The result was a 48-count indictment unsealed Thursday with the arrests of longtime Sheriff Harold Franklin Cassell and 17 others. ADVERTISE. He is free on a $25,000 personal recognizance bond. They allegedly made up a corrupt organization that stole and distributed drugs, including crack cocaine, and obstructed justice. The indictment says the corruption had been going on since 1998. Bill Wyatt is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. "It is disgraceful corruption," U.S. Attorney John L. Brownlee said. // define placeholder function early. A grand jury indictment is not an indication of guilt. Vaught further said that he, Martin and David Allen King, a vice officer and school resource officer with the Henry County Sheriff's Office, engaged in several illegal transactions involving the distribution of cocaine, crack, marijuana and steroids, the release and indictment state. At the center of the scandal are Cassell and sheriff's Sgt. Please subscribe to keep reading. Martin, Hairston and four other deputies, along with alleged drug dealer Wilbert Herman Brown, are accused in the indictment of racketeering. All face charges for crimes related to illegal drug activity. The remains of their daughter, Jennifer, 9, were found almost exactly a month later in North Carolina. The Shorts were found shot to death in their Oak Level home on Aug. 15, 2002; their daughter's skelatal remains were found in Rockingham County, N.C., on Sept. 25, 2002. The contraband was then sold, the indictment says. There were 69 regular indictments, 85 direct indictments and 177 indictments that were ordered sealed until 5 p.m. Monday to enhance the safety of law enforcement officers arresting the defendants named in the indictments and in order to prevent the defendants from obtaining notice of warrants before being arrested. Jennifer R. Ashworth Phone/Fax Phone: (276) 634-4880 Fax: (276) 634-4898 Clerk's Office Hours 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Deed recording hours 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The only person of interest ever publicly named in connection to the Short case, Gary Storm Bowman, 68, of Stoneville, N.C., said he knew nothing about the indictments when he was reached at his home today. window.registerDisplay = (args) => { Brian Clay Brown, 54, on or about March 11, 2017, practicing as a contractor without a license. . Along with his imposing height, Cassell had a cool, unflappable style that gave an impression that the former Virginia state trooper ruled his office with a sure hand. It was effective immediately. U.S. Attorney John Brownlee alleged the men did these things to try to get reward money. It is the grand jury's determination that enough evidence exists to hold a trial. They hauled him to court in shackles. DEA agents made a controlled delivery of the ketamine to the Martinsville home and arrested William Randall Reed and charged him with illegal possession with intent to distribute ketamine, the release states. Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Doyle Ray Markham, Jr, 43, on or about Jan. 24, assault and battery on a family/household member-third or subsequent offense. Charles Andrew Bolling, 41, on or about Aug. 2, felon carrying a concealed weapon, possession of heroin with intent to distribute. A Virginia State Police officer checks his equipment while at watch outside the Henry County Sheriff's Office Thursday. The house also was used by other members of the sheriff's office for parties and extramarital trysts, the federal indictment states. The regular indictments are as follows: Shawn Edward Kaiser, 49, on or about Nov. 25, embezzlement. Ryan Michael Workman, 27, between Jan. 2 and Jan. 24, possession of child pornography, nine counts possession of child pornography-subsequent offense. Now, the indictment of the county sheriff and 12 former and current deputies in a drug-trafficking ring has only deepened the gloom. Cassell then counseled Vaught to deposit small amounts of cash into a checking account to pay off the loan, the indictment charges. The registration period for the 2023 Miss Henry County Fair Pageant is now open. Through attorney John E. Lichtenstein, Cassell has asserted his innocence and declined to be interviewed. Steven Fitzgerald McRae Jr., 35, on or about Sept 7, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute-third or subsequent offense, possession of heroin with intent to distribute-third or subsequent offense, possession of acetaminophen and hydrocodone, possession of a firearm while possessing schedule I/II controlled substances, possession of buprenoprhine and naloxone, possession of clonazepam and felon carrying a concealed weapon. Dytanya Feshawn Porter, 42, on or about Feb. 9, felonious violation of the habitual offender act-second or subsequent offense. In 2001, a DEA agent from Texas called the sheriff's office to advise it that a drug ledger had been seized that indicated shipments of drugs were being delivered to a "Brad Martin's" house in Martinsville, the release and indictment state. WEATHER; More . Man died Wednesday. HENRY COUNTY DEPUTY CHARGED WITH STRANGULATION Local News MAN IDENTIFIED IN PATRICK COUNTY FIRE Politics FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS MASK MANDATES IN AIRPORTS Sports A EARNHARDT WILL BE DRIVING #3 AGAIN Crime HIGH SPEED CHASE RESULTS IN MURDER CHARGE Crime CAR FIGHT LEADS TO SHOOTING IN HENRY COUNTY Local News KIMBERLY VAN SCOY LEAVES WXII Politics On May 20, authorities arrested 36 suspects and seized additional drugs, illegal guns and. Henry County Sheriff's Office under investigation; 20 indicted. Vaught talked of ruining his life through illegal activity but also boasted of embezzling more than $100,000 with a girlfriend from a doctor. RegExp.$1 : ''; Man died Wednesday. U.S. Attorney John Brownlee announced today that there have been indictments related to the investigation of the unsolved slaying of a Henry County family in 2002. To some who know Cassell, those recordings depict him as someone who was not looking for personal profit but who was eager to help Vaught and other favorites avoid arrest and keep the scandal from blowing up on his watch. Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. The call was taken by Martin, a sheriff's deputy. Henry Co., VA - The Henry County Sheriff's Office arrested 56 people on 133 felony state criminal charges.It was all part of undercover drug operations between September 2014 and 2015.They say . Michael Jonathan Bousman Anderson, 20, on or about June 24, attempted malicious wounding. "DEA joins with the Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. According to the indictment, since 1998 some sworn officers, employees and associates of the sheriff's office allegedly engaged in a continuous scheme to steal narcotics, firearms and other contraband from the seized evidence property room. Strother Talbert Fulcher, III on or about July 23, felony failure to appear. Simple assault was the second most reported offense and accounted for 12.8% of the index crimes at 334 incidents. Two Martinsville residents and a Bassett man were indicted by a Henry County Grand Jury on Monday for the shooting death of a man found inside the doorway of an apartment in Bassett. A Middleman Is StungThe case began in March 2005, when the Drug Enforcement Administration's Philadelphia office, while investigating online drug trafficking, alerted agents in Roanoke that an express mail package was headed to a Martinsville residence with two kilograms of ketamine. An even bigger case came in August 2002 with the murder of a local couple in Bassett and the disappearance of their 9-year-old daughter, Jennifer Short. if (otCookie !== "1" && (window && window.location.href.indexOf('gtml=true') <= 0)) { Henry County grand jury returned 65 indictments on Monday. Instead, according to the indictment, Cassell tipped off targets of the investigation, lied to investigators and helped Vaught launder drug profits. Maranda Lynn Goss, 29, on or about July 22, possession of methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the Virginia State Police, the DEA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Cassell, Maj. James Keaton and 18 others were indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in connection with the alleged conspiracy, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Roanoke said Thursday. He admitted to Reed's allegations and agreed to wear a wire to record conversations with his former colleagues. (Watch a prosecutor describe 'disgraceful' corruption -- 2:13 ). Daniel Ray Hedrick, 47, on or about June 5, grand larceny of a motor vehicle. A dozen of them wore or had worn the uniform of the Henry. James Issac Stokes, 38, on or about June 17, possession of a firearm by a felon. The canine handler for the sheriff's office, Walter R. Hairston, periodically received drugs to train drug-smelling dogs, the release states. Timothy Fennon Sampson and Jerry Riley Mills have both been charged with conspiracy, perjury and providing false information to law enforcement. ", A Martinsville Circuit Court grand jury handed down 56 certified indictments against 34 people on Monday.There were 74 direct indictments that, EDITORS NOTE: The Martinsville Bulletin reports arrest reports in Martinsville, Henry and Patrick counties, except some juvenile cases and tr, The New College Institute (NCI) had applied for $175,000 in state funding to begin a new lab school, but earlier this month the Department of . 43-year-old Calvin Edward Cabiness, of Martinsville, was indicted for malicious wounding on April 3. Vershonda Tamika Renne Lewis, 36, on or about May 16, grand larceny of a motor vehicle. Monday, a Henry County grand jury indi 9595 33 Comments 119 Shares Share Richard Wade Isom, III, 54, on or about Jan. 17, reckless driving. !o.win.frames[o.LOCATOR_NAME];if(!t)if(e.body){var i=e.createElement("iframe");i.style.cssText="display:none",i.name=o.LOCATOR_NAME,i.setAttribute("title","TCF Locator"),e.body.appendChild(i)}else setTimeout(o.addFrame,5);return!t},this.receiveIabMessage=function(a){var n="string"==typeof a.data,e={};try{e=n?JSON.parse(a.data):a.data}catch(e){}if(e&& The Virginia State Police closed off the Henry County Sheriff's Office Thursday morning, blocking all access. When some of the defendants were confronted by investigators, they allegedly lied, he added. Follow him @billdwyatt. Thirteen of the defendants are current or former employees of the county sheriff's office. Grand jurors in Henry County handed down 105 indictments on Monday, according to records in the Circuit Court Clerk's Office. The indictment charges 20 people, including a postal service employee, a state probation officer and high-ranking deputies. Ross MacNeil Kinder Coleman, 40, on or about April 22, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. 1 ranking in country, Radford coach Darris Nichols apologizes for DUI. "That's probably why they thought they could get away with it," said her cousin, Tina Oliver, 28, drumming her fingernails, painted with a scene from the Crucifixion, on the table. 29-year-old Tevin Monte Burgess, of Martinsville, was indicted for robbery, assault and battery on October 29. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). 276-638-8801, Ext. }; In transcripts filed by federal authorities, Vaught appeared to treat Cassell like family. Cassell was elected sheriff of county, population 58,000, in 1992. Locals have been mesmerized -- a radio station spent hours regaling listeners with information gleaned from recordings in the case -- and disgusted, too. CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. Christopher Leon Wells, 55, on or about Dec. 22, felonious violation of the habitual offender act-second or subsequent offense. The intrigues in Cassell's department, driven by sex, greed and power, read like an Appalachian version of an HBO drama but also seem certain to further tarnish the struggling region. Criminal Chief Thomas J. Bondurant and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Bassford will prosecute the case, the release says. According to the indictment, the DEA called to report a drug shipment to a "Brad Martin's house" in 2001. It is a grand jury's determination that enough evidence exists to hold a trial. 21 people arrested on July 29, 2021 in connection with drug-related indictments handed out by a Martinsville Grand Jury MARTINSVILLE, Va. - The Martinsville Police Department arrested nearly. James A. Vaught. "Those who betray the public trust insult the integrity and honor of all police officers who risk their lives upholding the law," said Shawn A. Johnson, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Washington Division. doc.write('\x3cbody onload\x3d"document._l();"\x3e');doc.close()})(); (function(w){if(!w)return;BOOMR=w.BOOMR||{};BOOMR.plugins=BOOMR.plugins||{};BOOMR.plugins.DuplicateTimersToBeacon={varsAdded:[],onBeforeBeacon:function(beaconData){var tOther=beaconData?beaconData.t_other:false;if(tOther){var tOthers=tOther.split(",");for(var i=0;i Njcaa Region 5 Basketball Tournament 2022,
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