean this week after the arrest of three Davidson County sheriff's deputies, according to District Attorney Garry Frank. At least 24 defendants, facing 65 charges ranging from habitual felon to trafficking in cocaine, had their cases dropped because of the arrest of the deputies on drug trafficking charges, Frank said. "As I indicated from the beginning, we were going to review on a case-by-case basis, and that is what we did," he said. [continues 365 words]
The high sheriff of Davidson County, Gerald Hege, has the responsibility of supervising his narcotics unit and his deputies. Three of his top deputies were arrested for conspiracy in drug charges. Single officers sometimes go bad, but three is unusual unless it is in a large city. Hege says that "there's really no monitoring system." If there isn't, there should have been. An effective internal system to prevent such actions is necessary. Sheriff Hege has built himself a reputation as the toughest sheriff in America. Some of the ways he has done this include television and radio shows, decorating his office with military items, outfitting his deputies with uniforms resembling military special forces, driving a spider car, and the list goes on. His busy schedule may have prevented his attention to a narcotics unit out of control. [continues 258 words]
I've been reading about this situation involving Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege . Everyone is saying that Hege is a hypocrite. How? Did he traffic any drugs? Did he produce false search warrants? Did he get caught with money or drugs? Has the FBI pointed at him? So he wears black "commando" pants. The K-9 unit from a local department wears the same BDU's and military style combat boots. My fiance is an officer and days he has to train, he wears the same BDU's. Those pants are pretty standard issue. [continues 106 words]
Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege said Tuesday he has increased supervision of undercover operations. That's a start toward restoring public confidence in his department after last week's arrests of three vice-narcotics officers on drug charges and other allegations. Hege held a news conference to address concerns about his management practices, or lack of oversight. Although he couldn't quite admit personal responsibility for what went wrong, blaming "rogue cops" who were skilled at evading detection, his vow to do better amounted to an acknowledgment of past shortcomings. [continues 178 words]
Sheriff Gerald Hege made an important first step Tuesday in his effort to regain the trust of Davidson County residents following the arrests of three of his vice and narcotics officers on drug charges. Hege faces a difficult task. An affidavit in the federal and state investigation that led to the deputies' arrests detailed planted evidence, false arrests, break-ins, thefts and even assaults. The scope of the alleged wrongdoing is staggering. The fallout from the investigation is wide-ranging. Ninety-one court cases involving 35 people are at risk, since they involved the now-dismissed officers. The evidence used to make the arrests will be called into question. District Attorney Garry Frank has said he will review the cases on a case-by-case basis. Based on the information in the affidavit, Frank should strongly consider dismissing them outright and letting law enforcement officers start anew. [continues 385 words]
Drastic Steps Are Needed To Restore Confidence Of Public, Counterparts Say Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege outlined a plan to overhaul his vice-narcotics unit yesterday, a week after federal authorities arrested three of his top investigators on drug-distribution charges. Several new deputies have been assigned to the unit. Hege, along with four of his highest-ranking officers, will supervise these deputies, Hege said. The sheriff also will execute search warrants and go on drug raids with his deputies who will undergo more extensive drug testing that will include use of steroids, Hege said. [continues 695 words]
The arrest Dec. 12 of four law-enforcement officers on drug- distribution charges is unfortunate. But such arrests should not be seen as occupational hazards. Some other professions that expose one to great temptation to break the law acknowledge that need and provide for it. Lawyers, for example, who despite great risks could raid clients' trust funds, seldom do. One reason is that such professions require continuing education that includes ethics training. The training is meant to function as a reminder that although technologies and techniques often change, right and wrong remain constant. [continues 285 words]
Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege said this morning he is reorganizing his vice-narcotics operation to prevent the problems that surfaced last week when federal and state investigators arrested three of his undercover officers for allegedly conspiring to distribute drugs. In a wide-ranging news conference at the courthouse, Hege said he worked closely with vice and narcotics officers for his first six years in office but took a less hands-on role during this past seventh year. That's when the activities allegedly occurred that led to the indictment of the three undercover officers, an Archdale police officer and two Lexington residents. [continues 422 words]
LEXINGTON -- Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege, stung by the arrest last week of three top vice-narcotics deputies, announced Tuesday that the unit will have more oversight. Hege will have a more hands-on role, such as going out on major drug raids and searches, he said at a morning news conference. He will work more night shifts, too. He also assigned a team of officers to oversee the operation of the unit. Maj. Brad Glisson, Maj. Danny Owens, Capt. Jody Shoaf and Capt. Chris Coble will not work cases but will document each step of operations, such as making sure seized drugs and other evidence get logged into the evidence room. [continues 487 words]
Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege acknowledged this morning that a federal indictment of three deputies throws into doubt 91 pending charges against 35 people. Those are all the active cases that the indicted deputies worked on. At a 9 a.m. press conference this morning, Hege responded to allegations contained in 35-page search warrant released by federal prosecutors Friday. "Until yesterday afternoon, I had not received or read the affidavit" detailing the investigation against his men, Hege said. Hege held up a list of all the pending cases the indicted deputies worked on, and he addressed accusations by a television reporter that he was hiding out. [continues 741 words]
