Editor's Note: Since the time of the story below, Jesse Sheckler was acquitted of all charges and a Charlottesville jury awarded him $10 million in compensation in a defamation suit against WVIR, which ran stories on charges against Sheckler.

The transcript below is composed of Plaintiff's Exhibit #5 in the defamation suit [in caps] and additional material from the tape of the newscast. It was originally posted on this website on May 31, 2003.

Film footage shown in this newscast is similar to that shown in the 5 pm WVIR April 6, 2001 Newscast and the 6 pm WVIR April 6, 2001 Newscast. One addition is a graphic shown several times during the broadcast and was the source of some discussion in the defamation suit. It would appear that this graphic is generic. In any case, it is NOT of Jesse Sheckler.

For more, see Index for Defamation Suit Against WVIR as Covered on Loper Website.

"Stacey [Horst]: A DRUG BUST IN GREENE COUNTY LEADS TO A FEDERAL DRUG INVESTIGATION.
FIVE PEOPLE HAVE NOW BEEN CHARGED WITH DRUG CONSPIRACY INDICTMENTS AND FORFEITURE OF PROPERTY.
THE FIVE ARE...

GREENE COUNTY BUSINESS OWNER, JESSE SHECKLER.
SAMUEL ROSE, RODNEY ROBINSON, LADU BOLDEIN AND TODD SHUE ARE ALL FROM
CHARLOTTESVILLE.
LADU BOLDEN IS CONSIDERED A FUGITIVE AT THIS POINT.

D-E-A AND JADE FORCES CONFISCATED 50-GRAMS OF CRACK COCAINE AND 5-HUNDRED GRAMS OF POWDER COCAINE IN MARCH AT SHECKLER'S HOME AND BUSINESS.
MANY GREENE COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE SHOCKED AT THE NEWS.

This is followed by an interview with someone in Greene County, who says:

I'VE KNOWN HIM ALL MY LIFE AND HE'S A GOOD PERSON, HE'S DONE A LOT FOR THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYONE THINKS WELL OF HIM

Stacey: ALL MEN CHARGED IN THE DRUG BUST HAVE PLED NOT GUILTY.
THE TRIAL HAS BEEN SET FOR JUNE 21ST." (Excerpts from 11 pm WVIR Newscast, April 6, 2001).