gal
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Aug 2003
Location: Virginia
Posts: 1465 |
talk about screwed up
A federal grand jury has indicted Henry County Sheriff Frank Cassell and a dozen of his current and former deputies on racketeering charges.
Cassell's lawyer, John Lichtenstein, said, "He is innocent," and will remain on the job.
"He is now the sheriff," said Lichtenstein. "He believes that he has a duty to the people of Henry County to do his job, and he intends to continue to do that for the time being. He's going to make decisions that he believes will be in the best interest of the people of Henry County."
The indictment, returned Tuesday and unsealed Thursday morning, names 20 defendants, including a former state probation officer and a former postal service employee.
The counts include racketeering conspiracy, possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a machine gun, obstruction of justice, perjury, money laundering and narcotics distribution.
The case was built on the work of Henry County Sheriff's deputy James Alden Vaught. The government alleges he allowed a home he owns in Martinsville to be used as a "drug drop."
The indictment lists narcotics, including the "date-rape" drug Ketamine and hundreds of pounds of marijuana. Among the charges: Sergeant Vaught sold two grams of cocaine he'd seized from a drug dealer.
Vaught's rental property in Martinsville was also allegedly used by officers of the Henry County Sheriff's office as a "place for extra-marital sexual relations." Sergeant Vaught resigned in March of last year and agreed to cooperate with federal investigators. The indictment alleges that Vaught secretly recorded conversations with many of the other people charged in the indictment.
The indictment alleges the sheriff himself--H. Frank Cassell--"covered up the illegal activities by failing to pursue investigations." It says Sheriff Cassell gave information to offenders, hoping to enable them to avoid detection and arrest, that the sheriff made false statements to federal agents. The indictment goes on to say that the Sheriff was a party to the money-laundering scheme alleged by the government--money derived from cocaine distribution.
U.S. Attorney John Brownlee told a news conference that Sheriff Cassell is in custody in Roanoke, pending an appearance this afternoon in Federal Court.
Brownlee says additional state police have been assigned to help with law enforcement in Henry County.
Henry County Sheriff's Captain Lane Perry told reporters that the public will see no interruption of services.
"We have the resources to continue," said Perry. "This will not hinder us in any way and we will move forward."
Captain Perry said in the absence of the sheriff, leadership in the department goes to the highest ranking officer. "That would be me," Perry said.
Sheriff Cassell was released on $25,000 unsecured bond.
The chairman of the Henry Couny Board of Supervisors, H.G. Vaughn, has called on Cassell to resign.
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Sometimes we are so busy countin up our troubles that we forget to count our blessings....
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11-03-2006 03:30 PM
