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.

Part of the suit against WVIR involved an on-air broadcast on April 6, 2001 at 5 p.m. which included the following statement:

"D-E-A AND JADE FORCES CONFISCATED FIFTY 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." (Plaintiff's Exhibit 1, Script of 5 p.m. broadcast on April 6, 2001).

While the article below includes a charge of "Sheckler with possession of, and possession with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, or crack cocaine, and 500 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine," it would appear that Sheckler was only indicted for one count of drug conspiracy [for which he was acquitted], not for possession of and possession with intent to distribute. The article below ran in The Daily Progress days after a previous story in the Greene County Record and also after the WVIR telecast.

The article below was originally posted on this website on May 29, 2003. For more, see Index for Defamation Suit Against WVIR as Covered on Loper Website.

"STANARDSVILLE - A jury trial for a Greene County man charged with one count of drug conspiracy has been rescheduled for 9:30 a.m. June 21 in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville, according to court records.

Jesse Sheckler, 49, who lives and operates a business on Pen Ridge Road in Stanardsville, was originally scheduled to appear in court March 28.

Due to the recent arrest of other defendants in the case, the trial was pushed back to give everyone time to prepare.

An indictment was handed down by the grand jury March 6. It charged Sheckler with possession of, and possession with intent to distribute, 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine base, or crack cocaine, and 500 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine.

Four other men, from Charlottesville and Albemarle County, also were named in the indictment.

A warrant for Sheckler's arrest was dated March 9.

Bruce Pagel, assistant U.S. attorney, said last week that most of the drug-related activity occurred in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.

According to the indictment, the drug conspiracy began at an unknown date but not before the spring of 1999.

Pagel said the investigation of Sheckler had been going on for about the past 120 days.

Schekler pleaded not guilty to the charge March 20, according to court records.

He posted bond in the form of property valued at $45,100 on March 30.

The property was unit number 27 in Solomon Court Condominiums in Albemarle County.

If found guilty of the charge, Sheckler could face up to life in a federal penitentiary, a fine of up to $4 million and forfeiture of all property." (Keri Schwab, The Daily Progress, April 11, 2001)