Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. One deputy, Walter R. Hairston, allegedly gave Vaught marijuana and cocaine he used to train the department's drug-sniffing dogs. window.dQ = window.dQ || {}; NEWS. }; 69-year-old suffers stroke in his N.C. home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. The result was a 48-count indictment unsealed Thursday with the arrests of longtime Sheriff Harold Franklin Cassell and 17 others. 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. Cameron Samuel Santillo, 25, on or about March 21, 2019, six counts forging a public record. Now, the indictment of the county sheriff and 12 former and current deputies in a drug-trafficking ring has only deepened the gloom. HOME. Cassell has been the sheriff of Henry County since 1992 . Jada Rache Baker, 22, on or about Dec. 6, malicious wounding. - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more. pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/css/bootstrap-cols.css?_\x3dcab65");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/css/article-layout.css?_\x3d7c726");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/css/article-layout-features.css?_\x3dda9d2");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/css/add-to-reading-list.css?_\x3de9d2d");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/css/inline-content.css?_\x3d1137a"); James A. Vaught. Latoshia Evelyn Hairston, 27, on or about Nov. 5, reckless driving by racing, driving while license revoked for no insurance, reckless driving-speed over 80 mph. It is a grand jury's determination that enough evidence exists to hold a trial. ROANOKE, Va. William Randall Reed, one of the final defendants from the corruption scandal that engulfed the Henry County Sheriff's Office in 2006, was sentenced Tuesday to serve a year . // define placeholder function early. 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. As a result of the drug operation, a Henry County Grand Jury issued indictments Nov. 16, 2020. . Ross MacNeil Kinder Coleman, 40, on or about April 22, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Brownlee said he would announce the indictments at a press conference at his office tomorrow. This Web report is being updated continually, and details will continue to be reported throughout the day. ", Oliver said it upset her that southern Virginia is home to more misfortune, adding that Henry County is "too small for something like this to be happening here.". The indictment charges 20 people, including a postal service employee, a state probation officer and high-ranking deputies. Kayla Marie McAdams, 25, on or about Aug. 4, felony failure to appear. HENRY COUNTY, VA - Monday, a Henry County grand jury issued 320 total indictments: 85 regular indictments, 81 direct indictments and 154 sealed indictments. In front, there was a white Virginia State Police command vehicle, an armored blue and gray Virginia State Police tactical truck with a mounted camera and a yellow rental Penske truck and a Virginia State Police mobile command code, along with various unmarked cars. ABOUT US. var otCookie = document.cookie.match('wp_ak_ot=(1)[^;]*(;|$)') ? He is free on a $25,000 personal recognizance bond. 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. Katrina Danielle Barbour Secrest, 37, on or about June 16, 2019, prisoner in possession of unlawful chemical compound, possession of hydrocodone and acetaminophen with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. ADVERTISE. As a result of this drug operation, a Henry County Grand Jury issued indictments on May 17, 2021. Kendrick Lorenze Redd, 45, on or about June 2, construction fraud, between May 29 and June 2, practicing as a contractor without a license. The indictments culminate a five-year Drug Enforcement Administration investigation into accusations of corruption. Bill Wyatt is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. Daniel Joseph Gagne Jr., 32, on or about Jan. 2, grand larceny. Indictments made in slaying of Short family. But along the Smith River and the streets of several surrounding towns, there is an unrelenting grayness of abandoned textile mills, boarded-up furniture plants and empty businesses for sale or lease. The 48-count indictment was issued by a grand jury in Abingdon on Tuesday. He can be reached at. Anthony Kevin Duggins, 45, on or about Dec. 4, petit larceny-third or subsequent offense. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. At the center of the scandal are Cassell and sheriff's Sgt. U.S. Attorney John Brownlee alleged the men did these things to try to get reward money. Terrence (NMN) Hairston, 26, on or about Feb. 7, assault and battery on a family/household member-third or subsequent offense. Michael Joseph Mattingly, 41, on or about Jan. 24, shoplifting-third or subsequent offense. 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. "/> window.commercialNode="/local";window.has_fusion_version=false; Assets connected to the distribution and trafficking of narcotics were also seized during this operation. The Virginia State Police closed off the Henry County Sheriff's Office Thursday morning, blocking all access. "How you doin', old man?" Reed also said he helped Vaught sell two kilograms of cocaine that Vaught allegedly seized from a drug dealer while on duty with the sheriff's office, the release states. Earlier in the morning, a helicopter brought in the Superintendent of the Virginia State Police Department and an FBI special agent. pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/event-queue.js?_\x3db1774");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/pbCore.article.js?_\x3d8d21e");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/utils/pbStaticMethodsEssentials.js?_\x3d524e0");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/utils/pbStaticMethodsAsync.js?_\x3d3a26f");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/utils/mobile-detection.js?_\x3d8c659");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/utils/console/console.noop.js?_\x3d8d21e"); Doyle Ray Markham, Jr, 43, on or about Jan. 24, assault and battery on a family/household member-third or subsequent offense. Alonzo Clayborne Thomas, 38, on or about Aug. 25, shoplifting-third or subsequent offense. They left in a helicopter and said they would not comment until after the press conference today at the Poff Building in Roanoke. Find a local attorney at Martindale-Hubbell's, Watch a prosecutor describe 'disgraceful' corruption -- 2:13, Ebola toll rises in 'unprecedented' outbreak, Ocean Shield's mission of hope, uncertainty. It used to boast it was the "sweatshirt capital of the world," according to The Associated Press. "DEA joins with the Virginia State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Vaught hunted and fished, hanging his trophies around the house, and loved loading up his camper with his family, said Jimmy Craven, 47, who rents from the Vaughts next door. HARDSHIP IS NOT UNCOMMON IN VIRGINIA'S RURAL HENRY COUNTY. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Vaught confirmed the allegations made by Reed and also revealed that the rental property in Martinsville was used by several officers for extramarital sexual relations, the indictment and release state. Juan Manuel Silva, 53, between Feb. 1, 2018, and Jan. 31, 2019, aggravated sexual battery of a child less than 13 years old. BUT THE INDICTMENTS OF THE SHERIFF AND 12 DEPUTIES HAVE SHAKEN RESIDENTS WHO WANT LESS BAD NEWS. "We thought he was doing good for the community, not lining his pockets," said Shelia Oliver, 43, a homemaker who was drinking coffee and smoking Marlboro 100s at Clarence's Steak & Seafood House last week. pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/jqModal.js?_\x3d26a28");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/utils/mobile-detection-classes.js?_\x3d454aa");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/plugins/plugin.jquery.cookie-1.0.0.js?_\x3db8874");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/plugins/plugin.jquery.in-viewport-1.0.0.js?_\x3dbddae");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/utils/syncRplampr.js?_\x3dcde33");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/utils/trigger.js?_\x3d48057"); The stolen drugs then were sold to Wilbert Herman Brown, Ronald Dean Trantham, Reed and others, the release and indictment state. The case was investigated by the Virginia State Police, the DEA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. He and his wife, Margaret, have been married 44 years and have two adult daughters. Strother Talbert Fulcher, III on or about July 23, felony failure to appear. Follow him @billdwyatt. Bowman has denied having any involvement with the slaying. Through attorney John E. Lichtenstein, Cassell has asserted his innocence and declined to be interviewed. Unsealed indictments in Henry County mostly address drug, weapons charges. Richard Wade Isom, III, 54, on or about Jan. 17, reckless driving. Cassell was elected sheriff of county, population 58,000, in 1992. It is estimated that multiple kilograms of cocaine, ounces of crack and hundreds of pounds of marijuana were taken and resold for further illegal distribution in this manner, the release states. "There may be some openings in the sheriff's department," chimed in Junior Agee, 73, a retired trucker from Eden, N.C. A federal grand jury in Abingdon has charged Henry County Sheriff H.F. "Frank" Cassell and 12 former and current employees with participating in a criminal enterprise that dealt in cocaine, marijuana, steroids and ketamine, a powerful tranquilizer implicated in date-rape cases. Anita Gale Crider, 49, on or about June 11, attempted malicious wounding of a family/household member. if (otCookie !== "1" && (window && window.location.href.indexOf('gtml=true') <= 0)) { An indictment is not an indication of guilt. The Henry County Sheriff's Office has concluded an undercover narcotics operation. Please subscribe to keep reading. You have permission to edit this article. delete wp_meta_data.coverage_industrys;delete wp_meta_data.ideology;delete wp_meta_data.addresses;delete wp_meta_data.neighborhoods;delete wp_meta_data.zip_codes;delete wp_meta_data.counties;delete wp_meta_data.venues;delete wp_meta_data.cities;delete wp_meta_data.states;delete wp_meta_data.countries;delete wp_meta_data.breaking_news;wp_meta_data.contentType=["archive"];delete wp_meta_data.isPremium}catch(e){}})(); (function(a,c,d,e){if(!a[c]){var b=a[c]={};b[d]=[];b[e]=function(a){b[d].push(a)}}})(window,"Scroll","_q","do");Scroll.config={detected:document.cookie.indexOf("scroll0\x3d")>-1};s=document.createElement("script");s.src="//static.scroll.com/js/scroll.js";s.async="async";document.getElementsByTagName("Head")[0].appendChild(s); .scrolluser wp-ad{display:none !important;height:0 !important}.scrolluser .pb-feature.pb-f-ad-flex.sticky,.scrolluser .ent-ad-container,.scrolluser .pb-ad-container,.scrolluser .ad-hideable,.scrolluser .grey-bg,.scrolluser .grey-bg wp-ad,.scrolluser .scrolluser-ad-style{height:0 !important;min-height:0 !important;margin:0 !important;padding:0 !important} var OneTrustTCFStub;var otCookie=document.cookie.match("wp_ak_ot\x3d(1)[^;]*(;|$)")?RegExp.$1:"";var geoCookie=document.cookie.match("(^|;) ?wp_geo\x3d([^;]*)(;|$)")?RegExp.$2:""; And they talked about the deepening corruption in their department, fretting whether a "stooge" was leaking their secrets. Another man, Tony Lee Epperson, was charged with lying to investigators. Simple assault was the second most reported offense and accounted for 12.8% of the index crimes at 334 incidents. He and his wife, Tammy, a registered nurse at Morehead Memorial Hospital in Eden, N.C., live in a brick house on a wooded hilltop in Ridgeway. Henry County Sheriff's Office under investigation; 20 indicted. } An indictment is not an indication of guilt. Carilion Clinic announced Tuesday the closure of its COVID-19 drive-thru locations in Roanoke County and Christiansburg. Dustin Allen Dillon, 32, on or about Jan. 7, two counts of felony failure to appear. A helicopter lands at the Henry County Administration building. Stacey Cornelius Harris, 46, on or about July 12, 2018, distribution of cocaine-second or subsequent offense. Virginia State Police vehicles blocked the entrances so that people could not cross in front of the sheriff's office. Joshua Riynias Carter, 28, on or about June 14, breaking and entering a building in the nighttime with intent to commit larceny. HENRY COUNTY, VA - On Tuesday, January 19, a Henry County Grand Jury issued 129 indictments. BUT THE INDICTMENTS OF THE SHERIFF AND 12 DEPUTIES HAVE SHAKEN RESIDENTS WHO WANT LESS BAD NEWS. 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. FBI agents have emerged from the sheriff's office to talk and then leave for the back entrances of the sheriff's office, where officials were moving in and out. 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Man died Wednesday. pbHeadResourceGroups.push({"resourceType":"externalResources","name":"pwapi-production","fileType":"js"});pbHeadResourceGroups.push({"resourceType":"externalResources","name":"headjs","fileType":"js"});pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/noop.js?_\x3dd47ff");pbExternalResourcesLoaded.push("/pb/resources/js/article-layout-headjs.js?_\x3d26cc0"); (function(){if(window.BOOMR&&window.BOOMR.version)return;var dom,doc,where,iframe=document.createElement("iframe"),win=window;function boomerangSaveLoadTime(e){win.BOOMR_onload=e&&e.timeStamp||(new Date).getTime()}if(win.addEventListener)win.addEventListener("load",boomerangSaveLoadTime,false);else if(win.attachEvent)win.attachEvent("onload",boomerangSaveLoadTime);iframe.src="javascript:false";iframe.title="";iframe.role="presentation";(iframe.frameElement||iframe).style.cssText="width:0;height:0;border:0;display:none;"; He admitted to Reed's allegations and agreed to wear a wire to record conversations with his former colleagues. Ezell Massey Jr., 73, of 1408 Roundabout Road went missing Saturday morning around 6 a.m. when he stepped outside of his home to smoke. Nov. 19, 2020, the Henry County Sheriff's Office, assisted by the Virginia State Police, Martinsville Police Department, Henry County Department of Public Safety, United States Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested 22 . Henry Circuit Court 21st Judicial Circuit of Virginia Circuit Courts Informational Pamphlet Clerk Hon. Floyd Valdez Dillard, 48, on or about Feb. 17, felonious violation of the habitual offender act-second or subsequent offense. According to a grand jury indictment, the DEA intercepted the package, delivered it undercover and arrested self-described middleman William Randall Reed in March 2005. A Martinsville Circuit Court grand jury handed down 56 certified indictments against 34 people on Monday.There were 74 direct indictments that, "She stated Cox brought her to his residence in Fieldale, where he forced her to perform oral sex on him and two other men," Monroe wrote. Postal Inspection Service. As yellow ribbons and posters flooded the area, Cassell's calm, Southern drawl became a regular presence on cable TV and morning talk shows. Matthew Ryan Scott, 35, on or about Aug. 24, possession of fentanyl. if((otCookie==="1"||window&&window.location.href.indexOf("gtml\x3dtrue")>=0)&&(geoCookie.indexOf("|EEA")>=0||window&&window.location.href.indexOf("otr\x3deea")>=0))OneTrustTCFStub=function(e){var t=function(){var o=this;this.LOCATOR_NAME="__tcfapiLocator",this.win=window,this.init=function(){for(;o.win;){try{if(o.win.frames[o.LOCATOR_NAME]){o.cmpFrame=o.win;break}}catch(e){}if(o.win===window.top)break;o.win=o.win.parent}o.cmpFrame||(o.addFrame(),o.win.__tcfapi=o.executeTcfApi,o.win.receiveOTMessage= Court papers say Cassell owns a trucking business and large amounts of land and has reported making more than $20,000 a year in dividends. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. 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. 1 ranking in country, Radford coach Darris Nichols apologizes for DUI. HENRY COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) - 72 people face 184 felony charges in Henry County after an undercover narcotics operation. WEATHER; More . (function(){try{window.renderingEnv="classic";wp_meta_data=window.wp_meta_data||{};wp_meta_data.platform="pagebuilder";if(! Vaught greeted him one day. "I think it's just a disgrace," said Tommy Hurley, 57, a used-car salesman who said that the area needs more than bad news. It was effective immediately. Postal Inspection Service to send a clear message that their disgraceful acts will never be tolerated.". OUR STORY. It is the grand jury's determination that enough evidence. window.dQ.hold = window.dQ.hold || []; The house also was used by other members of the sheriff's office for parties and extramarital trysts, the federal indictment states. You can cancel at any time. Locals have been mesmerized -- a radio station spent hours regaling listeners with information gleaned from recordings in the case -- and disgusted, too. Larceny was the most reported and accounted for 15.1% of the index crimes at 396 incidents. "We need some jobs.". It is the grand jury's determination that enough evidence exists to hold a trial. Vaught resigned from the department soon after Reed's arrest and, a few months later, agreed to cooperate with investigators. (Watch a prosecutor describe 'disgraceful' corruption -- 2:13 ). 2018-2023 BY BTW21, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Austin Holland Pace was indicted for abduction on or about November 23, 57-year-old Douglas Wayne Pendleton was indicted for violation of the habitual offender act - second or subsequent offense, 49-year-old Timothy Glen Short was indicted for two counts of assault and batter law enforcement officer on or about November 2, 35-year-old Heather Jo Smith was indicted for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle on or about September 2, 27-year-old Lucas Aaron Stone was indicted for possession of methamphetamine, possession of heroin on or about January 10, 48-year-old Larry Vernell Terrell Jr. was indicted for strangulation of family/household member on or about July 19, 33-year-old John Matthew Wingfield was indicted for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle on or about September 8, 934 Memorial Blvd N, Martinsville, VA 24112. 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. "I've got nothing to hide God knows I didn't do it. Alinzabeth Ann Fain, 40, on or about June 30, shoplifting-third or subsequent offense. A grand jury indictment is not an indication of guilt. "function"==typeof e[2]&&e[2]("set",!0));else{var i=e[0],a=e[1],n=e[2],r=e[3];"function"==typeof n&&i&&("ping"===i?o.getPingReq(n,o.gdprApplies):o.addToQ(i,a,n,r))}},this.addToQ=function(e,t,i,a){var n=o.win.__tcfapi;n.a=n.a||[],n.a.push([e,t,i,a])},this.getPingReq=function(e,t){void 0===t&&(t=void 0),e({gdprApplies:t,cmpLoaded:!1,cmpStatus:"stub",apiVersion:"2.0"})},this.init()},i=new t;return e.TCF=t,e.tcfStub=i,e}({});else; Under terms of the bond, Cassell will be allowed to return to work but he cannot discuss the case with his co-defendants or county or sheriff's office employees, Judge Magistrate Michael F. Urbanski ruled. Shauntia Monique Helms, 22, on or about June 13, 2019, felony failure to appear. }; Gregory Clark Childress, 47, on or about Jan. 25, prescription fraud. But Brownlee also indicated in the press release that the murders of Michael, Mary and Jennifer Short remained unsolved and that the joint federal, state and local investigation into the case is ongoing. Alonzo Clayborne Thomas, 38, on or about Aug. 10, shoplifting-third or subsequent offense, on or about Aug. 19, shoplifting-third or subsequent offense. It is. '">. This operation result. Pepper Hayzlett Boyd aka Pepper Leann Hayzlett, 41, between Aug. 21 and Sept. 12, larceny of checks, on or about Aug. 22, two counts obtaining money by false pretense, on or about Sept. 12, and eight counts of identity fraud, uttering a forged check and forgery. Stephen Coby Gravely, 20, on or about May 9, breaking and entering a dwelling with intent to commit assault and battery, abduction. Keaton also was released on $25,000 bond. It is a grand jury's determination that enough evidence exists to hold a trial. Mailing AddressP.O. Michael Wayne Upchurch, 32, on or about May 7, possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine. He has written about transportation, politics, courts, police, and local government in Maryland and Virginia. Henry County to consider lifetime dog tags, Registration open for 3rd Annual Miss Henry County Fair Pageant. Registration open for 3rd Annual Miss Henry County Fair Pageant James Allen Vaught. Oscar Justic Hankins, 43, on or about March 22, shoplifting-third or subsequent offense. Kevin Wade Prater, 27, on or about May 23, attempted strangulation of a family/household member. Christopher Leon Wells, 55, on or about Dec. 22, felonious violation of the habitual offender act-second or subsequent offense. Pace: "You can't find a site like this anywhere else in the state. 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. Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report. HARDSHIP IS NOT UNCOMMON IN VIRGINIA'S RURAL HENRY COUNTY. 43-year-old Calvin Edward Cabiness, of Martinsville, was indicted for malicious wounding on April 3. Cassell allegedly covered these activities up, the indictment claims, by not pursuing investigations and by agreeing to pass on any law enforcement information to the offending parties so they could avoid apprehension, by making false statements to federal investigators and by attempting to aid Vaught in a money laundering scheme to disguise the source of money represented to have been derived from the distribution of cocaine, according to the release. In addition, the grand jury alleged that Cassell agreed with Vaught to never mention the existence of the money derived from illegal drug distribution and then lied to investigators, saying he knew nothing about Vaught's alleged illegal drug activities, the release states. Virginia State Police officers guard the Henry County Sheriff's Office Thursday. Today, in the wake of the indictment, the sheriff's office is being run by the Virginia State police. Vaught talked of ruining his life through illegal activity but also boasted of embezzling more than $100,000 with a girlfriend from a doctor. Box 7Collinsville, VA 24078Phone: 276-634-4600, Physical Address3300 Kings Mountain RoadMartinsville, VA 24112Phone: 276-634-4600. Besides the sheriff, those named in the indictment include a captain, three sergeants, eight deputies -- including two vice officers -- a former employee of the U.S. postal service and a former probation officer. 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