Leo Hinson, 60, of Bethel Trail was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of attempted murder.
Hinson was transported to Roanoke Friday morning to appear before a federal magistrate.
The magistrate ordered that Hinson be held without bond.
If convicted, Hinson could be sentenced to life without parole in a federal penitentiary.
Hinson was arrested without incident at his home around midnight Thursday..
A search warrant was executed and agents seized cash, drugs, weapons, ammunition and financial records from the residence.
Task force officers completed the search of the Bethel Trail property at approximately 10 p.m. Friday.
The investigation revealed a multi-faceted, tiered organization involving murder, money laundering, drug distribution and alleged corruption involving public officials and law enforcement officers.
Law enforcement officials allege that large amounts of cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamines were being distributed in several states by the organization.
Hinson's assets will be seized and filed for forfeiture.
The investigation revealed that Hinson owns property in several states, including real estate in Halifax County values at approximately $1.9 million.
Among other assets targeted for seizure are farm machinery and vehicles with an estimated value of $1 million.
Additional drug and firearm charges against Hinson are pending. The continuing investigation promises additional arrests of individuals associated with this organization, said a spokesman for the Task Force.
"I'm especially proud of the work done by the local Task Force," said Commonwealth's Attorney John Greenbacker following the arrest.
"They worked very hard on this investigation."
The Commonwealth's Attorney described this investigation as a high priority.
"Obviously (investigators) had to do their homework and do it very methodically," he said.
Hinson's arrest was the result of an intensive four-year investigation by the Halifax/South Boston Regional Narcotic Enforcement Task Force, The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF),The Internal Revenue Service (IRS), The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the United States Attorney's Offices of Raleigh, N.C., and Roanoke, Va.
The U.S. Attorney's Offices in Raleigh, N.C., and Roanoke will prosecute the cases.

Helen Marie Eckes, 53, of James D. Hagood Hwy. was killed Friday evening after being struck by a tractor-trailer on Route 360.
Eckes was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident happened in the eastbound lane of Route 360 approximately one-tenth of a mile east of 729 on James D. Hagood Hwy.
Police say that the driver of the truck, Calvin Ellis Burton of Chase City, saw Eckes before the accident, and swerved left to avoid hitting the woman, but was unable to avoid the pedestrian.
Burton was en route to Richmond from South Boston at the time of the accident.
"The truck driver described it as though she was running toward the road," said State Trooper G.M. Gilliam.
No charges have been filed in the accident, Gilliam added.
"We are looking at all possible motives for the accident," he said.
Gilliam added that an accident reconstruction team is investigating.

Growers from all over the flue-cured producing region converged on Halifax County High School Saturday to attend the 19th Annual Virginia Tobacco Conference and Trade Show.
Those in attendance browsed through the nearly 40 displays of the latest technology and innovations related to tobacco production.
During the trade show, which was held from 9:30 until 11:30, growers were able to gather information ranging from farm credit companies to the latest in curing technology
Vendors on hand were from from all of the flue-cured production states.
One of the most popular displays was the USDA grading booth.
Bobby Wellons, a trainer for USDA graders out of Raleigh, N.C., had examples of some of the 153 standard grades of flue-cured leaf.
"Mostly the producers want to know what we look for when we determine the grade of the tobacco," Wellons said.
He added that three of the manufacturers, Dimon, United and R.J. Reynolds, will have USDA graders on site when purchasing contracted tobacco this year.
Corey Rowland of James River Companies said that many of the growers seemed interested in the 6020 series tractors.
"They seem to like the fact that its in the 70-90 hp class and offers a lot of good options," he said.
The trend in tobacco production has moved toward mechanization, according to David Haynes of Piedmont Tobacco Equipment in Dobson, N.C.
"With the H2A labor bill, the labor situation has gotten so critical that it isn't economically feasible for growers to pay for hand harvesting," said Haynes.
"So this year it seems like everybody is looking at our harvesting machines as an alternative," he added.
Tom Pharr of MarCo in Bennitsville, S.C., said that his computer-aided curing equipment and controls were some of the most advanced curing technology available.
"We sell smart controls that are able to be fitted on any barn regardless of the firing types," he said.
"The farmers seem to be interested because they can be programmed to any type of curing cycle," Pharr added.
"Keeping track of a lot of barns on a notepad can be extremely difficult, and there is a lot of money tied up in tobacco while it's curing."

By KEITH STRANGE
Nearly 400 growers packed the Halifax County High School auditorium Saturday to hear the speakers at the 19th Annual Virginia Tobacco Conference.
Don Anderson, executive director of the Virginia Tobacco Growers Association, presided over the meeting, and opened the meeting by presenting the annual Award of Appreciation to Ted Bennett and Whitt Clement.
"These two legislators have been friends to tobacco throughout their careers, co-authoring the legislation that ultimately became the Tobacco Indemnification and Revitalization Commission," Anderson said.
Although Clement could not be present, Bennett accepted for him.
Bennett accepted the award and expressed his continued support for issues regarding tobacco production in Southside Virginia.
Fifth District Congressman Virgil Goode, who entered to a standing ovation, pledged continued support of the proposed quota buyout.
"As many of you know, I introduced the Tobacco Market Transition Act a couple of years ago following a discussion we had here at a tobacco conference.
"I supported a buyout then, and I support a buyout today," Goode told the crowd.
He added that his proposal provided for eight dollars a pound for the quota owner and four dollars a pound for the producer.
Goode said that his bill would also provide for a continuation of the tobacco program.
He added that representative Richard Burr has a tobacco buyout bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives that would call for the USDA to determine the amount paid to the quota owner and producer.
"I am generally supportive of the recommendations made by the Commission of the President for the buying out of quota owners and producers," Goode said.
"As I understand the proposal, there would be a payment of eight dollars per pound for quota owners and four dollars per pound for the grower if they ceased to grow tobacco."
If the grower continued to grow and make a profit the payment would be two dollars per pound, he explained.
Goode told those gathered that he knew that the funding of the buyout was a big issue, and said that he would prefer that the money come from cigarette taxes that have already been levied rather than having another tax increase.
He called on the group gathered to let him know their wishes for the buyout.
"I would like to know if the VTGA, Concerned Friends of Tobacco, VAGA and Farm Bureau have a unified position as to what the base years of any buyout would be.
"I would also like to know if there was an agreement among the named tobacco groups as to the cut-off date for any payment," he said.
"I want to work with you on the buyout legislation," he said.
The congressman said that he was often asked about the chances of a buyout passing through the legislature.
"While I believe that most in the tobacco growing country would support the legislation, I am not sure whether there would be sufficient nationwide support for the proposal to pass either the House or Senate," he warned.
"In my opinion, it would take significant lobbying and grass-roots efforts by the health groups that have aligned with tobacco interests in the past to organize," the congressman said.
Goode said that he was also concerned about the high cost of H2A workers.
"I know that the adverse effective wage rate will likely result in a significant increase in wages this year for the workers," he said.
He told the group that he was co-sponsoring legislation that would allow the user of the H2A workers to pay either minimum wage or the prevailing wage to the workers.
"In either case, the amount of such wages would be less than what the wages are now," he said.
As this was greeted with applause from those gathered, Goode warned that it would not be easy legislation to pass.
"(The bill) already has 50 co-sponsors," he said. "For this bill to have a realistic chance at passage, we need to get at least 200-250 co-sponsors."
Goode currently serves on the appropriations committee and the sub-committee on agriculture.
Presently serving on the appropriations committee and the sub-committee on agriculture, Goode spoke to the growers about tobacco issues in this session of congress and the potential quota buyout.
State Senator
Charles Hawkins
"This is the first time I've been cheered all week," he quipped as he entered to a standing ovation.
Hawkins is currently under fire due to the current fuel pricing proposal.
Hawkins, who chairs the Tobacco Commission, discussed using the tobacco settlement money for economic development projects in Southside and Southwest Virginia.
"We want to be able to put back into the community 100 percent of the money that has been taken out of it," the senator said.
He cited the active participation on the part of Virginia's legislators in getting 50 percent of the money for the tobacco-dependent regions.
"Virginia's part of the Master Settlement Agreement came from our participation in the legislature.
"Unlike other states, we started negotiating the day we heard about the settlement," he said.
Hawkins said that Southside legislators have been busy trying to sell the idea "that the stability of the family farm is vital to the economic welfare of Southside."
He added that the great strength of Virginia's tobacco region is the people's ability to work together through our problems.
"We need to make sure that the committee puts in place legislation that allows us to stay on the farm," he continued.
"The farm has always been the segment of society that gives us our strength in the best and worst of times," he said.
Hawkins said that even though technology and manufacturing are the keys to economic development in the region, the farm is the backbone of the economy.
"Nothing happens at all until the farmers produce a crop," he told the cheering crowd.
"This planet is littered with the skeletons of civilizations that couldn't feed themselves."
The senator said that Virginia is undergoing a transition, and "we need to understand that transition."
He pointed to Fairfax County as an example.
"Fairfax was once full of dairy farms, and now it's the most heavily populated county in the state," he said.
Hawkins then called for Virginians to be able to adjust to this type of change.
"The future that we have is in the brains of our children. The tobacco commission needs to put in place an infrastructure that will keep our people here," he continued.
The senator said that he is frightened at the prospect of losing ownership of businesses due to their moving the headquarters to more business-friendly regions.
"If we lose the ownership, we lose the wealth. Once we lose the wealth, we lose the investment opportunity," he claimed.
He said that the tobacco industry needs to bring back the spirit of entrepreneurship.
Hawkins pledged access to capital for the region by creating a capital access fund.
He said that the investments he is working on will allow the tobacco settlement money to be used for long-term development for the region.
"These investments will offer the opportunity that this region needs," he said.
He then told the growers that the tobacco money is the only access to money that Southside has.
Hawkins said that the recent passage of the Securitization bill will ensure that the money flows into the region.
"Once it's in a trust fund, it's out of harm's way and we can begin to plan for the long-term," the senator said.
"As we approach this century's problems, we need to be sure that we don't try to use 1950s thinking to solve them," he said.
Kirk Wayne
President of Tobacco Associates
Wayne addressed the audience regarding the impact of contracting on the export market.
"Our strategy at tobacco associates is to seek out all potential purchasers of U.S. leaf and work with them so they will be able to get our product," Wayne said.
Wayne said that a full 50 percent of total demand for flue-cured tobacco comes from a foreign customer, and added that the marketing preference of the customer should be taken into account by the producers.
"If a customer is more comfortable with contracted tobacco, then the system should allow for such. However, if they are more comfortable with the auction system, then the system should allow for that option as well," Wayne said.
Wayne cautioned that the only opportunity for growth in the sale of flue-cured leaf resides in the foreign market.
He added that the foreign buyers of leaf feel that contract sales have come about too rapidly.
"The customers have been forced into reacting rather than acting," Wayne noted.
He said that he doesn't believe that reactive decisions are indicative of long-term trends in the market.
Wayne warned that the farmers need to consider the export market as well as the major manufacturers when deciding where to sell their leaf.
"You can't afford to lose either purchaser and stay in business," he cautioned.
Arnold Hamm
Flue-Cured Tobacco Stabilization Corporation
Hamm reiterated Stabilization's position on the World Trade Organization's impact on the export of flue-cured tobacco, and cautioned the growers regarding overproducing.
Using charts of the history of tobacco production, Hamm noted that only 20 congressional districts received 52 percent of emergency aid to farmers.
"And Virginia isn't among the top 20," he added.
Hamm showed a graphic that drew an analogy between what is going on in the quota system and production today and what happened during the 1920s when co-ops ruled the production of leaf.
"It's an economic law, when you overproduce, the price collapses," he said.
In addition to these subjects, Hamm told the farmers that Phillip Morris wants the elimination of the tobacco program.
"They have just revealed a discussion paper on the buyout.
"Phillip Morris wants to charge a user fee on each pack of cigarettes to fund the buyout," he cautioned.
Hamm told the growers that they need to be concerned about the free-market buyout and the reduction in quota.

Halifax Town Council will revisit in public hearing Tuesday night what has become a controversial rezoning request from Lake Country Area Agency on Aging (LCAAA) for Academy Street property.
The public hearing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Town Hall at 70 Main Street.
At its January session, council, despite its planning commission's report recommending against rezoning, voted 4-2 to approve LCAAA's request to rezone 6.19 acres at 403 Academy Street from Residential-1 to C-1 Business to allow construction of an Adult Day Health Care Center.
LCAAA wants to build a 6,000-square-foot metal building with a brick facade. The center could be expanded to a 10,000-square-foot facility, according to Ed Taylor, an agency official.
The center would also provide meals for home-bound persons who are unable to come to the center.
Opponents of the LCAAA proposal cite road safety concerns regarding the narrow street, increased traffic, revenue issues - the agency is tax exempt, and environmental and neighborhood issues.
In other business Tuesday night, council is expected to hear a request from Melvin Kent proposing a water reduction fee when water is used for irrigation.
Also on council's agenda, updates on street lights, the sewer plant renovation and a progress report on the petition for the sale of mixed beverages with the sale of food.
Planning Commission
The town's planning commission will hold two public hearings at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Town Hall, one to address a special use permit by Barbara Cage for a Bed and Breakfast operation at her Mountain Road home, and the second to consider a change in the town ordinance to allow home occupation in Residential-1 zoning.
Terrie Spell is seeking permission to operate a massage therapy business out of the home at 5121 Halifax Road, which would call for home occupational classification.
The town currently has no such designation.
Spell told councilmen at their last session that she has been practicing massage therapy since 1996. She is licensed by the state and previously had her business in South Boston.
If the home occupation classification is added within R-1 zoning, she must also receive a special use permit.

It was Senior Night when Halifax County faced Franklin County here Friday night in its final home game of the regular season.
So, it was only appropriate that a pair of seniors, Anthony Owen and Shamoni Faulkner, each playing a different role, would help take the Comets from a 12-point deficit to a 12-point win in the final 10 minutes and 14 seconds of the contest.
Owen, the scorer, led the Comets with a game-high 28 points in the 83-71 win over the Eagles.
Faulkner, on the other hand, contributed 15 points but made his presence most felt by coming up with eight of the team's 10 steals on the night and snaring five rebounds.
It was Faulkner's steals that triggered three runs by the Comets in the second half in their attempt to get back into ball game, most notably the third one which vaulted the Comets over the top.
"Both, in their own way, controlled the basketball game," said Comets coach Garrett Dillard after the win that upped his team's record to 15-3 overall and 6-2 in Western Valley District play.
"At one point it was like give "Bird" (Owen) the ball and let him do whatever he wants to do with it.
"Both kids played a heck of a ball game," continued Dillard.
"I can't say enough about Shamoni. He's a heck of a point guard. There is so much to his game that people don't see, so much to his game that even he doesn't realize what he can do. The seniors showed us why they're the best class to come through in a while."
Faulkner and Owen said they were happy to get out of the game with a win.
"It feels good to win," said Faulkner.
"The crowd really got into the game and we got into it with them and picked up our defense."
Owen called the win "a good victory."
"We all stepped up big," Owen said.
"The crowd was already into the game and when we hit those first two baskets (in the last run) we got into ourselves and turned the heat on. It was all over after that."
Halifax County got off to a slow start, falling behind by nine points (27-18) at the end of the first quarter.
But, after that, the Comets exploded for 65 points over the course of the last three quarters, 30 of which came in the final eight minutes.
The Comets also staged a huge defensive effort in the second half and held Franklin County to just 25 points in the last two quarters.
Where the Comets really shined was in showing their tenacity by mounting three runs in the second half in an attempt to overcome the stubborn Franklin County team.
The Comets mounted a 6-0 run in the first 1:08 of the third quarter with Faulkner scoring two baskets and Lymon Gregory getting one in a spurt that saw two of the three baskets result from backcourt steals by the Comets.
That run brought the Comets to within four points but Franklin County, with the help of a four-point play, hit a 5-1 scoring spurt and pushed its lead back to nine points at 52-43 with 5:54 left in the quarter.
Halifax trailed by 12 points with 2:42 left in the third quarter but mounted a 7-0 run with a basket from Dwight Green, a three-pointer by Gregory and a layup from Sterling Williams, who scored 15 points in the game, to draw to within five points at 58-53 with 54 seconds left in the quarter.
Franklin County ended that run with a basket from Jermaine Dunn with 28 seconds left in the quarter and held a seven-point 60-53 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Then came the big push.
Trailing 63-58, the Comets started their decisive run with a basket from Williams with 5:46 left in the game.
Fourteen seconds later, Owen hit a layup after a Comets steal to bring the Comets to within a point.
A free throw from the Eagles' Sean Preston created a minor interruption but Faulkner responded with a three-pointer nine seconds later to give the Comets a 65-64 lead with 5:05 left in the game.
Andrew Witko, who scored 12 points in the game, hit a basket on nifty spin move with 4:47 left to complete the run and put the Comets up by three points at 67-64.
Halifax County never trailed again.
Patrick Preston brought the Eagles back to within two points but two free throws by Faulkner on the Comets's next possession allowed the Comets to go up by three points once again.
After that, the Comets went into their delay game and Franklin County had to come out of its zone defense and play the Comets man-to-man.
That was exactly what the Comets wanted.
The Comets put together a 6-1 run in less than a minute and a half with two buckets from Faulkner and one from Owen to take a 75-67 lead with 1:19 left in the game.
Later, leading by a seven-point margin, the Comets scored five unanswered points in a span of 23 seconds to go up 81-69 with 23 seconds left in the game.
The two teams exchanged baskets in the final 15 seconds of the game, leaving the Comets with a 12-point win.
"I knew they weren't going to give up," said Dillard.
"I didn't know what was going to happen, how it was going to happen, but I knew that some way, somehow, we were going to make a run. It was unbelievable.
"Normally, if you make three runs, it's over the course of a game, not a half," added Dillard.
"To make three runs and lose the margin and have to come back and play the way we played shows a lot of character. They will not give up and they will not quit."
The Comets trailed by nine points after the first eight-minute stanza but opened the second quarter with a basket by Witko to cut their deficit to seven points.
Two baskets from Williams completed a 6-0 burst that brought the Comets to within three points.
But a 7-2 run by the Eagles in the final 3:09 of the first half left the Comets, who were faltering with their perimeter shooting game and shooting only 37 percent from the floor, trailing 46-36 at intermission.
The Comets got out of that mode after the halftime break.
Faulkner said that was a big part of the success in the second half.
"They (Franklin County) were playing zone (defense) and we really don't play that well against a zone," Faulkner said.
"Against the zone, we shot threes (three-pointers) most of the time. In the second half, we stopped shooting the threes and started looking to get the ball inside more and played "Hali-Defense."
"This is the way we've got to it," added Williams.
"You listen to your coach and you win games. He told us at halftime to stop shooting the threes and in the second half we calmed down, listened to him, and won the game."

Evelyn Buchanan Martin

Evelyn Buchanan Martin, age 79, of 1200 Guill Town Road, Clover died Friday, February 8, 2002 at Halifax Regional Hospital.
Mrs. Martin was born August 28, 1922 in Halifax County. She was the daughter of Howard Buchanan and Effie Snead Buchanan.
She was retired assistant manager of Gregory and Martin Grocery, a member of Cover Baptist Church where she was clerk of the church, assistant superintendent and a long time Sunday School teacher.
Mrs. Martin is survived by a son: Thomas R. "Tom" Martin, and his wife, Faye, of Clover; a daughter: Gloria M. Langford, and her husband, Thomas, of Scottsburg; son: David R. "Bobby" Martin and his wife, Carol, of Clover; one brother, Charles R. Buchanan and his wife, Ann, of Forrest; ten grandchildren; eight great grandchildren; a dear friend, Marie Simms.
She was preceded in death by a sister, Frances Williams; three brothers: Raymond Bose Buchanan; Leonard Buchanan and Thomas Buchanan.
Funeral services for Mrs. Martin will be held at Clover Baptist Church today (Monday) at 2:00 p.m. The Rev Tom Walker and Rev. Jason Murray officiating. Burial will be in the Clover cemetery.
The family requests anyone wishing to give memorials to please consider Clover Baptist Church.

Herman Lee "Pee Wee" Womack

Herman Lee "Pee Wee" Womack of 1131 Swain Road, Halifax, died February 7, 2002 at Halifax Regional Hospital at the age of 65.
Mr. Womack was born in Halifax County on April 1, 1936 and was the son of the late Johnny B. Womack and Aline Womack. He was married to O'Delia Wood Womack and was a member of the New Vernon Baptist Church.
Mr. Womack is survived by his wife: O'Delia Womack; five daughters: Rosalie Womack, Sheila Womack and Delores Womack, all of Sotia, NY; Kathy Warren of Albany, NY and Charlotte Womack of Schenectady, NY; two sons: Robert Womack, of Hollywood, CA and James Womack, of Halifax; five sisters: Louise Hartridge, of Washington, DC; Annie Mae Edmondson, of Alexandria; Dorine Irby of Norfolk; Emma Barksdale, of Halifax; and Betty Coles of Washington, DC; five brothers: Raleigh Womack and Willie Lee Womack, both of Halifax; Rev. Shirley Womack,,, Darnell Womack and Brandy Womack, all of Alexandria; seven grandchildren; two great grandchildren and a devoted friend, Margaret Ferrell.
Mr. Womack was preceded in death by one son, David Eric Womack.
Funeral services for Mr. Womack will be held Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. with the services at the New Vernon Baptist Church with the Rev. Roger Ford officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
The family is receiving friends at the home of O'Delia Womack, 1168 High View Road, Halifax.

Mary Green Malone

Mary Green Malone of Washington, DC and formerly of South Boston, died February 6, 2002 at the Northern Virginia Hospice Center in Alexandria, at the age of 79.
Mrs. Malone was born in New York on July 9, 1922 and was the daughter of the late Frederick Green and Viola Coleman Green. She was married to the late Tom Malone and was a member of Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Washington, DC. She was the owner of Marie's Beauty Salon in Washington, DC and was a former member of Cross Roads Baptist Church.
Mrs. Malone is survived by two daughters: Mary Stewart, of Nashville, TN and Nerissa Malone, of Washington, DC; son: Cecil Wayne Malone, of Washington, DC; four grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.
Graveside services for Mrs. Malone will be held Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. with services at the Cross Roads Baptist Church cemetery with the Rev. Jackie Stamps officiating.
The family will receive friends at the gravesite on Tuesday.