An undercover sting by the Union County Sheriff’s Office landed a local businesswoman in jail on gambling and drug charges.

Melissa Gail Lee, 36, 220 Walnut St., Union, is charged by they sheriff’s office with keeping unlawful gaming tables and possession of a Schedule III narcotic.

Lee was arrested Thursday as a result of an Oct. 9 undercover operation by the sheriff’s office. Operatives were given $45 of recorded government funds and wired with audio and video equipment. They were then sent to the Pit Stop Bar, 1226 South Duncan Bypass, to attempt to play the poker machines and see if they would receive a cash payout.

After they arrived, the offense report states the operatives spoke with Lee and told her they wanted to play the poker machines. It states Lee “then turned on the poker machines with some sort of clicker.” When the machine came on, the operatives put in the recorded government funds and began playing the “Balloon” game “which in itself has been deemed illegal.”

Within a few minutes of playing the machine the operatives received a cash payout of $25 from Lee. It was based on this that the warrant was drawn up against Lee charging her with keeping unlawful gaming tables.

A search warrant was also issued and when deputies went to arrest Lee at the bar they searched the premises, confiscating two poker machines that contained the illegal balloon game. They also confiscated documents from a possible race game.

Lee was taken into custody and a search of her person turned up a blue pill identified as a Hydrocodone. When questioned about the pill, Lee told deputies she did not have a prescription for it. She was transported to the Union County Jail where she was released a short time later on bond.

Drug arrest

Speeding helped land a Spartanburg man in jail on drug charges early Thursday morning.

William Newton Foster Jr., 27, 119 Westhaven Court, is charged by the sheriff’s office with two counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Deputies were dispatched shortly after midnight Thursday morning to assist the S.C. HIghway Patrol. They met the trooper on the Jonesville Highway and he told them he’d initiated a traffic stop on a white 2006 Toyota Corolla for speeding. He said the driver — Foster — attempted to elude him by pulling into a driveway on the Jonesville Highway, getting out of the car and squatting down in front of it.

The trooper was not fooled, however, and placed Foster under arrest.

Near where Foster was trying to hide, the trooper said he found a small plastic bag containing half of a white pill believed to be Vicoden and an orange and clear capsule believed to be Ritalin. The trooper transported Foster to the jail where he was released on bond a short time later.

Good neighbor

A Union woman learned the importance of having good neighbors when she was the victim an attempted act of arson.

The incident took place shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday at a residence at 101 Chambers Avenue. The woman told officers with the Union Public Safety Department that she was in bed when a neighbor woke her and told her someone had thrown gasoline on her porch and lit it. The neighbor said he took a garden hose and washed the porch down extinguishing the fire.

Officers detected a strong odor of gasoline in front of the apartment and found a burn pattern. There was, however, no damage to the apartment itself. They searched the area for the container the gasoline was carried in but could not find it.

Earlier that evening officers investigated a report of several juveniles trying to set fire to a dumpster on Gault Avenue.

A resident told officers he’d yelled at the juveniles that the police were coming and they’d ran away in the direction of Porter Street. The juveniles were described as no more than 16 years of age. There was no damage to the dumpster.

Knife at school

A 16-year-old Union County High School student is facing charges after being found in possession of a knife on school grounds.

The knife was discovered Thursday morning after a custodian alerted school authorities a student might have contraband.

Upon further investigation, it was determined the student did not have any contrband but did have in her possession a folding knife with a three-inch blade.

The teen was arrested and charged with a weapons violation. She was later released into the custody of her parents.

Vandalism

The public safety department is also investigating an incident in which someone scratched obsenities onto a car.

The victim told officers she parked her grandmother’s 2006 Chrysler in the parking lot at 441 North Duncan Bypass around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. When she returned three hours later, she said someone had scracted the driver’s side doors, the passenger side door, the passenger side rear quarter panel and door jam; and the rear passenger side door. Some of the scratches were in the form of obscenities.

Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $1,500.

Officers are also investigating an act of vandalism in which someone broke a window at an apartment at 202 North Gadberry St. The incident occurred between 1:30-2 a.m.Wednesday.

Damage was estimated at $200.