Was tried on more serious

drug charges stemming

from undercover operation

Staff Writer

A Jonesville woman being tried on more serious drug charges was found guilty Friday of a lesser offense.

Tonya Ingle, 36, of 431 Pacolet St. was tried on charges of purchasing marijuana, distribution of a controlled substance, distribution of a controlled substance within proximity of a school or park and child endangerment.

She was found guilty of possession of marijuana. Circuit Judge John C. Hayes III of Rock Hill gave Ms. Ingle the choice of serving 30 days in jail or paying a $200 fine. She already is being held in the Union County Jail for 180 days on five counts of fraudulent checks after pleading guilty Monday in Magistrate's Court.

Deputy Clerk of Court Sandra Foster said the jury deliberated about an hour before delivering the verdict.

Ms. Ingle was arrested by the sheriff's office on April 6, 2007. A report said officers gave an undercover operative marijuana and money. The operative was to meet with Ms. Ingle and purchase a quantity of Alprazolam pills and sell her marijuana.

Lt. John Sherfield drove the operative to a location in Monarch and dropped off the operative. Sherfield watched as the operative got into a blue vehicle with Ms. Ingle and a child. A short time later the operative got out of the vehicle, called officers and confirmed the drug deal had been made.

Officers stopped Ms. Ingle's vehicle in the parking lot of Mon-Aetna Baptist Church. The marijuana was recovered from her purse.

A relative came to the scene and took custody of the child.

Ms. Ingle testified that the informant called her and begged her to purchase the marijuana. She denied selling any drugs. She said her child was out of the vehicle playing with the informant's two pit bulls when she obtained the marijuana.

Video and audio recordings of the drug deal being made by officers malfunctioned.

Also on Friday, Gordon LeBlanc, 40, of 309 West South St., pleaded guilty to unlawful use of the telephone. Hayes gave LeBlanc credit for 18 days served in the Union County Jail since his arrest on Feb. 18.

A report said LeBlanc called 911 and said his wife was not breathing and he needed an ambulance. When Union County EMS arrived, LeBlanc's wife was not there. LeBlanc said he didn't know where she was and began walking up West South Street. EMS medics searched the house and could find no one. The Union County Rescue Squad, which is dispatched in cases of cardiac arrest, also had been called to the house.

Cpl. Scott Coffer and Officer David Lee fond LeBlanc walking on Enterprise Street and arrested him for being drunk.

Coffer found out that LeBlanc's wife has been in the hospital since Feb. 13.

Coffer listened to a 911 tape where LeBlanc told a dispatcher his wife was in a chair having a seizure and was unresponsive.