Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 17, 1991 TAG: 9104170458
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Several more arrests are expected as a result of an undercover investigation that began in mid-December, police said.
All six IRS employees - five seasonal and one full-time - worked in the distribution center warehouse area, police said. None held a management or auditing job, police said.
The Eastern Area Distribution Center handles tax forms and publications.
The investigation, conducted by Henrico County police and IRS internal security officers, centered on street-level distribution of cocaine and marijuana, police said.
A Henrico undercover officer made contacts that led to the purchase of drugs over four months, said Henrico police Capt. Dave Fitzgerald.
"Some of the [drug buys] were made on the grounds, but the large majority were made away from the property," Fitzgerald said. He added that drug deals were arranged at the center "just through general conversation."
Diane M. Stratton, public affairs officer for IRS inspection operations in the mid-Atlantic region, said the seasonal employees "weren't actively working" when they were arrested.
"They were still on our rolls, maybe to be called back to work at the warehouse at a later date," she said. "They were all laborers [and] processing clerks in the warehouse.
"Essentially, what they do is fill orders, so they are literally stocking the shelves or pulling from the shelves. None of them were in public-contact positions."
by CNB