
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 1, 1993                   TAG: 9305010175
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JESSICA MARTIN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

LARGE STILL RAIDED IN FLOYD; 3 CHARGED WITH MOONSHINING

Authorities in Floyd County raided an illegal distillery early Friday - perhaps the largest ever in that county - and charged three men with making moonshine.

Police arrested Charles Atkins, Roosevelt Chaney and John Fralin, all of Franklin County.

No charges have been filed against the owner of the property where the still was found, along the Blue Ridge Parkway near the town of Floyd.

Investigators found a dozen 800-gallon pots inside a barn-like building. The homemade distillery was capable of producing "anywhere from 200-240 gallons of whiskey" said Investigating Officer Barry Weedle of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Department.

Floyd County officer Donny Pratt, who assisted with the arrests, said, "It's the largest [still] in Floyd that I remember seeing in the past 10 years I've worked here."

The raid was a cooperative effort between the ABC Department, Floyd County Sheriff's Office and the Blue Ridge Park Service.

The raid followed a three-day investigation started after "a reliable source" provided Weedle with information about the operation.

Agents determined the still had been used to produce whiskey before, although "it's hard to tell when it was used," said Alice Ratliff, special agent in charge of regulatory division of Roanoke District's ABC Department.

"To my knowledge, there wasn't any jugged alcohol there," said Ratliff. "But there were plenty of empty jugs ready to be filled."

Agents destroyed the distillery and seized a truck at the site.

The three men were released on $3,000 bond each and will be arraigned Thursday.

by CNB