Staff Writer

One of three people arrested in a car wash break-in earlier this year received a prison sentence Wednesday in General Sessions Court.

Nathan Barrett, 27, of 106 Gore Drive, Cowpens, pleaded guilty to larceny from vending machines, master key possession by a nonowner and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Judge John C. Hayes III of Rock Hill sentenced Barrett to three years in prison and then suspended the sentence to six months of active time, one year of probation, ordered Barrett to pay $200 restitution and pay $500 to the public defender fund.

Timothy Durham, 27, of 174 Peach Shed Road, Cowpens, pleaded guilty to the same charges. He was given a three-year sentence which was suspended to a year of probation, $200 restitution and $500 to the public defender fund. Durham's past criminal record was not as lengthy as Barrett's.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested with Barrett and Durham. His case will be heard in Family Court. His name was not released because of his age. The boy also is charged with escape. A report said the boy was at public safety headquarters waiting to be transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Columbia. He ran out the back door and was captured about a half mile away.

A sheriff's office report said Deputy Roger Hill was sent to Nixon Car Wash on 843 Main St., Buffalo on March 17, after it was reported someone was breaking into machines. While he was en route, he was told the vehicle the suspects were in - a red truck with damage to the front end - had left. At the car wash it was determined vacuum cleaners had been broken into with an undetermined amount of coins stolen.

Cpl. Tommy Hart and Officer Leon Lancaster with the public safety department, who had been told to be on the lookout for the truck, stopped it on North Pinckney Street. Durham was the driver with the other two suspects as passengers.

Hart read the three their rights. Durham agreed to show officers which vacuum cleaners had been broken into. Barrett and the juvenile refused to cooperate with officers.

During the investigation, Durham was taken to Greer's Car Wash on the Duncan By-Pass. He said he had not been there. Paul Greer was called to check the machines and nothing was reported missing at the time of the report.

Hart then took Durham to Nixon Centre on 708 South Duncan By-Pass. There, Durham said he had gotten into one of the machines and was just before opening another when Hope and Robert Small, the owners of both that car wash and the one in Buffalo, started approaching him. Durham said he and the others got into the red Ford Ranger and left.

Durham showed Hart how the safe in the machines had been entered.

Officers confiscated screw drivers, metal bars, $104.75 in quarters and two sets of master keys from the truck

Drug plea

A Jonesville man who sold drugs to a confidential informant with the Union Public Safety Department was given a youthful offender's division prison sentence Wednesday.

James Johnson, 21, of 704 Timberlake Road pleaded guilty to distribution of crack cocaine. Hayes gave Johnson a YOA sentence not to exceed six years.

According to a report, Johnson sold $40 worth of crack to an operative on Dec. 28, 2006 on West Henrietta Street, where he was living at that time.

The following people pleaded guilty Wednesday in General Sessions Court:

Lateefah Talley, 708 Timberlake Road, to possession of cocaine, three years suspended to three years probation, $500 to the public defender fund; to possession of marijuana, 30 days suspended.

Dennis Fowler Jr., Wayside Drive, Union, to intimidation of court officials, jurors or witnesses, 90 days or $100 plus court costs.