The trial of former Union County supervisor Donnie Betenbaugh will enter its next phase with jury selection Wednesday morning.

One of five persons indicted in October on a wide range of federal drug and corruption charges, Betenbaugh is the only one whose case is still scheduled to go to trial. Betenbaugh’s fellow defendants — former sheriff Howard Wells, former tax assessor Willie Randall Jr., Lapriest Beacham and Willard Farr — pleaded guilty Jan. 14 and are awaiting sentencing.

Jury selection in Betenbaugh’s case is scheduled to begin 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the U.S. District Courthouse in Spartanburg. His trial, which will also be held in Spartanburg, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Feb. 16.

Betenbaugh was originally indicted — along with Randall — on 15 charges of conspiracy, extortion, solicting and accepting bribes, money laundering, structuring financial transactions to evade federal reporting requirements and allowing the tax assessor’s office to be used to store and distribute Hydrocodone and cocaine.

Randall pleaded guilty to six of those charges on Jan. 14.

The indictments also include 25 additional charges against Betenbaugh accusing him of witness tampering, lying to federal agents, misprison of a felony, obstruction of justice and illegally distributing Lorazepam, a Schedule IV controlled substance.

In January, U.S. District Judge Henry Floyd ruled in favor of a motion by Betenbaugh’s attorneys that four of the charges be severed from the rest. Betenbaugh’s attorneys argued that the charges were unrelated to a 2005 kickback scheme involving the county’s purchase of the American Federal Building in downtown Union. The four charges will be tried separately from the rest.

Despite this, Betenbaugh still faces the possibility of more than 600 years in prison if convicted on all 40 charges.