UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WESTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA ALEXANDRIA    NEWPORT NEWS    NORFOLK    RICHMOND CHUCK ROSENBERG, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

TWO MORE PLEAD GUILTY TO CHARGES RELATED TO CORRUPTION CASE IN HENRY COUNTY

United States Attorney John L. Brownlee announced today that two more defendants have pleaded guilty to charges connected to a corruption case involving members of the Henry County Sheriff's Office. Carlton Arnez Riley, age 42, of Fieldale, Virginia, pleaded guilty to attempted drug distribution. The maximum statutory penalty for this violation is 40 years in prison and a fine of $2 million dollars. Riley faces a mandatory minimum five years in prison. Steven Varion Preston, age 37, of Bassett, Virginia, pleaded guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy. The maximum statutory penalty for this offense is 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

According to evidence presented by Criminal Chief Thomas J. Bondurant, Jr., in December 2003, agents planned to do a controlled delivery of Ketamine to William Randall Reed at a rental home owned by James Alden Vaught. Steven Preston was a Henry County Sheriff's Deputy at the time and tipped off fellow deputy Brad Martin that the controlled delivery was about to be made. Martin then tipped off Reed and Reed subsequently refused to accept the delivery of the Ketamine.

Further evidence presented by Criminal Chief Thomas J. Bondurant, Jr., showed that on April 24, 2006, Carlton Riley, a state probation officer, ordered a kilo of cocaine that he planned to resell. On April 25, 2006, Riley received a kilo of fake cocaine from his source, who was working with police. After receiving the fake cocaine Riley led police on a car chase. During that time Riley threw the fake cocaine he had just received out the window of the vehicle.

To date, 16 of the 20 defendants charged in this case have pleaded guilty to charges related to the conspiracy.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Virginia State Police. Criminal Chief Thomas J. Bondurant and Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Bassford are prosecuting the case.