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Deputy's crimes more serious?

By BriAnne Dopart : The Herald-Sun
Oct 18, 2006 : 10:45 pm ET

DURHAM -- The former sheriff's deputy fired for his alleged involvement in a wide array of illegal activities at a local Durham nightclub may have been involved in more serious crimes than the ones for which he already stands accused, Durham County Sheriff's officials said Wednesday.

Sheriff's investigators are looking for information that may connect former deputy Mike Owens to both human trafficking and murder for hire, according to Capt. Paul Martin of the Sheriff's Office.

Owens and six Hispanic males were arrested Saturday in a raid of the 2825 North Roxboro Road nightclub La Zona. During the raid, approximately 5 ounces of cocaine were seized by investigators.

Two other deputies, William "Keith" Dodson and Brad King, both of whom worked as off-duty officers at the club, were fired Monday for allegedly violating the Sheriff's Office's "secondary employment" policy.

No criminal charges have yet been lodged against Dodson and King, who may have been unaware of what was allegedly occurring inside the club, Martin said Wednesday.

Search warrants released Tuesday for the 2825 North Roxboro establishment owned by the former deputy alleged that vehicles and individuals seen frequenting the club are known to be involved in a wide array of criminal activities in Durham including "drug trafficking, armed robberies, murder (for hire), prostitution and human trafficking."

Asked Wednesday to elaborate on the warrant's mention of "murder for hire," Martin said investigators do not yet have any solid evidence Owens' played "a direct role" in any murders for hire. They do have, however, recorded conversations in which Owens discussed murder schemes, Martin said.

Investigators who listened to hours of conversation transmitted by an audio-recording device inside La Zona nightclub heard Owens discussing activity involving "hit" men, Martin said.

"He's not the suspect of an actual murder ... he's just been involved in conversations about it," Martin alleged. Martin added that investigators are looking into what role, if any, Owens played in crimes he allegedly discussed on the recordings.

Sheriff Worth Hill said that murder was the first thing that came to mind when he'd learned of Owens' alleged involvement in the illegal activities at La Zona, "but we don't have any evidence," he added.

Martin said investigators are also looking for any connections between what they alleged was prostitution going on at La Zona and a prostitution ring the Durham Police Department announced it was investigating in August. During that investigation, police named houses at 116 Junction Road, 217 North Hoover Road and 1949 Cheek Road as alleged houses of prostitution.

Martin said investigators have yet to verify any connection between the La Zona case and that particular network of brothels.

Still "furious" about his deputies' alleged involvement -- either directly or on the periphery -- in the purportedly seedy on-goings of La Zona nightclub, Hill said he is seriously considering prohibiting all of his deputies from doing "off-duty work" work at bars and nightclubs.

According to the sheriff's current policy (last updated in 2000), deputies can work at establishments that serve alcohol, but they cannot enter the establishment except to use the bathroom. The rule can be bent only if the deputy knows of criminal activity going on inside the establishment -- such as a fight breaking out at the bar -- Hill said.

The Durham County Sheriff's Office has more requests for off-duty deputies than it can handle, Hill said, so he's not concerned about cutting into any deputy's much-needed second job. Hill said he doesn't know exactly how many deputies are employed at nightclubs and bars, but said he is sure "there's a whole lot of 'em."

The policy change would be the only change made to Sheriff's Office procedure because of the La Zona scandal, said Hill.

Hill said he is confident no other Sheriff's Office personnel will be implicated in the La Zona probe and that he sees no need for any further investigation into his agency.

Hill said he would meet with his remaining deputies at 7:30 a.m. today to discuss the effect negative press swirling around the agency has had on deputies' morale.

http://www.heraldsun.com/durham/4-779882.html

* This town can't even finish one scandal before it starts another one.