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 #9 in the defamation suit [in caps] and additional material from the tape of the newscast. The story also ran the following day at 5:30 a.m., 6 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. It was originally posted on this website on May 31, 2003.

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

Dave [Cupp]: THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OPENED ITS CASE TODAY AGAINST A GREENE COUNTY MAN ACCUSED OF ONE COUNT OF DRUG CONSPIRACY
JESSE SHECKLER WAS ONE OF FIVE MEN ARRESTED IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR.

AUTHORITIES FOUND CRACK COCAINE AND. POWDER COCAINE AT HIS RESIDENCE.

IN COURT TODAY, ONE OF THE MEN ARRESTED, SAMMY ROSE, TOLD THE JURY THAT HE TOOK MONEY FROM SHECKLER WITH THE INTENT OF RETURNING IT WITH A PROFIT FROM THESALE OF DRUGS.
THE CASE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TOMORROW.