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Hearing waived in drug forfeiture case

September 03, 2003|PHIL PENDLETON

LEXINGTON - The brother of area drug ring leader Larry Gene Thompson Sr. appeared in U.S. District Court for a preliminary examination Tuesday, but the hearing lasted all of three minutes.

Ronnie Thompson of Mount Vernon is accused of preventing the seizure of cattle owned by Thompson Sr., who is expected to be sentenced Friday on charges related to heading up a major drug trafficking ring that stretched from Texas to Kentucky.

Thompson Sr. was a Mount Vernon police officer, and he along with 24 others, several from Lincoln County, were indicted last year following a 15-month investigation.

In court Tuesday, Judge James B. Todd agreed to waive the hearing. "We acknowledge there is probable cause," said Ronnie Thompson's attorney, David Brock. Other than that, Brock did not want to talk about the case against his client. "I don't want to make any comment," he said.

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Todd said Thompson can remain free on pre-trial release. Thompson was arrested Aug. 12 based on charges listed in a nine-page affidavit by Internal Revenue Service agent Walter Woosley, who claimed that Thompson interferred with the ability of federal agents to seize assets owned by Thompson Sr. that were proceeds of narcotics trafficking.

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