JURY INDICTS BETHEL CHIEF

A federal grand jury has indicted Bethel's police chief on drug and
weapons charges, 13 days following his arrest by the FBI.

Reginald Roberts, 41, who is currently suspended without pay from his
position, was indicted Wednesday on five charges, according to a
Monday announcement.

He faces one count each of distribution of a controlled substance,
conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, use of a firearm
during the commission of a crime in relation to drug trafficking and
two counts of distributing a firearm to a convicted felon.

A Bethel police lieutenant, Jerome Cox, 31, was arrested along with
Roberts on Oct. 27 after a three-month probe of allegations involving
drug trafficking and illegal gun sales conducted by the Beaufort
County Sheriff's Office and federal agents, officials said.

The indictments against Roberts allege he conspired to distribute
crack cocaine between Sept. 1 and Oct. 24, and on Oct. 24 distributed
more than five grams of crack cocaine while carrying a gun.

The indictment also alleges on Sept. 1 and Oct. 23 he sold guns to
felons, one a .380-caliber pistol and the other a .45-caliber pistol.

No trial date has been set.

Roberts and Cox became the focus of the Beaufort County Sheriff's
Office in August after individuals alleged Roberts made comments
suggesting he would take narcotics seized by Bethel police officers
and distribute them to persons to be sold on the street, Capt. Tim
McLawhorn of the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office said.

After a preliminary check of the allegations, Beaufort County
investigators contacted the FBI's Greenville office for assistance,
and together, the organizations began planning how to proceed.

On Oct. 23, the case turned when a cooperative witness, armed with a
concealed recording device provided by law enforcement, visited
Roberts at his Winterville home, an affidavit filed in federal court said.

While there, Roberts reportedly sold the witness, who was not
identified in court documents, a .45-caliber pistol for $750, even
though he knew the witness was a convicted felon.

A day later in Washington, N.C., Roberts - this time with Cox by his
side - met with the convicted felon again.

The felon directed the men to an impound lot that supposedly
contained a pickup truck which held the money and drugs of a recently
incarcerated drug dealer.

According to the affidavit, Roberts and Cox broke the window and
entered the truck.

Once in, Roberts discovered a black nylon bag containing 10.7 grams
of crack cocaine, $2,000 in cash and an electronic scale, the document said.

The vehicle was planted by the FBI in cooperation with the impound
lot owner, McLawhorn said.

Sheriff's investigators and FBI agents followed as the men drove to a
nearby parking lot and divided the money. The felon was given $290 in
cash and the entire supply of crack while the Bethel officers kept
$1,710, the bag and the electronic scale.

The Bethel Board of Commissioners appointed Barry Stanley, a captain
with the department as interim chief.

Stanley, a 33-year-old Kinston native with more than 14 years of law
enforcement experience, said his officers will carry on with aid from
the Pitt County Sheriff's Office and the State Highway Patrol.