In continuing fallout from the Henry County Sheriff's Office corruption scandal, charges against more than two dozen people have been dropped because some deputies who are witnesses in their cases are under federal indictment.

Authorities have dropped 41 charges, including drug and misdemeanor charges, against 28 people, said Bob Bushnell, Henry County commonwealth's attorney.

"I knew I had to do it," Bushnell said. "It was the appropriate thing to do."

Henry County Board of Supervisors Chairman H.G. Vaughn was disappointed with the dropped charges.

"Now they are just going to walk scot-free," he said. "We're going to have those drug problems back on the street."

Vaughn said deputies named in the indictment have put Bushnell, and the community, in a terrible situation.

The charges include 16 felony drug charges and 25 misdemeanor and traffic infractions, Bushnell said. He does not expect any more charges to be dropped.

The charges would not have been prosecutable, Bushnell said, because the deputies under indictment were essential to the cases.

Of the ongoing sheriff's office scandal, Bushnell said, "The impact of what has occurred -- the indictment and the evidence just in the preliminary proceedings -- is traumatic to the community."

The 48-count indictment accuses 12 former and current deputies of using and dealing drugs, stealing narcotics and guns from evidence and redistributing them in the community, and lying to federal investigators.

Former Henry County Sheriff Frank Cassell, who retired following the indictment, is accused of trying to throw federal agents off the trail to protect officers he knew were involved in illegal activity.

Seven civilians are also charged.

Benny Summerlin, county administrator, said Bushnell is acting according to law.

"In the overall scheme of things, you just got to do what's right," he said.

Bushnell said he hopes that if any of the people were in fact guilty, they will see this as a second chance.

"It'd be nice to hope they'd take this as a sign that they'd better change their ways," he said.