If the Henry County Sheriff's Office corruption scandal were a target, former Sgt. James Alden Vaught would be the bull's-eye.

Authorities say Vaught, 33, went from organizing drug deals and providing a house for drug drops and philandering to informing for the government on many of the 19 other defendants who would eventually be charged.

On Thursday, the man prosecutors said was "right in the middle of it" pleaded guilty to one felony charge in federal court.

Vaught will likely be called to testify against several of his co-defendants if they go to trial. Others charged in the 48-count indictment include 11 current and former deputies, former Sheriff Frank Cassell and seven civilians.

In exchange for pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy count, one charge of drug conspiracy against Vaught was dropped. He is facing up to 20 years in prison on the racketeering charge, but he may get a break for cooperating with the government.

A Drug Enforcement Administration investigation out of Philadelphia led authorities to Vaught in early 2005, court records show. When the DEA delivered a package containing the sedative Ketamine to a house in Martinsville, William Randall Reed accepted delivery and was arrested.

Reed, who did not work for the sheriff's office, told police he rented the house from Vaught and paid the sergeant in drugs and money to use the house as a drug drop, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bondurant.

Reed also said he had helped Vaught sell 2 kilograms of cocaine that Vaught had taken from a drug dealer, according to the indictment.

Vaught resigned from the sheriff's office in March 2005 and began working with federal authorities soon after. Bondurant says Vaught wore a wire and covertly recorded some 90 conversations with 25 different people, including Cassell, who retired after he was charged.

Vaught was even wearing a wire when Cassell one day expressed respect for him.

"Quite frankly, and I've told you this, I always thought a lot of you and I, and I still do," Cassell said on the recording.

Vaught told federal agents that his rental house had been used by some of his co-workers as a place to have extramarital affairs. He also said he and other deputies engaged in several cocaine, crack, marijuana and steroid transactions.

Prosecutors have said that one canine officer in the department took drugs intended for dog training purposes and gave them to Vaught to be sold.

Vaught obtained $15,000 to $17,000 from the sale of the 2 kilograms of cocaine, and it is safe to estimate that tens of thousands of dollars' worth of drug deals occurred, Bondurant said.

Investigators say that former vice officer and school resource officer David Allan King falsified destruction orders for drugs taken into evidence, then sold them with the help of Vaught and several civilians who have also been charged, including Reed.

King pleaded guilty Thursday to racketeering and drug conspiracy. Two counts of obstructing justice and one count of making false statements were dropped. He could serve up to 40 years in prison.

The indictment accuses other deputies of dealing and using steroids, taking guns and money from evidence and lying to agents.

Cassell is charged with knowing about many of the illegal activities but ignoring them or covering them up.

Vaught and King were released on bond pending sentencing, which likely will not take place until the case is finished.

Two other defendants in the case had already entered pleas: Reed and former Deputy Bradley Scott Martin, who was accused of distributing drugs.

Vaught's attorney, Bruce Welch, said Thursday that his client was relieved to enter his plea because he knew that both he and others in the department had done wrong.

Still, it was difficult for Vaught, from a personal standpoint, to be in the position of informant, Welch added.

"These were his mentors and his friends and his employer."