
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 15, 1995                   TAG: 9511150049
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RADFORD                                  LENGTH: Medium

DRUG CASE FUGITIVE RETURNED TO RADFORD

A MAN FACING six felony drug counts was found cooling his heels in Cancun, Mexico, last month. He was deported to Texas, then extradited to Virginia.

A former Radford man who authorities say skipped the country in 1992 rather than face six felony cocaine charges has been returned to the city after being deported from Mexico.

Robert Albert Willett, 26, was one of several people charged in June 1992 by city police after undercover drug operations. Willett was indicted on five counts of distributing cocaine and one count of possessing cocaine with intent to distribute.

Commonwealth's Attorney Randal Duncan said Willett "knew the charges were coming, and he left the country."

But, the prosecutor said, authorities didn't give up on tracking Willett down.

They learned at one point that Willett had been arrested in Costa Rica, but he was released before Radford police could stake a claim to him, Duncan said.

The payoff came last month when Willett was found in Cancun, Mexico, Duncan said. He was deported to Houston on Oct. 31 and returned to Radford last Thursday after he waived extradition.

Duncan said local FBI agent Pat Rutzinski and two Radford police employees - Capt. Jackie Roop and dispatcher Charlie Harris - "did a great job in getting this guy back."

Rutzinski worked with his FBI contacts to track Willett, and city police stayed in touch with Texas authorities to make sure they received the information they needed to arrest him when he was deported to Houston, Duncan said.

Willett will be arraigned this morning in Radford Circuit Court.

Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.

by CNB