Lyall released under $25,000 bond; indictments detailed

Former Alleghany County Sheriff's Deputy Ricky James Lyall was released from custody on Sept. 2 under a $25,000 unsecured bond. Lyall was placed on home detention with a electronic monitoring, according to information from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina.

Lyall was arrested Aug. 30 and was charged with 15 federal counts that were handed down by a federal grand jury on Aug. 24. The indictments were sealed until Lyall, who has been suspended from duty at the Sheriff's Department since April 23, 2004, was arrested.

Lyall, 33, is facing eight drug-related counts and six counts of extortion under the Hobbs Act and one count of making a materially false statement to a federal law enforcement officer.

In addition, details of the federal indictments against Lyall were released by the office, with the exception of the names of the two individuals, one male and one female, who were allegedly recruited by Lyall to sell drugs for him and bring him the money from the sales. The male was identified in the documents as “RRB” and the female as “LJJ.” An indictment is a formal charge and not a finding of guilt.

According to the documents, Lyall was a deputy sheriff serving as a detective during the time the offenses occurred. He also served as the custodian of the Sheriff’s Office’s evidence room.

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