Former Sheriff's Deputy Gets Prison Time For Drug and Weapon Charges / WITN.com - Eastern Carolina's Weather Authority - Breaking News &Weather For Eastern North Carolina: Greenville NC, New Bern, Jacksonville NC, Kinston, Washington NC, Morehead City & Havelock. WITN 7 NBC For Pitt County, Onslow County & All of East Carolina.

Fair
	Temp: 39 F (4 C) Humidity: 65 Heat Index: NA F

Home · News · Weather · Sports · Politics · Blogs · Web Cams · Sunrise · Lottery · Scam Alert · Entertainment · ECU Sports · Station/Bios

Real Estate · CarSoup · Rental Guide · Experts · Double Dollar Deals · Classifieds · Food · Contests · Community · Carolina Camera · Health · First Alert · HD

WITN Weather
7-Day Forecast
Live Doppler 7

Schools Ordered To Pay Back Millions To State
64 Comments

Autopsy Says Man Tased By Deputies Died Naturally
59 Comments

Facebook Warning
31 Comments

Dad In Jail, Kids In Hospital
23 Comments

Laurean's Wife Returns From Mexico Visit
22 Comments

Twenty Pounds Of Pot Delivered To Washington County
19 Comments

Hey, read the rules!

	Carolina Camera Upload your favorite photos and videos.

	WITN2go WITN News, Weather, Sports and more on your mobile phone – Anytime. Anywhere.

	First Alert Instant weather and breaking news on your desktop!

	Carolina Scanner News from around the state. All on one convenient page.

	Lottery Latest results from the North Carolina Education Lottery.

	Scam Alert Protect yourself. Don't get scammed!

	Country Rover Tom Skinner goes off the beaten path.

	On The Road WITN covers all of Eastern Carolina.

	Doppler’s Doghouse See Doppler Dog’s pet pals online.

	Gas Prices Search for the area’s best deals.

	Hunting & Fishing Forecast Best time of day to hunt or fish…

	Green Guide Your online resource for "green" living!

	Meet the Team
	Contact Us
	What's On WITN?
	Sunrise
	Jobs @ WITN
	Where Are They Now?
	About WITN
	HDTV

	Complete WITN Schedule
	NBC
	Jeopardy!
	Wheel of Fortune
	Millionaire
	Rachael Ray
	People's Court
	Judge Mathis
	Dunder Mifflin

Former Sheriff's Deputy Gets Prison Time For Drug and Weapon Charges

Save

Posted: 8:03 PM Oct 6, 2008
Last Updated: 8:03 PM Oct 6, 2008

7 comments

A | A | A

A former Sheriff's Deputy must serve 18 months in prison for drug-dealing and weapons offenses.

The Charlotte Observer reported that a U.S. District Court judge in Charlotte sentenced 36-year-old Louis Balducci of Waxhaw on Monday. Balducci had pleaded guilty in April to two counts of selling the prescription painkiller Oxycodone and unlawful possession of silencers.

Balducci was a deputy from July 2006 until January 2008. He was on medical leave after he was injured in a car wreck in spring 2007.

More Stories
Former NC Agriculture Commissioner Gets Honor

Non-Profit Group Rejects Donation Over Turban

Board Of Education Vs. Bail Bondsman

Pepper Spraying In Schools Has Some Pulling Kids Out Of Class

From $65,000 to 38 Dollars For One Veterans Center

Mexican Emigration Drops 42 Percent Due To Raids, Economy

Lawyer For Caylee Anthony's Grandparents Quits

Arrest Made In Hertford County Double Murder

Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Talon Location: NC on Oct 7, 2008 at 10:22 PM
For the third time, I'll try to post this. WITN, why report such a menial little story, just because the offender was a FORMER law enforcement officer. Again, I ask, do you research other offenders to see if they were ever employed as reporters? Why this double standard? It is obvious to me that you have a bias against law enforcement. WITN is an affiliate of NBC and even has a link to the infamously slanted and left wing controlled MSNBC. Your refusal to post my comments are extremely hippocritical. You posted an insulting and derogatory comment from DK, yet you refuse to post my reasonable comments which were NOT flaming . Your double standards are evident to me. Recently you had a story which concentrated on whether or not an officer violated policy when a suspect escaped from him. Why not report his initiative and hard work in developing a robbery case against a trespass offender? Why not report the national story of the officer who saved a woman from a burning vehicle?

Posted by: Citizen Location: North Carolina on Oct 7, 2008 at 01:19 PM
WITN, I guess you can clearly see that it's a no win situation with some people. Regardless of what you do some people are never satisfied. So you continue to make the decisions on how you feel about the stories that you are reporting. If they don't like it, they're not obligated to read them. WITN, keep up the good work!

Posted by: Chris Location: Greenville on Oct 7, 2008 at 10:15 AM
So it is safe to say that for a WHOLE year he was a Deputy Sheriff? I am not saying that he was a saint by no means but I have to agree with all of the other posters and ask WHY was his "former" profession even brought up? Was he accused of selling drugs while working? I could see the relevance then! I can already see that WITN leans more to the liberal side of things instead of using some common sense! Another black eye for Law Enforcement Officers across the state when there is no DIRECT relation with this guy's crimes and being a LEO..way to go guys.

Posted by: WOLFGANG Location: CHOCOWINITY on Oct 7, 2008 at 09:27 AM
I wonder how much $$$$$ he made selling drugs. Good ? for the IRS. If that was any other citizen who got convicted of the same crime. He or She would be doing 10-20 years in prision. He is a Sheriff's Deputy he should have known better he was hired to protect and serve. Only 18 months for dealing drugs figures. A guess the court protects there own. Talk about above the law this is a fine example.

Posted by: DK on Oct 7, 2008 at 08:56 AM
Why do some cops feel like they have to act like a dictator when they pull you over for something stupid?

Posted by: Noneya Location: IBX on Oct 7, 2008 at 08:45 AM
Yes, I agree with On Their Side and VBush. I dare WITN 7 to do an article on something a cop has done heroic. You guys break the mold of the normal news media and do a story on a heroic cop !! I dare you.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Please send us the information on your story idea. desk@witn.com

Posted by: VBush Location: MHCY on Oct 7, 2008 at 08:05 AM
I agree with 'On Their Side', but it is completely disheartening to hear about law enforcement involved in the very crimes they are charged to protect the public from. It is understood that these are the 'bad apples' and every good group has it's 10%, but I think that when you represent the law and get convicted of doing a crime, the punishment should be twice what anyone else gets. If we can't trust the guy with the badge, who can we trust? That badge represents more than just someone who went to a training academy and got a job. When you sign up to 'serve and protect' you are automatically holding yourself to a higher standard, and should act in that fashion. I don't like seeing a badge and having to wonder if the man or woman wearing it is really one of the 'good guys'.

Posted by: On Their Side Location: East NC on Oct 6, 2008 at 09:05 PM
Hey, WITN reporters ... you obviously enjoy writing headlines and articles about law enforcement officers who are caught doing wrong. Why don't you put the same effort into finding and publishing stories about officers who do heroic things and distinguish themselves with bravery and valor and service?

witn.com's Most Viewed
1.	Autopsy Says Man Tased By Deputies Died Naturally
2.	Dad In Jail, Kids In Hospital
3.	Man Admits To Molesting Boys
4.	Man Facing Five Rape Charges
5.	Fast Food Calorie Counting
6.	Another Pharmaceutical Company Makes Job Cuts
7.	Find Out Your "Real Age"
8.	Taco Bell In Legal Battle With Rapper 50 Cent
9.	Arrest In Rape Case From Seven Years Ago
10.	Out Of A Job

	CarSoup Search inventory from local dealers and private sellers.

	Rental Guide Video tours to help you find your next apartment.

	Double Dollar Deals Save 50% from local merchants.

	Sylvan Problem Solver Video tips from Sylvan Learning Center.

	Classifieds THE place to buy and sell items. Most ads free.

	Experts Got a question? Ask Eastern Carolina's Experts.

	Local Lookup Find local businesses online.

	Business Break Two minutes of info from local businesses.

	Lawyers On Call Free legal information on a variety of topics.

	Video Home Tours Tour Eastern Carolina homes from your computer.

	Jeopardy! EXP An exclusive online game that gives you an additional clue from each category in today's show.

A Transportation committee says state lawmakers should consider raising the tax on car sales, raising registration fees, charging motorists based on how many miles they drive, and toll roads as a way to fund road construction. Do you agree?

	Yes
	No

Click one of the pictures below to see more or to upload your own photos and videos.

Bailing Out The Big Three - 8 Comments Posted

What should the government do? (Read Blog)

Is Everyone Right About The Media Taking Sides? - 5 Comments Posted

I'm not trying to bite the hand that feeds me by any means, but I'm intrigued but the current turn of the tide for a certain political candidate. (Read Blog)

How Would You Fix The Economy? - 6 Comments Posted

There are many suggestions about how to fix the ailing economy. What would you do? (Read Blog)

Don't Feed the Holiday Ham to the Dog, Unless You Want a Mess - Post Your Comments!

With the holidays approaching, think twice before you give ham scraps to your beloved animal. It can do more harm than you know. Here is a story about what happened to me last year, and the repercussions it had on my dog: (Read Blog)

Stress Free Holiday Party Ideas From Chef Pia - Post Your Comments!

Chef Pia Van Coutren offers up some great ideas for a Mediterranean Stress- Free Holiday Party. (Read Blog)

My Honor To Talk With World War II Veterans - 1 Comments Posted

It's not often you get a chance to talk with genuine American heroes. I had that opportunity when I recently talked with World War II Veterans. (Read Blog)

Finally -- Cheap Gas Again - Post Your Comments - Post Your Comments!

Do you remember that last time you paid less than $2 a gallon for gas? (Read Blog)

Heavy Rain Puts Dent In Drought - Post Your Comments!

Heavy rainfall across North Carolina is helping to alleviate the drought, which is now in its second year. (Read Blog)

More Blogs >>>