By Michael Copley
Staff Writer

Former Powhatan School Board member Germando L. Harris and two Chesterfield County residents were arrested on drug charges December 10, after a five-month police investigation, the Powhatan Sheriff’s Office reports.

Harris and William Smothers, of Chesterfield, were both indicted by a Powhatan Grand Jury on two counts of cocaine distribution. Gwendolyn Cole, of Chesterfield, is charged with distribution of marijuana and two counts of distribution of unspecified controlled substances.

Harris served on the county’s school board for 11 years and he was a two-term board chairman.

This is the second time Harris will face drug charges in Powhatan.

On November 10, 2007 he was arrested for possession of cocaine after police executed a search warrant for a house on Maidens Rd., but the case against Harris ended in a hung-jury mistrial.

During that search, detectives found an aluminum can, drugs and other drug paraphernalia. They also found two spoons under the front seat of the Harris’ car, which was parked in the rear of the property.

Harris was detained during the search, and after signing a written waiver of rights he allegedly admitted to possessing crack cocaine; he is alleged to have said the can and the spoons were his also. Lab tests confirmed both items had cocaine residue on them.

But defense attorney John Rockecharlie questioned investigators’ failure to produce original documentation of conversations they allegedly had with Harris the night he was arrested.

Deputy Vince Whittaker testified that Harris told him cocaine “ruined his life” and Detective Kevin Wolfe, who interviewed Harris in jail the night he was arrested, told the court Harris admitted the can found during the search was “the one he had used to smoke cocaine.”

“He said he had a drug problem,” Wolfe testified. “He stated that the can on the kitchen counter was the one he had used to smoke cocaine. He also admitted that one of the spoons was his and that he had put it there [under the driver’s seat] after cooking cocaine on it.”

Harris was not asked to initial a transcript of the conversation and no audio recording device was used. Wolfe said he took hand written notes during the interview and created a typed report later that evening.

Harris testified in his own defense in 2008 and denied smoking cocaine November 10 or having any knowledge of the spoons in his car.

Harris is scheduled to be arraigned on two counts of cocaine distribution- the most recent charges against him- on January 13, 2010.