Staff Writer

Three people have been arrested on drug charges in a case made by the county and city narcotics officers.

Braxton Sentell Jones, 21, of 102 Locust Court, Spartanburg Dondrell Tavorie Cheeks, 18, of 5 Culp St., Spartanburg and David Scott Turner, 36, of 215 Belvue Drive, Union, all were charged Wednesday by the Union County Sheriff's Office with distribution of crack cocaine.

According to a report, Lt. David Kitchens and Lt. John Sherfield with the sheriff's office, State Constable Billy Bennett and Investigator Mickey Parker with the Union Public Safety Department provided money to a confidential informant who went to Turner's house with the intention of purchasing drugs. Turner got into the vehicle with the informant and they drove to the parking lot of Disney Distribution in Jonesville, where a call was made to Jones. A short time later Jones arrived. He was a passenger in a 1992 Lexus driven by Cheeks. Officers had the deal under surveillance and sheriff's office units were positioned on the Furman Fendley Highway.

The report said Jones sold Turner $100 worth of crack, with Turner unknowingly using sheriff's office funds. Jones then returned to the Lexus and Turner got back into the informant's car. The informant and Turner left the parking lot and went south on Furman Fendley Highway.

Jones and Cheeks left the parking lot in the Lexus. They were stopped by Sgt. Jimmy Johnson and Deputies Ashley Jackson and Jared Gilstrap.

Turner and the informant were stopped by Deputy Roger Hill.

Jones was found to have $517 on his person, including the $100 used in the drug deal. Cheeks had $149.

Jail cell flooded

A Buffalo teen-ager being held in the Union County Jail on a murder charge is accused of flooding his cell.

Christopher Joshua Howell, 20, of 313 Fire Lane was charged Wednesday with malicious damage to real property. A report said a jail officer Kermit Rice came to the booking area and said water was coming out from under the A-Block door. They found Howell had flooded his cell. Rice and Anders went to the cell and took what was left of Howell's sleeping mat, which he had ripped apart and used to stop up the commode.

Howell has been held in the jail since Aug. 19 when he was arrested for robbing, sexually assaulting and murdering Margaret Grove Stevens, 40, behind the Buffalo Mill Pond Park,

Vandalism

Thursday, vandalism was discovered at the county's skateboard park on 387 Hawthorne Road. Sam Phipps with parks and recreation told Deputy Roger Hill that someone had spray-painted equipment at the park, causing around $1,000 damage.

Burglary

On 111 Buffalo Creek Ranch Road, a victim told Deputy Ashley Jackson Thursday that his home had been broken into. A front door window pane was broken to gain entry. Missing are three guns, a DVD player, a DVD/VCR combination, two $100 bills, bullets, and a computer monitor, tower, keyboard and mouse. The stolen items are worth around $1,805.

Man arrested

William Boyce Lowe Jr., 36, of 201 Partridge Road was charged Thursday by the sheriff's office with financial identity fraud. A report said the victim told Lt. Robbie Hines that an unauthorized person had gained access to his bank account. An investigation showed Lowe had used the money to purchase phone cards.