Two More Robeson County Sheriff's Deputies Sentenced - Operation Tarnish Badge

Judge Terrence W. Boyle this week sentenced two more former Robeson County Sheriff's Deputies for their involvement in the Robeson County Sheriff's Department public corruption scandal.

March 22, 2008

ROBESON COUNTY NC NEWS -- United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle this week in Federal court sentenced two more former Robeson County Sheriff's Deputies for their involvement in the Robeson County Sheriff's Department public corruption scandal. The public corruption conspiracy was uncovered by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF) entitled Operation Tarnish Badge.

The two former Robeson County Sheriff's Deputies sentenced are:

• Billy Wayne Strickland, 41, of Lumberton, North Carolina, received 30 days' imprisonment with five months home confinement with electronic monitoring, and had restitution of $1,560.00 imposed.
  
  
• James Owen Hunt, 41, of Ladson, South Carolina, was sentenced to 24 months' imprisonment, 3 years supervised release following his term of imprisonment and had restitution of $150,000.00 imposed.

Billy Wayne Strickland was sentenced upon his February 12, 2007, guilty plea to a one-count criminal information that charged him with conspiring with others to control a telecommunications instrument that had been modified or altered to obtain unauthorized use of telecommunications services, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(7). While James Owen Hunt pled guilty on July 26, 2006, to a one-count criminal information that charged him with conspiring with others to commit money laundering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(a)(1).

United States Attorney of Eastern District of North Carolina, George E. B. Holding announced, "Hopefully, as each of these former deputies are sentenced for their crimes, it will help to restore faith in our legal system. These sentences will let the community know that we will not tolerate crime, especially within the ranks of those that have been sworn to uphold that very legal system."

Last month on February 14, 2008, Judge Boyle sentenced former Robeson County Sheriff's Deputy, Vincent Sinclair, 44, of Red Springs, North Carolina, for his part in the public corruption scandal. Sinclair received 413 months' imprisonment, and will then serve five years supervised release thereafter. The sentence was imposed after Sinclair's February 12, 2007, guilty plea to a three-count criminal information that charged him with:

• Title 21, United States Code, Section 846; conspiring with others to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute more than five hundred grams of cocaine.
• Title 18, United States Code, Section 1201(c) conspiring with others to kidnap two individuals.
• Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1) using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

The investigation revealed that Sinclair, a former Robeson County Sheriff's Deputy, abused his official position as a law enforcement officer to rob individuals he suspected were drug traffickers. At the Sinclair's hearing, the Court took testimony from State Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Mark Francisco. Agent Francisco testified that Sinclair, under color of authority, and others, traveled in February 2004, to Virginia and kidnaped two individuals suspected of being drug dealers in possession of between $300,000.00 and $400,000.00. During the commission of the offense one of Sinclair's co-conspirators shot and wounded one of the individuals. Agent Francisco also testified that Sinclair, once again under color of authority, and his co-conspirators stopped and seized a drug trafficker and forced him to have delivered $150,000.00 and two kilograms of cocaine.

To date twenty-two defendants have pleaded guilty to various federal charges ranging from drug conspiracy, conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO), conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the government, and conspiracy to commit satellite piracy charges.

Law enforcement agencies, which partnered in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF) investigation entitled "Operation Tarnish Badge," includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Bradsher served as prosecutor for the government. Operation Tarnish Badge centered around public corruption within the Robeson County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina.

Published by:
Rob Cross
mailto:editor@357news.com

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