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 #4 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 with the exception of the announcers [i.e. Luke Duecy was the announcer in the earlier newscast] and individuals interviewed on the street.

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

Stacey: GOOD EVENING [everyone], I'M STACEY HORST.

Dave: AND I'M DAVE CUPP.
OUR TOP STORY.
A DRUG BUST IN GREENE COUNTY HAS LED TO 5 ARRESTS... AND TO A FEDERAL DRUG INVESTIGATION. {****Turn****}

Stacey: MELINDA SEMADENI WAS IN GREENE TODAY
SHE'S LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM TONIGHT.
MELINDA, HAVE THE AUTH0RITIES RELEASED THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO WERE ARRESTED?

Melinda: YES,STACEY THEY HAVE 5 MEN HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH DRUG CONSPIRACY INDICTMENTS, AND FORFEITURE OF PROPERTY.

THE NAMES OF THOSE CHARGED ARE LISTED HERE...JESSE SHECKLER, HE OWNS A[N] AUTO BUSINESS IN GREENE.-SAMUEL ROSE,
RODNEY ROBISON, LADU BOLDEN AND TODD "JOHN" SHUE ARE ALL FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE.
LADU BOLDEN IS AT LARGE.
HE IS NOW CONSIDERED A FUGITIVE.

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

This is followed by interviews with individuals in Greene County, who say:

I'M BEGINNING TO THINK IT'S RIGHT HERE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE BEFORE I WAS HEARING IT WAS IN CHICAGO,OR IF IT'S IN LOS ANGELES BUT NOW IT'S RIGHT HERE IN MY OWN COUNTY AND HAVING GRANDCHILDREN OF MY OWN PUTS A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON IT [entirely].

and

[I] KNOW IT'S ON 29 AT SOME TRUCK STOPS OTHER PLACES AROUND, HIDEAWAY PLACES BUT UNLESS WE UNIFY AND BE TOGETHER WITH OUR POLICE FORCE TO : LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UNLESS WE INFORM THEM IT WILL NEVER STOP.

Melinda: [Now] ALL 5 MEN INDICTED IN THE DRUG BUST HAVE PLEAD NOT GUILTY.
THE TRIAL IS SET FOR JUNE 21ST_
REPORTING LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM, MELINDA SEMADENI, DATELINE 29 NEWS." (Excerpts from 6 pm WVIR Newscast, April 6, 2001).