Guilty pleas, jury convictions, and a dismissal occurred this week during trials of four people involved in a New York-Sinai drug distribution ring that was based in the Westside Village Apartments.
The December 19, 1997 raid on the apartment resulted in four arrests, three of whom were from Brooklyn, New York.
They were targets of an undercover investigation of the Tri-County Regional Drug Task Force. After being indicted by a Halifax County Circuit Court grand jury, the subjects were tried this week in the Halifax County Circuit Court.
The ringleader of the group, Altimont Mark Wilks, 27, of Brooklyn eventually pleaded guilty to five felony counts, with a sixth felony charge chosen not to be prosecuted by the Commonwealth.
Wilks was convicted of manufacturing with intent to distribute crack cocaine; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; possession with intent to distribute marijuana; conspiracy to distribute marijuana; and possession of a firearm while in the possession of crack cocaine.
A sixth felony charge of possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony was "nol prossed" or chosen not to be prosecuted, though with the stipulation that the Commonwealth could retain the right to reinstate the charge at a later date.
Wilks, who went by the street name of "Corleone," originally pleaded guilty to the distribution charges, but pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy charges. (Wilks later entered Alford Pleas to the conspiracy charges.)
He told the court through his attorney, Mark Thackston, that the evidence found at the apartment was his and that none of his codefendants were involved with his operations. Since Wilks stated that since no one else was involved, no conspiracy occurred, according to his defense.
Among the items found at the scene by investigators were 9mm handguns, 11.2 grams of crack cocaine, 1.84 ounces of marijuana, bullet-proof vests, digital scales, night-vision goggles, $4,000 in cash, a book entitled "The Mafia Manual," and two composition books which contained a business plan that outlined an apparent attempt to gain control of the local crack cocaine market.
Wilks first came to South Boston after meeting 24-year-old Nicole Younger (who lived at the Sinai apartment complex), at a mall in Danville during the early fall period of 1997. He moved in with her the next day, according to testimony.
Meanwhile, the largest undercover drug investigation in Halifax County's history was at its final stages, which culminated with "Operation Fall Harvest," a drug sweep on September 25, 1997 which resulted in over 120 arrests.
Agents of the task force had gathered information from tips and undercover operatives that a New York-based crack cocaine ring had "set up shop in Sinai to fill the void" caused by the massive number of arrests, police said.
After identifying the location of the alleged operation, Sgt. Richard Pulliam, coordinator of the task force, sent in an undercover operative to make a "controlled buy" of crack cocaine from Wilks on the evening of December 19, 1997, according to testimony.
That operative was given $100 in marked bills, which were later recovered when the apartment was raided a short while later. The apartment was initially secured by a special tactical squad of the Halifax County Sheriff's Department. No injuries or resistance occurred during the raid.
Arrested with Wilks were Younger, and two subjects from Brooklyn, Dwayne Andre Jones, 23, and Louis Agner III, also 24 years old.
Agner entered guilty pleas Monday in the Halifax County Circuit Court to felony counts of distribution of cocaine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, distribution of marijuana, and conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
Agner, represented by attorney Charles Crowder of South Hill, was returned to jail after Halifax County Circuit Court Judge Charles L. McCormick III ordered a presentence report on Agner for the September term of court.
Younger was convicted by a seven-woman, five-man jury after a two-day trial which ended Wednesday night. (See accompanying story.)
The only defendant in the group who fared well was Jones, who went by the street name of "Trouble." He was originally considered as the "enforcer" of the crew, but four felony charges of cocaine and marijuana distribution against him were dismissed late Tuesday afternoon.
Jones, represented by South Boston attorney Charles Butler, was described as "being in the wrong place at the wrong time." He was at Younger's apartment only for a day or so prior to the raid, according to testimony.
An undercover operative who testified about the activities at the apartment described Jones as being very interested and versed at military tactics and strategies in terms of both ground and naval forces.
Under cross examination by Butler, the undercover operative conceded that much of that perceived interest on Jones' part was based on his hobby of playing video games which were based on military campaigns.
At the conclusion of testimony concerning his client, Butler made a motion to strike the evidence against Jones on the basis that there was insufficient evidence of his involvement with the operation.
That motion was granted by Judge McCormick, effectively dismissing the four charges against Jones. However, Jones was ordered to stay overnight in Halifax until the trial was completed, in case defense attorneys needed him to testify.
None did. After both sides rested their cases on Wednesday, Jones was anxiously awaiting a ride from his attorney to the bus station to travel back to New York City.
While Butler was continuing the process of gaining his client's personal effects which had been taken in the raid, word was sent to Butler, that "If you're not ready to go in a few minutes he's says he's going to take a cab."
Jones had been held in the Halifax County Jail ever since his arrest last December. "He can't get out of this county fast enough," Butler pointed out.
Last fall, Nicole Younger allowed a man she met at a mall in Danville to immediately move into her apartment at Westside Village.
Several months later, a sophisticated cocaine and marijuana operation was taking place at her apartment, though she told a Halifax County Circuit Court jury Wednesday that she knew nothing about it.
Younger, 25, was the last of four people arrested during the December 19, 1997 raid to be tried, the only one of the four to remain under the auspice of a jury.
She was charged with felony counts of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; conspiracy to distribute cocaine; possession of marijuana with intent to distribute; and conspiracy to distribute marijuana.
Her defense attorney, Tonja Roberts, of Danville described her client as in love with the ringleader of the operation, Altimont Mark Wilks, 27, of Brooklyn, New York. Wilks also went by the street name of "Corelone" or "Cory."
She told the seven-woman, five-man jury that Younger allowed the man to move in because he had told her that his own residence had just been destroyed by fire.
Wilks, who exhibited traits of urban sophistication, also told Younger that his father was wealthy, which is why he did not have to have a visible means of earning a living, Roberts pointed out.
"Miss Younger had been through some rough relationships," Roberts told the jury. "When she met Corey, she thought he was the one for her."
Later, the relationship changed, and Younger was subjected to physical violence by Wilks, according to Roberts.
"He fought with her, beat her up, and argued with her for touching his things," Roberts told the jury. "She was afraid of him."
That fear, and the confusion generated by it, caused her to make initial statements to police about drug dealing activities that were not true, according to Roberts.
"Sometimes when your heart is talking and not your head, you do some stupid things," Roberts told the jury.
While on the witness stand, Younger denied knowing about illegal activities or even seeing illegal drugs in the apartment. Agents of the Tri-County Regional Drug Task Force found an array of items in her apartment, including weapons, cash, crack cocaine, marijuana, digital scales, bullet-proof vests, police scanners, and even a set of night vision goggles.
In his closing rebuttal, Halifax County Commonwealth's Attorney John Greenbacker Jr. scoffed at the notion that Younger did not know what was taking place at her apartment.
"In all frankness, my house is quite a lot bigger than this apartment," Greenbacker told the jury. "But I can guarantee you one thing: If I or my teenaged son went out and bought a Playboy magazine and hid it in the house, within a matter of a few days, my wife would find it!
"Do you think Nicole Younger did not know what was going on in this house?" Greenbacker asked, while pointing at the prosecution's table which was holding 58 exhibits confiscated in the raid. "Do you believe that for one minute...even a New York minute?
"She's angry because she got caught and now she's doing everything she can to escape responsibility."
The jury then retired to the juror chambers at 4:52 p.m. Less than thirty minutes later, the familiar knock sounded on the chambers' door and the jury returned.
They found Younger guilty on all four felony counts, before returning to the jury chambers for the punishment recommendation phase of the bifurcated trial.
The jury recommended that she serve five years in prison on each of two distribution convictions and one year on each count of the conspiracy convictions, for a total of 12 years in prison.
Younger was remanded to jail pending her formal sentencing hearing scheduled for the September term of court.
In other cases heard this week:
· Clyde Steven Davis, 29, of Nathalie pleaded guilty Monday to two felony counts of distribution of cocaine and a misdemeanor count of driving a motor vehicle with a suspended license. The alleged incident occurred on November 7, 1997.
He was sentenced to five years in prison on each of the felony convictions to run consecutively for a total of 10 years. That term will run concurrently with a 10-year term he is currently serving on prior convictions.
Davis received a six-month term for the driving conviction which was suspended on condition of time served.
· Scott Rottler, 40, of South Boston pleaded guilty Monday to two felony counts of distribution of cocaine.
Two additional felony charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine were "nol prossed" or chosen not to be prosecuted, with the stipulation that the charges could be reinstated if the Commonwealth chooses to do so.
Rottler was allowed to remain free on bond pending a sentencing hearing scheduled for the September term of court.
· John Wayne Church, 47, of Clover pleaded guilty to two counts of driving a motor vehicle after previously having been declared a habitual offender and driving under the influence. The incident happened on August 15, 1997.
Church was placed in jail pending his sentencing hearing during the September term of court.
· Lloyd Coles, 47, of South Boston pleaded guilty to a felony count of distribution of cocaine. The incident occurred on June 3, 1997.
Coles was placed in jail pending his sentencing hearing scheduled for the September term of court.
Barker of the news team's work.
The USA Today student edition will be distributed in September.
Serendipity played a role in Barker's amazing opportunity.
When HCHS Principal Larry Clark was named Virginia's High School Principal of the Year for 1997-98, he and other honorees from throughout the nation met with the editorial staff of USA Today.
"One of the opportunities we had was to nominate a representative from our schools to go to Washington to work on a back to school issue of USA Today," recalled Clark yesterday.
"I knew of Rebecca's interest in journalism and I felt that she would be a good representative of our student body. So I felt like it was a win-win situation for the student and the school," said the principal.
Dinner at the National Press Club, the opportunity to listen to USA Today foreign correspondent Jack Kelley's job description - out of the country 10 months a year, shot at, living on Power Bars, eating monkey brains and helping bury soldiers - as well as being in the news room when the Capitol shootings occurred.
"I learned to so much about newspapers," said Barker. And although newspaper writing had never appealed to her before, the USA Today introduction drew her interest, particularly Kelley's job.
"His experiences were incredible," said the journalism student. "His job was dangerous in the extreme, but that is what appealed to me."
Living in a foreign country and getting the feel for the place and its people, hearing the taped horror as a young girl is shot and her mother wails, all are part of Kelley's reality as described to students.
Barker also liked Kelley's writing style, his descriptions of the smell of war, of the sound of glass crunching under feet, of working his way across a landmine field.
Still, Barker describes the life as not realistic for her. "I could not have a family ...and I could get killed."
Meeting her peers from across the nation, working as a news team, which included research, interviews, editing, writing, and also having her journalistic field of vision widened were all part of Barker's own incredible experience July 23-28 in Washington. It was a team news effort, but the HCHS junior was the writer's seat when one "Violence" article headed to USA Today deadline.
Closed Wednesday through today for the courthouse to Mary Bethune Office Complex move , the county treasurer's office and the commissioner of the revenue's office will open for business Monday morning at the new location.
The new Mary Bethune offices are located on the main floor through the far east entrance of the building.
Offices will open at 8:30 a.m.
Deputy Treasurer Audrey Redd thinks the public will like the new location.
"The new offices are on the main floor so there will be no steps to tackle," said Redd. "I think it will be good for the public."
Commissioner of Revenue Danny Jackson, surrounded by packed boxes yesterday, said the move was going well Thursday and they were just waiting to get the computers hooked up.
"The way the new offices are designed, they are more workable," said Jackson. "The facilities are nice and there is better parking for the public."
There are seven employees in the commissioner's office and six in Treasurer Linda Foster's office. Both offices are open from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. five days a week.
"Be patient until we get everything in place," said Redd. "We might have to look for something but we will wait on them as efficiently as possible," said Redd. "We should be ready to operate Monday morning."
Rebecca Dixon Barbour of 5205 Philpott Road, South Boston died Monday, August 3, 1998 at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC at the age of 81.
Mrs. Barbour was born in Halifax County on April 28, 1917 the daughter of Patrick Henry Dixon and Cornelia Tucker Dixon and was married to Bayton Alexander Barbour. She was a member of Dan River Bethel Baptist Church.
Survivors include four sons, Patrick Barbour and Bayton A. Barbour Jr., both of Petersburg, James L. Barbour of South Boston and Raymond Barbour of Richmond; seven grandchildren; one great-grandchild; two sisters, Almeda Lee of Oxen Hill, MD and Elizabeth Lovelace of Long Island; four brothers, Richard Dixon, Riley Dixon and Joseph Dixon, all of Nathalie and Franklin Dixon of Oxen Hill.
Funeral services for Mrs. Barbour will be held today, August 7 at 1 p.m. at Dan River Bethel Baptist Church with Rev. James Thomas officiating. Burial will follow in the Dixon family cemetery.
Algie 'Cub' Coleman Jr. of Scottsburg died Monday, August 3, 1998 at Stratford Health Center in Danville at the age of 87.
Mr. Coleman was born in Halifax County on December 24, 1910 the son of Algie Coleman Sr. and Charity Fleming Coleman and was married to Louise Allen Coleman. He was a member of St. James Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife; four daughters, Nannie Coleman of South Boston, Minnie Foy of Tuckahoe, NY, Marion Coleman of Yonkers, NY and Thelma Crawley of Alexandria; four sons, Robert Coleman and Stephen Coleman, both of Yonkers, Charles Coleman and Clinton Coleman, both of Alexandria; 10 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; one brother, Charles Coleman of Baltimore, MD.
Funeral services for Mr. Coleman will be held Saturday, August 8 at 2 p.m. at St. James Baptist Church with Rev. Byrd Blackwell officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Lucille Logan Terry died Monday, August 3, 1998 at the age of 79 in The Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma Park, MD.
Mrs. Terry was married to the late Pearlie T. Terry. She was a member of St. Luke Baptist Church in Washington, DC.
Survivors include three daughters, Mary V. Sweeney of Greensboro, NC, Lucille B. Cheek of South Boston and Lethia M. Young of Hyattsville, MD; five sons, John L. Terry of Alexandria, Pearlie T. Terry Jr. of Clinton, MD, Stillman D. Terry of Stafford, William D. Terry of Alexandria, Velton T. Terry of Hyattsville; one sister, two brothers; 16 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Services will be held Sunday, August 9 at New Bethel Baptist Church at 2:30 p.m. Burial will take place in the church cemetery.
Bernice Marie Waller of 1317 Lola Avenue, Altavista died Wednesday, August 5, 1998 at Autumn Care Nursing Home. She was 60 years of age at the time of her death.
Miss Waller was born in Halifax County on June 9, 1938 the daughter of Gus Lewis Waller and Ollie Lee Thompson Waller.
Survivors include her parents of Nathalie; four sisters, Barbara Carr of Hurt, Joan Tyree and Judy Cunningham, both of Gretna, Peggy Myers of Hurt; two brothers, Douglas E. Waller and Bill Waller, both of Nathalie. She was preceded in death by one sister, Mary Conner.
Funeral services for Miss Waller will be held Saturday, August 8 at 2 p.m. at Powell Funeral Home Chapel with Revs. Latta Terry and Bob Watts officiating. Burial will take place in First Baptist Church of Millstone Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at Powell Funeral Home tonight, August 7 from 7 until 8:30.
Those wishing to give memorials are asked to consider Halifax County Cancer Association.