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Posted on Sat, Feb. 07, 2004

CRIME

Young undercover officer key to school drug sting

The Associated Press

GRAHAM - As dozens of Alamance County high-school students - some dressed in orange jail jumpsuits - filtered into courtrooms for their first appearance on drug charges, one classmate kept a low profile.

The smooth-faced 21-year-old recounted how he regularly bought drugs during his five months at Graham High School - as an undercover police officer posing as a 17-year-old student.

"In his first class, the guy leans over across the aisle and says 'Hey, you smoke dope? If you do, I can hook you up,'" Graham Police Chief Milford Miller said.

Miller and the young officer - identified at his request by only his first name, Bobby - described the investigation Thursday as some of the 49 students charged in the sting made their first court appearances in Burlington.

Students from six of Alamance County's seven high schools were arrested Wednesday on charges of selling drugs including marijuana, cocaine and OxyContin.

District Judge Brad Allen asked the defendants if they had lawyers or needed one appointed and advised them of the charges and potential penalties they faced.

Another judge handled the hearing for JamesOn Curry, the state's all-time leading high-school basketball scorer, because Curry's defense lawyer is Allen's wife, Dawn Allen. Curry faces charges related to selling marijuana.

Miller said he recruited Bobby to pose as a student after Bobby applied for a job with the police department.

The hiring was kept a secret from many of Bobby's co-workers. Only Miller, the Graham High School resource officer and a couple of drug investigators at the department, who debriefed Bobby daily, knew his identity or even that the department had an undercover officer in the school.

"We swore him in in the back seat of the car, away from the police department," Miller said.

Bobby posed as a transfer from Green Hope High School in Morrisville. He tried to endear himself to fellow students, but had to follow strict rules - no dating, and he had to turn down invitations to join the football and wrestling teams.

"Some people really took a liking to me like," Bobby said. "I was one of them. I just hung out and played practical jokes and had a good time."

Fortunately, Bobby's job didn't depend on his grades. He admitted that, although he liked shop and physical education, he didn't do too well in others.

"When I got his report card at the end of the semester, I grounded him," Miller said, jokingly.

Bobby couldn't tell his family, not even his fiancee, what he was doing. He told them he was training and doing paperwork, then working a 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. patrol shift and then on the warrant squad.

The grandmother of one student charged with selling drugs to Bobby was angry that police arrested so many students but not the adult dealers who supplied them.

"Why didn't they go out with the people [the students] were getting the drugs from?" Cartwright said. "Why didn't they go after the adults?"

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WNB

I disagree with selling drugs at school. However, I think the damage caused by putting an undercover in there, both to the 49 students whos lives have been ruined, and to the police department, whom students and parents will be far more suspicious of, is far greater than the damage caused by a few drug transactions in the bathroom.

Also, what bothers me here is that many of the students who were busted probably were not dealing at all; they were just trying to help out a friend. He also could have used entrapping tactics, and because of the nature of the bust, no one will ever know.

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Mamabudz

Nauseating

In a week where here in Florida we lost 2 children in school related incidents -- one shy young man was knifed to death by a class mate, a young 11 year old girl Carlie was abducted on the way home from school -- and a third student was raped in school.... I think the police should be doing something different than swearing in "cute" Bobby to go sting teens who are trying to be friendly and open to a new kid in school. Things ain't gonna go well for the NEXT new kid in school, I can tell you that

But gee...selling pot is so much more dangerous than let's say -- rape, murder and rape&murder.

Of course I smoke pot so my mind must be altered to think there is something so Not Right here.

Mama Budz

killerz298

I didn't think of this the first time I read the story. Transfer students are going to have a hell of a hard time fitting in which will probably force them into drug use! Oh the irony!!

woshbosh

it's so sad that if you offer someone weed if they want it, and don't force it on them, you get busted. i'll bet people got busted just for even talking about it, cuz, i really don't think there were 49 dealers in that school

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jebus

***i really don't think there were 49 dealers in that school***

I doubt that, i bet their is more. My school has.. ****,i think between 1000-3000 people (one of the two lol) and you can turn to your left, buy some pot. turn to your right buy somemore etc... id say at least %25 of our school deals just marijuana, of course some sell harder stuff too. Thats why it is actually hard to sell pot in my school, just because its so abundant and everyone is selling lol

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woshbosh

actually, i only know the dealers who were in my grade, or a grade higher, so maybe i just didn't have a clue :P my high school had 1200 people or so and i knew maybe... 7 or 8 that dealt, and that was totally enough to supply everyone. oh and maybe 4 or 5 other people who dealt both weed and harder stuff

jebus

aaah ic, i guess im just used to living in like the "marijuana capital" of vancouver island haha oh crap their is one place with more pot but thats only 15 minutes away. Its kind of crappy though because then theirs more **** talk between them selves and u cant keep your self smoking for free (if u know what i meen) I tried to keep this as un-dealing talk as possibly but if it still violates rules someone lemmme know or change it!