THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 30, 1995 TAG: 9512300363
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Long : 105 lines
A Dare County commissioner's inquiries about county funds being used to buy drugs forced an early end to an undercover investigation, the head of the state's Alcohol and Law Enforcement agency said Friday.
``By that time I had an agent who had a gun pulled on him,'' said Roland Dale of Raleigh. ``I was scared for the safety of my agents, so I just shut it down. It was obvious she wasn't going to keep a secret.''
The undercover investigation, called ``Operation Seasons Greetings,'' resulted in 52 drug indictments in Dare County and about 35 of those indicted were arrested in predawn raids Dec. 19.
First-term Commissioner Shirley Hassell called Dale's comments ``balderdash.''
Hassell, who inquired earlier about $16,000 given ALE in the drug sweep, filed suit last week seeking the return of the money. The suit questions the legality of the appropriation, which was not voted on by the full commission.
On Friday, Dale and county officials held a news conference to respond to Hassell's charges.
``Commissioner Hassell's lawsuit is a blatant political attempt to embarrass the county commissioners, county manager and the people of Dare County,'' said Commission Chairman R.V. ``Bobby'' Owens Jr.
``I take full responsibility for this,'' Owens said. ``And I'd do the same thing today, tomorrow or next year.''
Hassell, who was not at the news conference, countered later, ``It has nothing to do with politics or a personal vendetta. It has everything to do with democracy. They can call it what they want, but it doesn't make it right.
``If they had held an executive session and explained everything I would have supported it.''
State and county officials said at the news conference that the allocation - provided in installments of $10,000 and $6,000 - was legal.
Dale said Hassell's letters - sent through her attorney, John Morrison - may have cost law enforcement additional arrests. Morrison sent two letters asking about the expenditures. Dale said the latest, on Oct. 20, prompted him to end the investigation out of fear for the safety of undercover agents.
``It's a shame she had to resort to what she did,'' Dale said. ``We lost 20 to 25 possible arrests because we had to cut the operation short. We had planned to extend the investigation into March. But because of the second letter, we decided to cut the operation short. We didn't know who had seen the letter, and I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize the safety of my agent.''
Hassell, however, said she did nothing to endanger law enforcement officers.
``Bobby Owens and Roland Dale and (County Manager) Terry Wheeler are shrewd individuals,'' she said Friday afternoon. ``But as much as they wrap themselves in the American flag and ride in on waves of glory as a result of this operation, they have to remember one thing: The General Assembly makes the laws, they don't.''
Dale said that about the time of a second letter from Morrison to County Attorney Al Cole, one of the alleged drug dealers pulled a gun on an informant. Fast talking by the undercover agent, Dale said, averted a tragedy.
Dale said he did not know if the letter and the incident were related.
``The suspect put a .45-caliber pistol to the informant's head,'' Dale said. ``The undercover agent talked him into selling him the gun. THe suspect laughed and said he was only kidding, and that the gun wasn't loaded. But when the agent got the gun, there was a bullet in the chamber. At that time - because of the letter and the incident, I was concerned about who knew and who didn't know about the operation.''
Dale and Owens said an undercover operation in Dare County was first discussed last summer at a breakfast during the North Carolina Sheriff's Association convention in Atlantic Beach. Four members of the commission - Owens, Vice Chairman Clarence Skinner, Geneva Perry and Joseph ``Mac'' Midgett were present, along with Dare County Sheriff Bert Austin.
Dale told county officials that to carry out an operation he would need money and complete confidentiality.
``I told them the only way I could do it is if we had some funding, and if it did not leave the table . . . I said `You people sitting at the table have to be the only ones who know. I just cannot explain to you the seriousness of the drug business and how easy it is to get an agent killed.' ''
Dale said the county money was necessary because his agency is only allocated $60,000 for undercover drug buys statewide.
``We spent $15,000 of our agency's money on this operation,'' Dale said. ``That's one-quarter of the money we're allocated for the entire state.''
County Attorney Cole said that the county manager can make discretionary appropriations of up to $10,000, as long as the board of commissioners is informed, and a full accounting of the money is made.
``Every county government in the state has that authority,'' Cole said.
Owens said that while there are no guarantees, he expects the county will get its money back from the operation through fines and auction of confiscated houses and automobiles.
In a development related to Operation Season's Greetings, Nags Head police announced the arrest of one of the suspects released on bond after he was nabbed in the Dec. 19 operation.
Asa H. Gray IV of Hatteras was arrested by Nags Head officers on Dec. 22 after he was allegedly observed in a car with two other individuals smoking marijuana.
Nags Head Police Chief Charles Cameron said Gray was arrested on a misdemeanor possession charge. He had been released from the Dare County Detention Center on $12,000 bond after being charged with possession with intent to sell marijuana and sale and delivery of a controlled substance.
KEYWORDS: DRUG ARRESTS UNDERCOVER OPERATION by CNB