Staff Writer

Deputies confiscated marijuana, a gun and cash from three men who attempted to avoid a narcotics checkpoint on the Furman Fendley Highway Friday.

Fredrick Devon Barrett, 25, of 129 Barrett Drive was charged by the Union County Sheriff's Office with possession with intent to distribute marijuana

Gary Means, 20, of 4204 Glenn Arbor court, Aiken, was charged with possession of marijuana.

Lamont Dawkins, 31, of 607 Harley Court, Spartanburg, was charged with unlawful carrying of a pistol and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Officers saw a 1997 Toyota approach the checkpoint area and then make a U-turn in the roadway and head back south. Officers stopped the car and found that Barrett was the driver, Means was in the front passenger's seat and Dawkins was in the back seat. Deputy Kevin Smith, State Trooper Brad Horne and Lt. John Sherfield spoke with the men and noticed a strong odor of marijuana inside the car. The men got out of the car and officers found that Dawkins had been sitting on a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol.

Officers also found two large bags of marijuana and $3,694 in cash. Dawkins claimed these.

Marijuana also was found in Means' pocket.

During the search of Barrett, the officers pulled a plastic sandwich bag half full of marijuana from his crotch area. While he was being dressed in jail attire at the Union County Jail Officer Ray Valles found 10 smaller bags of marijuana in the crotch area of his pants.

Copper theft arrest

Billy Joe Woodring, 21, of 625 Howard St., Spartanburg, was charged Friday by the sheriff's office with grand larceny.

According to his arrest warrant, Woodring and three other defendants stole radiator cores on Sept. 8 from three air conditioning units at Versa Tech Machining on 112 Terrapin Road. Damage was estimated at $15,000.

Union man arrested

Gerald Dexter Jeter, 31, of 134 Woodlawn Ave. was charged Sunday by the Union Public Safety Department with criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, having no proof of vehicle insurance and not wearing his seat belt.

An arrest warrant said Jeter hit a 22-year-old woman in the face, pushed her into a breaker box and bit her right middle finger causing her to seek medical attention at Wallace Thomson Hospital on Saturday.