THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, December 07, 2007

By Tim Gulla
Ledger Staff Writer

Five Officers Take 200 Impaired Drivers Off Road
[Photo Caption] Cherokee County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse honored on Wednesday the local police officers who have made the biggest impacts in removing drunk drivers from the streets in the past year. The five officers honored this year combined to remove at least 200 drunk drivers from the streets. This year's recipients of the annual honors are, from left, Lance Corporal S. D. Poole, South Carolina Highway Patrol; Geraldine Gash, accepting on behalf of her son, Patrolman Jonathan Gash, Blacksburg Police Department; Sergeant Todd Parker and Deputy Brian Mullinax, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office; and Patrolman First Class Mike Scruggs, Gaffney Police Department.

They might not have wings but Rev. Corky Spitler of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Gaffney considers police officers angels on earth.
Roughly 20 years ago, a car he and his wife were in was nearly clipped by a drunk driver. It took only seconds for the potential tragedy to unfold in his car's mirror, yet he carries with him the memories to this day. "I thought what I was seeing was the death of my wife in front of my eyes," he told a gathering of law enforcement officials.
Rev. Spitler joined with the Cherokee County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse on Wednesday in honoring the law enforcement personnel from local police departments and barracks who made the biggest impacts in stopping drunk or impaired drivers by getting them off the streets.
Combined, the five local police officers selected for honors this year removed at least 200 drunk or impaired drivers from the roadways of Cherokee County and surrounding areas.
Lance Cpl. S.D. Poole of the South Carolina Highway Patrol has already accounted for 77 DUI arrests this year, said SCHP Lt. W.J. McKinney, who presented Poole with the award from the Drug and Alcohol Commission.
In the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, two officers were tied for the highest number of DUI arrests within their department, leading to honors for both Sgt. Todd Parker and Deputy Brian Mullinax.
Sheriff Bill Blanton said both officers had made 36 DUI arrests this year, at least as of three or four weeks ago when his department began reviewing arrest records. Both men now have more than 40 arrests for the year. "That's very exceptional for these guys," the sheriff said. "Because they answer every kind of call imaginable."
The Gaffney Police Department's top officer for DUI arrests was Patrolman First Class Mike Scruggs. Police Chief John O'Donald said Scruggs has not only been making a big impact in DUI arrests but also in cracking down on speeders within the city limits. "We're proud of him," the chief said.
Patrolman Jonathan Gash, who was unable to attend the award ceremony because of an illness, was honored for being the top officer for DUI arrests within the Blacksburg Police Department this year.
Lt. Zeb Starnes, of the Blacksburg Police Department, presented the award to Gash's mother, Geraldine.
"The purpose of the awards is to recognize the hard work and effort of law enforcement officers, especially in the area of DUI arrests because it's such a serious issues," said Robert Strait Jr., treatment director at the Cherokee County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
Not only are the police officers protecting the community and its citizens, Strait said, they also are protecting the drunk drivers.
"There are people in our agency who were glad they were arrested," Strait said.
Drunk drivers need to complete an Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program if they want to get their licenses back after a DUI arrest. The Cherokee County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, which runs the action program for this county, generally sees about 200 to 300 people go through the program each year.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, November 23, 2007

FOP Elects New Officers

Cherokee County Lodge No. 20, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) has elected new officers. They are [Blacksburg Police Officer] Pete McBride, President; Cherokee County Sheriff's Deputy Danny Tippett, Vice-President; Blacksburg Police Officer Johnathan Gash, Second Vice-President; S.C. Highway Patrolman Jeff Martin, Treasurer-Secretary; Blacksburg Police Officer Andy Walker, Chaplain; and Dennis Boan, retired officer and currently a bailiff for the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, Sergeant-at-Arms.
Among its many projects, FOP provides food, clothes and toys with its annual "Christmas With a Cop" fundraiser.

THE SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL
http://www.goupstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Thursday, November 22, 2007

McBride President of Police Lodge

Pete McBride, a Blacksburg officer, has been elected President of the Cherokee County Lodge No. 20, Fraternal Order of Police.
Others named in the group are Danny Tippett, Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, Vice-President; Johnathan Gash, Blacksburg Police Department, Second Vice-President; Jeff Martin, S.C. Highway Patrol, Secretary-Treasurer; Andy Walker, Blacksburg Police Department, Chaplain; and retired officer Dennis Boan, a bailiff for Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, Sergeant-at-Arms.
The officers' annual fund drive, Christmas with a Cop, to help local children and needy families, is under way.
The children are chosen through recommendations from the state Department of Social Services and the local victims advocates programs.
"Many are victims of fires, crimes and other hardships," McBride said.
Donations can be made by calling McBride at 864-839-2331.

THE SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL
http://www.goupstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

October 27, 2007

Blacksburg Primary Mom Arrested Again - On-campus Incident: Accused of Making Threats Against Principal

By Janet S. Spencer
Herald-Journal Staff Writer

GAFFNEY -- A Blacksburg woman arrested last month on a primary school campus is back in jail after police say she threatened to "take out" and "get blood" from the principal.
Tracey Zeininger, 38, of 156 Kayla Lane, remained in the Cherokee County Detention Center on Friday.
She must post a $50,000 surety bond to be released after Gaffney police on Thursday charged her with threatening a public official.
Zeininger was arrested Sept. 27 on the campus of Blacksburg Primary School where her children are students. She was accused of public disorderly conduct and was released from jail the same day.
She later paid a fine of $275 after pleading guilty to the charge, authorities said.
Sept. 27 school incident
The initial arrest came after Principal Malinda Patterson enforced a traffic control policy for parents driving their children to and from the school.
Blacksburg police said several parents were arriving two hours before dismissal, and some set up a tailgating atmosphere with a camper and grill, socializing until the bell rang.
Patterson said notes were sent home by the students about the policy - already in place - regarding the pick-up and drop-off schedule.
School resource officers said during the first incident, Zeininger became irate and began cursing, while young students witnessed her actions. They said she was arrested when her husband was unable to persuade her to return to her car.
Friday arrest
On Thursday, Gaffney Police Department School Resource Officer Jason Waters was called to the school district office on Twin Lake Road about 10 a.m. Waters said in a report he arrived to see and hear Zeininger walking through the parking lot, saying, "Go ahead. Take me to jail."
Another officer and Assistant Superintendent Andy Jones tried to talk with Zeininger, witnesses said. Zeininger is accused of telling them she would "take the principal out" if she went to jail.
Waters said he told Zeininger not to make threats toward anyone, adding it would be in her best interest to leave, and she did.
When the officers entered the district office building, witnesses told them when Zeininger had been inside she said she planned to "get blood from the principal" and "take her out."
Police arrested Zeininger later in the day

THE SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL
http://www.goupstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

September 28, 2007

Angry Mom Gets Detention - at County Jail - Blacksburg: Woman Arrested for Acting out in School Pickup Lane

By Janet S. Spencer
Herald-Journal Staff Writer

GAFFNEY -- Thursday afternoon, Tracy Zeininger was waiting for her child to get out of school. Soon her child was waiting for her to get out of jail.
Police arrested Zeininger in the driveway at Blacksburg Primary School, where officers said she became unruly. Officers said she was reacting to enforcement of a policy to ensure an effective flow of traffic at dismissal time.
Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham said teachers and school staff have been dealing with as many as 10 parents or guardians arriving two hours early for pickup.
Officers said a tailgating atmosphere had developed, with at least one pickup truck, equipped with an outdoor grill and a pop-up tent, camping out to pass time until the bell rang at the end of the day.
The arrest came while School Resource Officers Bobby Stevenson and Bobby Reynolds were on-site to assist drivers with entering and exiting the campus.
Cursing police, school policy
They said Zeininger, 39, of 156 Kyle Lane, Blacksburg, got out of her vehicle and began cursing them, the policy and the school.
Children already out of the building could hear her ranting, raving and using foul language, witnesses said.
The officers advised Zeininger to return to her vehicle and asked her husband to help them get her under control. When he was unable to assist, the officers took the woman into custody and booked her into the Cherokee County Detention Center.
She is charged with public disorderly conduct, and she was released Thursday night after posting $275 bail.
Malinda Patterson, a veteran school administrator who is in her first year as principal of Blacksburg Primary, said six weeks ago when school began, she sent home notes about how to safely enter and exit the driveway, and she instructed parents and guardians not to arrive before 2 p.m.
Patterson said to circumvent the policy, some parents had begun backing into the driveway, which is one-way, making it a contest to become the first in line instead of falling behind those already waiting.
Parents resisted rules
"On Tuesday, we had some parents get ugly with teachers in the driveway. Since the parents were not listening to us, I asked the resource officers to come today, and they did. The officers were telling the drivers to follow the procedure that was already in place before I came," Patterson said.
The policy is necessary because there is only one driveway, she said. The buses use the same entrance to the campus but go to the back of the school to load and unload. The car riders load in front of the building.
"But the buses come back into the driveway, merging with the car traffic. So it's essential that the flow be maintained," she said.
Patterson said following the rules is imperative for safety and efficiency.
"My philosophy is, I'm here to provide a safe environment and the best education for these children," she said.
The officers will be called to the school today, if needed, she said.
"That's why they're here. The teachers are supportive of this procedure. They feel they can be in their classrooms at 8 a.m. and continue teaching until dismissal at 2:15 p.m.," Patterson said.
Not a new policy
The policy is not new for the 4-year-old school.
"We're just trying to do what's right. Enforce it, since some parents didn't listen to us in the driveway and didn't read the notes," she said.
The early arrival of some parents with coolers and umbrellas has raised another concern. Teachers have observed that some parents are smoking on school grounds.
"And that's against the law," Patterson said.
Parents' reaction to the policy, allowing traffic to enter the semicircle in front of the building and exit at the end, has been limited, Patterson said.
"Some people have told me this interferes with getting to their jobs. ... I'm sorry if following the rules is a problem, but it's something we have to do," Patterson said.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Man Gets 28 Years for Series of Crimes

By Murray Glenn
Seventh Circuit Solicitor's Office

A Blacksburg man received a 28-year prison sentence Tuesday for a three-day crime spree that included the armed hold-up of an elderly man during a home invasion.
Gary R. Maynor Jr., 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery, first degree burglary, attempted common-law robbery, receiving stolen goods and use of a vehicle without the owner's consent.
Maynor will serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed by Circuit Judge Steven John.
The crime spree began March 26 when Maynor took a car from his parent's Blacksburg home. Hours later, Maynor broke into a Crawford Road home while armed with a handgun and assaulted a 74-year-old man during a hold-up where $100 was taken.
The next day, Maynor attempted to steal a pocketbook from a woman in the driveway of a Parker Road home. The woman refused to turn over the purse. The couple fought briefly before Maynor fled emptyhanded. The woman gave police a license plate number that matched the car that was stolen the previous day from the defendant's parents.
About 10 minutes later, Maynor approached a woman in the driveway of a Francis Road home and pointed a handgun at her. Maynor collected $7 from the second victim and fled the neighborhood.
Police also discovered an outbuilding where Maynor stored several items taken during a residential burglary on Holly Ridge Road.
Police arrested Maynor on April 1.
Solicitor Trey Gowdy and Assistant Solicitor Kim Leskanic prosecuted the case as a team.
"Cherokee County is a safer place with Gary Maynor behind bars," Gowdy said.

THE SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL
http://www.goupstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Crime Spree Leads to 28-year Sentence for Blacksburg Man

A Blacksburg man received a 28-year prison sentence today for a three-day crime spree that included the armed hold-up of an elderly man during a home invasion.
Gary R. Maynor, Jr., 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of armed robbery, first-degree burglary, attempted common-law robbery, receiving stolen goods and use of vehicle without owner’s consent. He will serve 85 percent of Circuit Judge Steven John’s prison sentence before he can be released.
The crime spree began March 26, 2007 when Maynor took a car from his parent’s Blacksburg home. Hours later, Maynor broke into a Crawford Road home while armed with a handgun and assaulted a 74-year-old man during a hold-up where $100 was taken.
The next day, Maynor attempted to steal a pocketbook from a woman in the driveway of a Parker Road home. The woman refused to turn over the purse. The couple fought briefly before Maynor fled empty handed. The woman gave police a license plate number that matched the car that was stolen the previous day from the defendant’s parents.
About 10 minutes later, Maynor approached a woman in the driveway of a Francis Road home and pointed a handgun at her. Maynor collected $7 from the second victim and fled the neighborhood. Police also discovered an outbuilding where Maynor stored several items taken during a residential burglary on Holly Ridge Road.
Police arrested Maynor on April 1.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, August 31, 2007

Man Faces Additional Charges

By John Murray
Ledger Staff Writer

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office has filed additional charges against a Texas man who was charged with criminal sexual conduct by Blacksburg police in July.
Deputies arrested Joseph Scott Cash, 33, of Kerrville, Texas, on Wednesday and charged him with two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. He was scheduled to appear in magistrate's court this morning at 9 a.m.
Cash is accused of victimizing two girls age 6 and 7 from 1999 through 2003. At the time, he was a resident of Cherokee County.
This is the second set of charges brought against Cash by local law enforcement officials. The Blacksburg Police Department arrested him July 31 and charged him with committing criminal sexual conduct in the first degree and with committing a lewd act.
He has been held without bond since that time.

THE BLACKSBURG TIMES
Blacksburg, South Carolina
http://www.hometown-news.com/

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Maynor Arrested in Blacksburg on Sunday

By Pam Earls
Blacksburg Times Staff Writer

It was no April Fools joke when the Blacksburg Police Department received a call on Sunday at 9:45 p.m. notifying them that Gary Maynor, Jr was at a Shelby Street address in Blacksburg.
Maynor, of 301 Borders St, Blacksburg, had many in the Blacksburg area concerned for their safety. He was wanted in Cherokee County, and Cleveland and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina in connection to several cases where senior citizens were beaten and then robbed.
The manhunt, which was one of the largest in Cherokee County’s history, started last week after Maynor attacked a Grover, NC couple at their home, sending them both to the hospital.
Two residents of Blacksburg who were both over 70 were also accosted and robbed by Maynor. One of the two said she was held at gunpoint and robbed. A robbery on Parker Road in Blacksburg may also have been committed by Maynor, but the authorities are still investigating.
Maynor is being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center.

THE BLACKSBURG TIMES
Blacksburg, South Carolina
http://www.hometown-news.com/

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Odom Wins Solicitor’s Award for Law Enforcement Excellence

By Pam Earls
Blacksburg Times Staff Writer

When the Gaffney Police Department has a tough case to solve, they often leave the work to Sgt. Billy Odom.
The veteran police officer’s success and dedication to his profession earned him the 2007 Solicitor’s Award for Cherokee County Law Enforcement Excellence. Odom accepted the award at the law enforcement appreciation dinner Tuesday, at the Cherokee Shrine Club.
Odom was the lead detective on the multi-jurisdictional investigation into Jonathan Byers, a local teen suspected of sexually assaulting three women during a weeklong crime spree last December in the city of Gaffney. Byers is charged with three counts of burglary in the first degree and three counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree.
Odom also served as the lead detective in the April death investigation of Chauncey L. Wilson, 32, of Gaffney. Odom’s work resulted in the arrest of Talvin Johnson who has been charged with murder, burglary, and armed robbery.
“Billy is persistent and relentless,” Solicitor Trey Gowdy said. “On a daily basis, he works a difficult job and makes it look easy. He definitely makes the city of Gaffney a safer place to live and work.”
Odom’s prize package includes a nice plaque, a $100 gift certificate to Hamrick’s and two tickets to a Carolina Panthers football game. He will also have his name added to a plaque that hangs in the Cherokee County Solicitor’s Office.

A committee of police officers from city, county and state agencies nominated and named the Cherokee County winner. The finalists for the award – [Officer] Johnathon Gash of the Blacksburg Police Department, Sgt. Billy Anthony of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Senior Trooper E. D. McAbee of the Highway Patrol – were recognized at the banquet. The Rev. James Clark and his wife, Linda, were recognized for their service to the sheriff’s office and the community.

Generous donations by some community leaders helped make the dinner a success. The donor list includes American Community Bank; Applebees; Associates Bookkeeping & Tax Service; Boys & Girls Club of the Upstate; Bargain Shoes; Belk; Bill Mason Enterprises (McDonald’s); BMW; Bronco Mexican Restaurant; Bruster’s; Burns Chevrolet, Carousel Music, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep; Cherokee Shrine Club; Daddy Joes; Danny Stacy; Dover’s Diner; Ed Mabry; Fatz Café; Hamrick’s; Harley Davidson of Spartanburg; Holiday Inn Express; Hollywood’s Productions; Magic Nails; Nestle; Prime Outlets; Retail Sports Marketing; The Palmetto Bank; Tide Car Wash; Travis Bell Photography; Upstate Carolina Medical Center; Wal-Mart and WYFF television.
“I appreciate the community’s willingness to support such a worthy cause,” Gowdy said. “Police officers and their families richly deserve a night of rest and relaxation for the many sacrifices they make to keep the community safe.”

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Odom Named Top Cop at Solicitor's Dinner

Sgt. Billy Odom of the Gaffney Police Department received the 2007 Solicitor's Award for Cherokee County Law Enforcement Excellence at the law enforcement appreciation dinner Tuesday at the Cherokee Shrine Club.
Odom was the lead detective on the multi-jurisdictional investigation into Jonathan Byers, a local teen suspected of sexually assaulting three women during a week-long crime spree last December in the City of Gaffney. Byers is charged with three counts of burglary in the first degree and three counts of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree.
Odom also served as the lead detective in the April death investigation of Chauncey L. Wilson, 32, of Gaffney. Odom's work resulted in the arrest of Talvin Johnson who has been charged with murder, burglary and armed robbery.
"Billy is persistent and relentless," Solicitor Trey Gowdy said. "On a daily basis, he works a difficult job and makes it look easy. He definitely makes the City of Gaffney a safer place to live and work."
Odom's prize package includes a plaque, a $100 gift certificate to Hamrick's and two tickets to a Carolina Panthers football game. He will also have his name added to a plaque that hangs in the Cherokee County Solicitor's Office.
"I feel like I'm part of an elite group, of which I am very blessed," Odom said. "For the most part this is a thankless job, with us not really going for these types of awards. But to be voted on by my peers is an honor and I'm very thankful."

The finalists for the award - [Officer] Jonathon Gash of the Blacksburg Police Department, Sgt. Billy Anthony of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and Senior Trooper E. D. McAbee of the Highway Patrol - were recognized at the banquet. The Rev. James Clark and his wife, Linda, were recognized for their service to the sheriff's office and the community.

"This is one of my favorite evenings of the year," dinner organizer Murray Glenn said. "It is an honor to be able to show our tremendous support for the law enforcement community."
"It is a blessing to be in our seventh year of this event," Gowdy said. "We wanted to give all involved with law enforcement and their families a night to celebrate their sacrifice to us as a community in addition to the vast achievements they have accomplished over the past year."
The risks are many when jumping into law enforcement with everything from simple traffic violations to drug busts and chases at high speeds.
"It never hurts to stop and say thanks, at least one night," Gowdy said. "But we did not want to stop there. We wanted to thank their families for them lending their loved ones to us to keep us safe and out of harm's way."
(Murray Glenn of the Seventh Circuit Solicitor's Office contributed to this report.)

THE CHEROKEE CHRONICLE
http://www.the-chronicle.com/
Gaffney, South Carolina

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Sexual Conduct With 6-year-old is Charged

A former Cherokee County resident has been charged by Blacksburg Police in two warrants involving alleged improper sexual contact with a minor.
Blacksburg Assistant Police Chief A.L. [A.B.] Phillips has charged Joseph Scott Cash, 33, who now lives in Kerrville, Texas, with first degree ciminal sexual conduct with a minor and committing a lewd act on a minor.
Phillips says the charges stem from incidents which allegedly occurred in Blacksburg in July and August of 1999
The alleged victim, who was six at the time, recently told Blacksburg authorities about the allegations, saying she had been afraid until now to tell anyone about the abuse. Phillips said other charges may be forthcoming.
Asst. Chief Phillips said he received information that Cash would be at a Blacksburg area business on Tuesday. He arrested Cash at that business about 6 p.m. Cash was taken into custody without incident.

THE SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL
http://www.goupstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Blacksburg Police Department

A 33-year-old man has been charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct, involving a 6-year-old girl.
Joseph Scott Cash, who gave authorities addresses from Texas and Gaffney, was held in the Cherokee County Detention Center on Wednesday. His bail had not been set, and the investigation was continuing.

NEWS CHANNEL 7 - WSPA
http://www.wspa.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Man Accused of Molesting 6-Year-Old

BLACKSBURG, N.C. [NOTE: S.C.] -- A Texas man who relocated to the Upstate is in jail after being accused of molesting a child. [NOTE: Actually, Cash originally lived in Blacksburg, then moved to Texas]
Joseph Scott Kash [NOTE: Cash] is charged with criminal sexual conduct.
The Cherokee Chronicle was there when Blacksburg Police [Assistant] Chief Al Phillips arrested Kash [Cash] Tuesday. Kash [Cash] has lived in Blacksburg for about a year.
Investigators said that Kash [Cash] molested a 6-year-old girl in 1999.
Police said that more charges are expected.

THE CHEROKEE CHRONICLE
http://www.the-chronicle.com/
Gaffney, South Carolina

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Drug Charges

The Blacksburg Police Department has filed charges against two persons involving drug violations. Assistant Chief Al Phillips has signed warrants charging trafficking crack cocaine and conspiracy to traffic crack cocaine against 19-year-old Jeremy Wayne Teague of 353 Wilbur Street and 27-year-old Nepolean Thompson III of 207 Seven Springs Street. An incident report indicates officers were conducting an investigation at 102 W. Westview Drive when they discovered the violations. [NOTE: Both suspects were arrested].

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, May 18, 2007

Police Say Georgia Truck Driver Filed False Report

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

Deputies have arrested a Georgia truck driver who told police May 9 he was robbed and stabbed after parking alongside the Interstate 95 off-ramp at Exit 102.
Jamie Lorne Boyer, 44, of Blairsville is charged with filing a false police report and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
Boyer, whom police called a transient truck driver, surrendered to authorities Thursday. He remains jailed in lieu of $11,527 bond.
Boyer suffered a 4-inch-long cut to his neck and was flown by Regional One to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. He told police he had parked on the southbound exit ramp at Mile Marker 102 on Interstate 85 at approximately midnight and gone to sleep. He said he awoke at 4:45 a.m. and stepped out onto the step of the truck when he was approached by two black males wearing black masks.
Boyer said he struggled with the men and was cut on his neck and ultimately robbed.
Chief Deputy Joel Hill of the Sheriff's Office said Thursday that a phone tip led investigators to discover a different series of events.
The investigation revealed that Boyer had a prostitute in his truck that was parked at the Wilco Truck Plaza in Grover when an altercation between Boyer and the woman occurred, according to a press release from Sheriff Bill Blanton. Both Boyer and the woman were injured.
After the prostitute ran from the truck, Lorne left the Wilco Plaza, drove to Exit 102 and called 911 to report he had been robbed and assaulted, the Sheriff said.
That 9-1-1 call led to the dispatch of the Cherokee County Bloodhound Tracking Team and numerous deputies and investigators.
"In this case, while the allegations were false, there was a crime committed and therefore our efforts were worthwhile," Hill said. "Due to the effort we put forth toward the false report, it did turn out a crime was committed and it paid off to investigate and find the truth."
The prostitute is being charged with solicitation and will be brought to Cherokee County from North Carolina where the prostitute resides.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, May 11, 2007

[Town Council Meeting Minutes]

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

The Blacksburg Police Department will sell three Ford Crown Victorias that each have more than 140,000 miles on them. Police chief Jamie Ham said his department has "been pouring money into them and they're not even worth repairing." The vehicles are seven to eight years old and are in need of more than $1,000 in repairs each, he said.
That will leave the department with three Chevy patrol cars and one Chevy Tahoe for the town's canine unit.

THE SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL
http://www.goupstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Tuesday, May 10, 2007

Blacksburg Police Department

A Blairsville, Ga., truck driver was treated at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center and released on Wednesday after he said two men cut his throat when they fought with him.
Assistant Police Chief Al Phillips said Jaime Lorne Boyer, 44, told officers nothing was taken in what appeared to be a robbery attempt.
Boyer parked his 18-wheeler in a gravel area off I-85's Exit 102 on the southbound ramp, Phillips said.
He said he had slept and at about 4:30 a.m., when he got out of the truck, the men approached him, and a struggle followed.
Boyer was able to give investigators limited descriptions of the suspects, saying only that they were black men with dark clothing.
Phillips said anyone with information on the assault is asked to call 911.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Truck driver stabbed in neck

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

A truck driver from Georgia was stabbed after being robbed at 4:45 a.m. today, said Chief Deputy Joel Hill of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office.
The man was flown by Regional One to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center after suffering a 4-inch stab wound to the neck. Hill would not release the man's identity until his family had been contacted.
The truck driver told police he had parked on the southbound exit ramp at Mile Marker 102 on Interstate 85 at approximately midnight and gone to sleep. He said he awoke and stepped out onto the step of the truck when he was approached by two black males wearing black clothing. He said a struggle ensued and he was cut on his neck.
The men took the truck driver's backpack containing money and personal items and fled on foot, according to the chief.
Hill said the Cherokee County Bloodhound Tracking Team responded and followed a scent to the McDonald's parking lot where authorities believe the men may have gotten into a vehicle to escape.
Hill said investigators are trying to develop other leads.
The Blacksburg Police Department is assisting with the investigation.

NEWS CHANNEL 7 - WSPA
http://www.wspa.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Truck Driver Attacked Off I-85

Slashed and left for dead on the side of an Upstate interstate. Trucker Jaime Boyer says he was parked on the side of I-85 when two guys jumped him, cutting him all over his body and neck.
It happened around 4:30 Wednesday morning at exit 102 in Blacksburg. Boyer says he pulled over to rest. His truck was full of Italian food from New Jersey he was supposed to deliver in Atlanta Wednesday morning. When he got up and was checking the outside of the truck before heading out he says two guys attacked him with a knife.
Boyer told us the men pushed him back into his cab, where they fought. He has slice marks on his hands from where he tried to keep the knife off him and a large slash across his throat. Detectives recovered the box cutter type knife they say was used in the crime.
Boyer says he knows trucking can be dangerous, but its rare drivers are jumped like this. He says most of the problems happen on the actual highway with wrecks. So he says checking out your truck is not unusual.
"Five minutes to be out of the truck. I wasn't going back to sleep. I wasn't going to prance around the parking lot or anything. Before I knew it, it was done."
Boyer says he will keep driving. Detectives say nothing was taken and there are no good suspect descriptions so this could be a tough case to crack. Other drivers in the area say they're taking extra precautions.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, May 04, 2007

Man charged with lewd act

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

A Blacksburg man has been released on $75,000 bond after he was arrested for allegedly touching a juvenile girl inappropriately.
Assistant Blacksburg Police Chief Al Phillips has charged 35-year-old David Scott Cooper of 122 Brown St. with lewd act on a minor. Cooper was arrested Friday and released at 8:45 p.m. Monday.
The girl told her mother about the alleged incident immediately after she said it happened on Brown Street at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Cooper's wife has cared for children in their home for approximately 10 years but the juvenile female was not one of the children being cared for, authorities said.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Thursday, April 27, 2007

Blacksburg Man Jailed for Threatening to Kill His Wife

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

A Blacksburg man was jailed after he threatened to kill his wife and fired numerous shots inside their home Tuesday afternoon, a report at the Blacksburg Police Department states.
The Blacksburg Police Department has charged Gregory "Junebug" Keith Pennington Sr., 39, of 422 N. Mountain St. with criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature, kidnapping and discharging a firearm within city limits. He remains jailed pending a bond hearing.
"Pennington turned himself in to Cherokee County deputies Wednesday morning," Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham said.
The 25-year-old woman told police she and Pennington began arguing when she came home at 2 p.m. Pennington locked all the doors and held her inside the home against her will for approximately two hours while threatening to kill her and himself, the report says.
The woman also accused Pennington of pushing her around and firing a .22 caliber long rifle several times inside the home while saying he would kill her if she called the police, according to the report.
She was able to escape out a back door and call police from a neighbor's home when Pennington walked out to the woman's vehicle to get a cell phone. Pennington left in a pickup truck before police arrived.
Written statements were taken from from the woman and two witnesses, police said.

THE CHEROKEE CHRONICLE
http://www.the-chronicle.com/
Gaffney, South Carolina

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Blacksburg Man is Charged in Attack, Kidnapping:
Apprehended Wednesday Morning

Blacksburg Police have filed charges against Gregory Keith Pennington Sr., 39, for kidnapping and criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature.
Chief Jamie Ham says Pennington was apprehended on Wednesday morning. He is being held at the Cherokee County Detention Center.
Chief Ham says Kylie Jean Pennington, 24, said the man locked all the doors and threatened to kill her and himself at their home on Tuesday afternoon. Ham says the woman was held against her will for approximately two hours.
Pennington started "pushing her around the house", according to an incident report. The report also shows that Pennington fired a .22 rifle several times inside the dwelling. Ms. Pennington fled the scene and called police.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Suspect in Two Armed Robberies Arrested

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

The Blacksburg Police Department has arrested a man in connection with two armed robberies that occurred over the weekend.
Barry Clayton, 44, of 234 Wendy Drive, Blacksburg, is charged with two counts of armed robbery and remains jailed awaiting a bond hearing.
Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham said his office received a tip Monday morning after releasing surveillance images to local media.
"We had two armed robberies one day apart in the same area with the same vehicle description," Ham said.
However, the suspect description was different, Ham said. The suspect in the first armed robbery at 7:09 p.m. Saturday at Hardees, 914 N. Mountain St., had a beard. The suspect in the second armed robbery at 9:47 p.m. Sunday at J.T.'s Outlet, 894 N. Mountain St., was clean-shaven. In both incidents, the robber carried a knife.
Ham said Clayton admitted he had shaved his head and beard, but did not admit to the armed robberies. A victim in the incident at Hardees identified Clayton as the man who robbed him at knifepoint, police said.
"We've also had several people since call in to identify Clayton," Ham said.
The Chief has forwarded Clayton's information to area law enforcement agencies to determine if he is possibly connected to other armed robberies.

THE SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL
http://www.goupstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Blacksburg Police Department

A suspect accused of robbing two businesses was caught on video surveillance cameras but remained at large Monday.
An employee at Hardee's, 914 North Mountain St., reported the man told him he wanted three cheeseburgers and all the money in the cash register. The victim gave the suspect $259 and the susbect walked out the door.
On Sunday at the JT Outlet, 894 N. Mountain St., an employee said the suspect approached the counter armed with a knife and told her to give him just the bills. She handed over $300. A customer who entered said the suspect left in a blue vehicle described as a Toyota.
Anyone with information is asked to call Blacksburg police at (864) 839-2331.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Monday, April 16, 2007

I Want 3 Double Cheeseburgers and All the Cash in the Register

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

Blacksburg police have released surveillance images in hopes of catching the man responsible for two armed robberies in Blacksburg over the weekend.
A white male entered Hardees at 914 N. Mountain St., Blacksburg, at 7:09 p.m. Saturday, a report at the Blacksburg Police Department states. He started talking with a 19-year-old employee who was mopping the floor. The employee then walked to the register to take the man's order.
The suspect, who had a knife, told the employee he wanted three double cheeseburgers and all the money in the cash register, according to the report. The robber told the employee not to alert anyone and to act casual, police said.
The man put the cash in his pants pocket and walked out the door of the restaurant, the report states.
Police believe the same man entered J.T.'s Outlet at 894 N. Mountain St., Blacksburg, at 9:47 p.m. Sunday, and robbed the business at knifepoint. While he was ordering the clerk to give him money, a truck driver came out of the bathroom and the man ran from the store. He got into a blue or black Toyota Camry which headed north on Highway 198 toward North Carolina. An undisclosed amount of cash was taken.
"We know it's the same person," Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham said Monday. "He's attempted to change his physical appearance."

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, April 06, 2007

13-year-old Arrested for Breaking Into School

A 13-year-old boy was arrested by Blacksburg Police after Blacksburg Middle School Principal Virgil Hampton discovered he had broken into the school, a report at the Blacksburg Police Department states.
Blacksburg Officer Lt. Zeb Starnes and Hampton responded to the school at 101 London St., Blacksburg at 12:55 p.m. Saturday after an alarm was activated, the report states. Hampton located the boy in a lower hallway holding a brown bag. The suspect went into a room and put the bag down, police said.
The boy told police he was alone and had entered through a classroom window in the lower hallway, according to the report. Police found a small fixed-blade knife in his left front pocket when they searched him.
He was transported to the Police Department and turned over to his parents.

THE BLACKSBURG TIMES
Blacksburg, South Carolina
http://www.hometown-news.com/

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Maynor Arrested in Blacksburg on Sunday

By Pam Earls
Blacksburg Times Staff Writer

It was no April Fools joke when the Blacksburg Police Department received a call on Sunday at 9:45 p.m. notifying them that Gary Maynor, Jr was at a Shelby Street address in Blacksburg.
Maynor, of 301 Borders St, Blacksburg, had many in the Blacksburg area concerned for their safety. He was wanted in Cherokee County, and Cleveland and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina in connection to several cases where senior citizens were beaten and then robbed.
The manhunt, which was one of the largest in Cherokee County’s history, started last week after Maynor attacked a Grover, NC couple at their home, sending them both to the hospital.
Two residents of Blacksburg who were both over 70 were also accosted and robbed by Maynor. One of the two said she was held at gunpoint and robbed. A robbery on Parker Road in Blacksburg may also have been committed by Maynor, but the authorities are still investigating.
Maynor is being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Maynor Ordered Held Without Bond

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

A judge has ordered Gary Ralph Maynor Jr. to remain behind bars until he goes to trial.
Maynor Jr., the object of a four-day manhunt, is the suspect in a number of incidents in which victims, many of whom are elderly, were assaulted and robbed.
Maynor is charged with armed robbery, strong arm robbery and 1st degree burglary, and more charges are expected.
Assistant Seventh Circuit Solicitor Alex Stalvey said Maynor is a danger to the community. He also said Maynor, who is wanted by authorities in Cleveland and Rutherford Counties in North Carolina, is a flight risk.
Probation officers in Cherokee County have served Maynor with a warrant for a probation violation. Maynor was sentenced to 10 years suspended to five years of probation on a charge of 2nd-degree non-violent burglary.
Pete O'Boyle of the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services said Maynor had numerous probation violations on his record and he was ordered to undergo substance abuse treatments in December at Morris Village in Columbia.
Maynor is accused of 2nd-degree burglary for kicking in the front door of a home on Holly Ridge Road in Blacksburg on March 27, the prosecutor said. A VCR, DVD player and knife set were stolen from the residence.
Stalvey said Maynor stole money and a car from a woman in the driveway of her home on Francis Road in Blacksburg on March 28.
He is also accused of strong arm robbery for allegedly attempting to steal a pocketbook from Diane Parker on Parker Road. Parker managed to fight off a man identified as Maynor, suffering injuries to her face and hands in the process, Stalvey said. She also managed to knock a billfold from Maynor's hand, helping authorities identify him as the suspect.
Cherokee County Chief Deputy Joel Hill said Maynor will also be charged as a fugitive from justice in connection with crimes in North Carolina.

THE SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL
http://www.goupstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Authorities Arrest Man Accused in Attacks

GAFFNEY -- Diane Parker breathed a sigh of relief when she heard a suspect accused of attacking her was in custody. Knowing that Gary Maynor asked the Blacksburg authorities that arrested him to spare him any pain evoked no sympathy from the 57-year-old woman on Monday.
Maynor is accused of following Parker's car to her Parker Road residence in Blacksburg last Wednesday and attempting to take her purse. Parker refused to give up her purse and kicked her attacker in the groin several times and he fled. But she held on to his wallet in the struggle, and police named Maynor a suspect in the assault and robbery of at least six people -- several of them senior citizens.
Maynor's week-long run from authorities ended when Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham received a telephone tip that Maynor was at a residence on Old Shelby Highway [Webmaster's Corrective Note: Old Shelby Street in Blacksburg] about 10 p.m. Sunday. Ham said when he and officers went into the mobile home, Maynor was lying on a couch and did not offer any resistance. "He actually asked us not to hurt him," Ham said. "That was a different take after what he's accused of doing to others last week."
Cherokee County Sheriff's deputies and Blacksburg officers had searched extensively for Maynor.
Ham said the number of charges was mounting Monday, and he could not estimate how many warrants would be issued to hold Maynor for further questioning. He remained in the Cherokee County Detention Center.
Ham said a small reward was offered by the end of last week as officers tracked Maynor. "A lot of people were helping look for him. We wanted to get him off the street before he hurt more people," Ham said.
Ham credited the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office personnel and Sheriff Bill Blanton for persevering in the search. "Sheriff Blanton and I were out until 2 a.m. Friday, following up on tips and leads. It just so happened that the one Sunday night paid off," he said. "The sheriff's deputies were on the way to help us when we went into the mobile home."
Other robberies occurred last week on Francis Road near Blacksburg. Fifteen minutes after Parker was [had] fought off her attacker, a 30-year-old woman gave a man $7 in cash from her car before he fled.
A few days earlier, a 74-year-old man on Crawford Road was found bleeding from the head after he was attacked and robbed.
Ham said that authorities in Cleveland County, N.C., Rutherford County, N.C., and the Shelby, N.C. Police, want to question Maynor about similar cases.

NEWS CHANNEL 36 - WCNC
http://www.wcnc.com/
Charlotte, North Carolina

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Suspect in Multiple Beatings Denied Bail

GAFFNEY, S.C. -- A Cherokee County man on the run from the law for nearly a week is now back behind bars.
Gary Maynor, Jr., 33, was wanted for attacking and robbing more than half a dozen people in three counties.
Maynor was finally apprehended Sunday night at a home in Blacksburg, S.C., after a tip was called into police.
"He’s got charges in every jurisdiction for assault and battery with intent to kill, nine strong-armed robberies and taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent," Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham said. His parole has also been revoked.
Diane Parker, a Cherokee County woman who was one of Maynor’s alleged victims, said she’s relieved. "To me, he’s like a wild animal," she said. "He needs to be caged and never let out because he’s just going to go back and do it again."
Apparently, the judge at Monday afternoon’s first court appearance in Gaffney agreed. He denied bail to Maynor, citing a flight risk.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Monday, April 02, 2007

Manhunt Ends With Suspect in Custody:
Maynor Arrested in Blacksburg; Offers no Resistance

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

Police apprehended 33-year-old Gary Maynor Jr. on Sunday, four days into one of the largest manhunts in county history.
Maynor, of 301 Borders St., Blacksburg, is accused of assaulting and robbing several people.
Blaksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham went to a residence at 110 Old Shelby Hwy. [Old Shelby Street], Blacksburg, after receiving a tip about Maynor's location at 9:45 p.m. Sunday. Maynor was located on a couch in the home and was arrested without incident.
Ham said that the multi-agency manhunt for Maynor was the largest he has been involved in during his 16 years of law enforcement.
"These crimes targeted people who couldn't defend themselves," he said. "They were complete strangers. That sparked fear in a lot of people's minds around here."
The [Cherokee County] Sheriff's Department has worked numerous tips regarding Maynor's location and has utilized the Bloodhoud Tracking Team to search for him. The S.C. Highway Patrol has conducted license checkpoints. Local police have also been working with Shelby, N.C., City Police and the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office, where Maynor is also accused of additional assaults. He is also wanted for probation violations in Cherokee County and Rutherford County, N.C.
"We've all been working on this nonstop since the warrants were signed and he was identified," Ham said. "We've been working this all day every day. I worked 21 hours straight on Thursday trying to find him. This has been a real joint effort between all agencies from the start."
Ham said he believes Maynor will be linked to additional crimes once police complete their investigations.
An elderly man and woman from Shelby were seriously hurt after an assailant whom police believe was Maynor beat them with a brick Wednesday evening. The man was treated at a hospital and released but the woman was kept for observation because she had just been released from the hospital following brain surgery.
A 74-year-old Blacksburg man was robbed and beaten and a 74-year-old Blacksburg woman was robbed at gunpoint at her home twice.
Maynor is also the suspect in an attempted armed robbery on Parker Road in Blacksburg.
Diane Parker, 57, fought off Maynor and was able to get Maynor's license plate number and help police identify him. Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton has said Maynor is also the suspect in other armed robberies in Cherokee County and at least two other armed robberies in Cleveland County, N.C.
Maynor's father, Gary Ralph Maynor Sr., said his son has an addiction to crack cocaine. He said his son spent 35 days in a drug rehabilitation clinic in Columbia, but after about a month he began using drugs again.
Authorities said Gary Maynor Jr.'s criminal history includes charges of burglary, armed robbery, receiving stolen goods, manufacturing or distribution of crack cocaine, malicious injury to personal property, driving under the influence, two counts of criminal domestic violence, possession of marijuana, three counts of forgery, driving under suspension, and unemployment security fraud.

NEWS CHANNEL 9 - WSOC
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/
Charlotte, North Carolina

Monday, April 02, 2007

Man Accused of Cleveland County Attack with Brick, Cane Arrested

SHELBY, N.C. -- The man who police say beat a Cleveland County couple with a brick and a cane is now in custody.
According to the Shelby Star, officers in Cherokee County [from the Blacksburg Police Department] arrested Gary Maynor Jr. late Sunday. Maynor is accused of at least eight robberies and assaults in Cherokee, Cleveland and Rutherford counties.
The attack in Cleveland County late Wednesday sent the couple to the hospital.

NEWS CHANNEL 7 - WSPA
http://www.wspa.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Monday, April 02, 2007

Bond Denied for Gary Maynor Jr.

The man accused of a string of violent robberies targeting the elderly was denied bond by a Cherokee County judge Monday afternoon. Prosecutors argued Gary Maynor Jr. was a flight risk and a threat to the community.
Maynor had been on the run from the law for four days, but was caught and arrested late Sunday night in Blacksburg. Blacksburg Police Chief, Jamie Ham, says Maynor was arrested without resistance. He had been found by Shawn Martin. Martin says he arrived home Sunday night and found Maynor inside, "He said he had been living in the woods for four days. He had spider bites on his arms. It was nasty." Martin says he waited for his cousin to come over, and then left Maynor in the house as they went up the road to call police.
Maynor appeared in court Monday and was denied bond. That brought comfort to Diane Parker. Parker says she was attacked in her driveway last week, and says Maynor was the man who did it. Parker says she fought off her attacker, and was able to knock his wallet away. She gave the wallet to police, which prosecutors say allowed officers to identify Maynor as the suspect. Parker believes it was the Lord's will that she was targeted, "He can't hurt anyone else. Everyone is safe now. He was a wild person, attacking people. I was scared someone would get killed. I went by instinct and by what the Lord gave me the strength to do."

THE SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL
http://www.goupstate.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Monday, April 02, 2007

Man Accused in Assaults Arrested

The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office has arrested a man accused of assaulting senior citizens in two states [Webmaster's Corrective Note: Maynor was arrested by Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham].
Gary Maynor [Jr.] was taken into custody about 10 p.m. Sunday after Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham received a tip on his location at 110 Shelby Highway [Webmaster's Corrective Note: Old Shelby Street in Blacksburg], according to a news statement from the Sheriff's Office.
Maynor did not resist arrest and is being held in the Cherokee County Detention Center.

NEWS CHANNEL 7 - WSPA
http://www.wspa.com/
Spartanburg, South Carolina

Monday, April 02, 2007

Authorities Capture Gary Maynor Jr.

An Upstate man suspected of attacking and robbing the elderly has been arrested.
Authorities in Cherokee County say they picked up Gary Maynor Junior on Sunday night. They haven't released any details about his arrest.
They'd been searching for Maynor since late last week when a woman told authorities how she managed to fight off Maynor during a robbery. Authorities say in the struggle Maynor left his wallet behind at the scene.
Authorities say Maynor was on a robbery spree to fuel his drug habit.
The sheriff's office hasn't said how they found Maynor, but a jail supervisor says he's charged with probation violation, armed robbery and strong armed robbery.

NEWS CHANNEL 4 - WYFF
http://www.wyff4.com/
Greenville, South Carolina

Monday, April 02, 2007

Tip Leads to Arrest of Robbery, Assault Suspect

GAFFNEY, S.C. -- A four-day, two state manhunt is over for a man wanted in a string of violent robberies in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Investigators arrested Gary Ralph Maynor Jr. at about 9 p.m. Sunday night on Shelby Road in Blacksburg.
A tip called in to Blacksburg Police led to Maynor's arrest, deputies said. He was captured without incident.
Deputies said that they believe Maynor is responsible for eight robberies, most of which involved older victims.
Investigators said that some of the victims were beaten and had to hospitalized.
One of those victims, Diane Parker of Gaffney, has bruises from her attack that are still evident. She said she is still sore from being attacked outside her house last Wednesday night.
Parker said that the robber for her purse and hit her several times. But Parker said she kicked the man and he eventually took off.
"I hope they don't let him out,” Victim Diane Parker told WYFF News 4. “I'm just hoping they throw the book at him for everything that he's done – for me and all other people that he's hurt."
Maynor is being held at the Cherokee County Detention Center. A bond hearing has not been set.
Maynor's father said he is glad the search for his son is over. "I apologize to all the people that's been hurt from the bottom of my heart,” Gary Maynor Sr. said. “I deeply apologize to them."
Maynor’s father said his son had been hiding in the woods but recently came out because he was ill. “He had been bitten by a brown recluse (spider) three times on his arm and he was down. He was sick and said he wanted to give himself up."
A previous telephone tip on Thursday prompted a two-hour search near Blacksburg but did not turn up Maynor, 33.
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and the Cleveland County, N.C. Sheriff's Office said they did find the truck they believed Maynor had been driving.

THE SHELBY STAR
Shelby, North Carolina
www.shelbystar.com
Sunday, April 01, 2007

Fugitive Caught: Gary Ralph Maynor Jr. was Wanted in Three Counties for Assaults, Multiple Robberies

By Hays Burchfield
Star Staff Writer

BLACKSBURG, S.C. — Authorities in Cherokee County apprehended Gary Ralph Maynor Jr., 33, of Blacksburg on Sunday night. Police have accused him of at least eight robberies and assaults in Cherokee, Cleveland and Rutherford counties.
"We have Maynor in custody," said a Cherokee County Detention Center officer. "He was brought in at 10:35 p.m."
The officer said Maynor was caught "inside a residence."
Cherokee County Sheriff’s Cpl. Betty Blackwell said, "he more or less turned himself in."
They said no one was hurt during Maynor’s arrest.
"His charges are strong arm robbery, armed robbery and violation of probation," Ms. Blackwell said. "That’s just Cherokee County’s charges. He’s being kept in jail with no bond, and his court date hasn’t been set yet."
Ms. Blackwell said it looked like Maynor had a lot of bug bites on his right arm, and it was swollen. She said it wasn’t bad enough for him to need medical attention and he looked to be in overall good health.
Police say Maynor attacked and robbed residents in parking lots and in their driveways.
Law enforcement officials have said the worst crime took place Wednesday night. Police accused Maynor of attacking a couple on Cleveland Avenue in Grover with a brick and walking cane.
The assault forced John Bridgeman, 50, to have staples put in his head and sent his wife, Shirley, 56, to Carolinas Medical Center for observation.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com
Friday, March 30, 2007

Suspect in Brutal Attacks Remains at Large:
'We Fear Someone is Seriously Going to Get Hurt or Killed if He is Not Caught Soon'

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

Police are asking for the public's help in locating a Blacksburg man wanted by authorities in two counties in connection with a number of assaults and robberies.
Gary Maynor Jr., 33, whose last known address is 301 Borders St., is the suspect in several armed robberies and home invasions, some of which involved senior citizens.
An elderly man and woman in Shelby, N.C., have been hospitalized with serious injuries after Maynor allegedly beat them with a brick Wednesday evening. He is also accused of at least four home invasions and armed robberies in Cherokee County.
"He robbed a lady last night, left and went straight to Shelby in Cleveland County," Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton said Thursday. "There he beat up an elderly man and woman with a brick, robbed them, and they were sent to the hospital.
"He has shown the intensity, desire and will to kill these people to get money," Blanton said. "We fear someone is seriously going to get hurt or killed if he is not caught soon." Maynor has been added to Cherokee County's Most Wanted list. "He's used a handgun in at least one of these robberies," Blanton said. "We know he's armed and extremely dangerous."
Diane Parker, 57, of Parker Road, Blacksburg, said she fought Maynor off when he tried to steal her purse Wednesday evening. "I always said if I ever get attacked I'm going down fighting," she said. "I'm not going to sit there and hand it to them. What's mine is mine, I don't have that much but they are not getting it. My pocketbook, husband, two kids and daughter-in-law - I'll fight for them."
Parker said she pulled into her driveway and Maynor drove in behind her. He first asked for help finding a road, and got out of his car to show her the directions he said he had in his billfold. "I was getting right weary then," Parker said. "He looked at me and said 'give me that pocketbook.' I said 'no, give me your billfold' and I knocked it out of his hand. I think that made him mad."
He demanded her pocketbook again, and again she refused and began to yell for her husband, Perrin, who was inside the house. Maynor told her to shut up, and hit her in the face. "I kicked him, you know where, and he went down and knocked me down. I was laying on my pocketbook, I had it wrapped around behind me." She said he hit her twice more and she returned each strike with a kick as she continued to yell for her husband.
"My husband came out running toward him and he jumped up," she said. "When he saw I was on my feet and Perrin was coming at him, he left." The couple got the assailant's license plate number and Parker was able to help police identify Maynor as the attacker through a photo lineup. "I went down fighting," she said Thursday. "I've got some bruises on me and I'm real sore, but it was worth it. I was mad. I wasn't thinking anything other than being mad, and he's not getting my pocketbook. He's going to have to kill me before he's getting my pocketbook."
A 74-year-old woman on Willard Road, Blacksburg, has been robbed at gunpoint twice. On March 17, a total of $600 in cash and prescription medicine in a brown pocketbook were taken. During the second home invasion on Monday, 120 pills were stolen.
A 74-year-old man was also robbed at gunpoint in his Crawford Road, Blacksburg, home Monday afternoon. The victim was attacked with a weapon and between $90 and $100 was taken.
Blanton said Maynor is also a suspect in other armed robberies in Cherokee County and at least two other armed robberies in Cleveland County.
Blanton said despite an extensive criminal history, Maynor has never spent a day in prison. "This guy has slipped through the cracks. He should be in prison but he's not," the Sheriff said.
His criminal history includes charges of burglary, armed robbery, receiving stolen goods, manufacturing or distribution of crack cocaine, malicious injury to personal property, driving under the influence, two counts of criminal domestic violence, possession of marijuana, three counts of forgery, driving under suspension, and unemployment security fraud.
He is wanted in Cherokee and Rutherford (N.C.) counties for probation violations.
The Sheriff's Office has recovered Maynor's father's truck, which Maynor Jr. had taken without permission Wednesday, on Highway 198 near Mt. Paran church. Blanton said the truck was abandoned. Police searched the nearby area for Maynor, but were unable to locate him.
Maynor is approximately 6 feet tall and weighs 170 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. If anyone knows his whereabouts or has contact with him, please contact the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office at (864) 489-4722; or the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office at (704) 484- 4888.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com
Friday, March 30, 2007

Father: 'I Wanted to Help Him Turn Himself in so We Could End This'

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

Gary Ralph Maynor Sr., 50, of 301 Borders St., Blacksburg, said he last spoke with his son Wednesday at about 10:15 p.m.
Maynor said he was trying to get his son to turn himself in and was talking to his nephew, Officer Wyatt "Treye" Maynor of the Blacksburg Police Department, on the phone while he and his son sat in the car at Highway 198 and Whites Farm Road.
"We were sitting in the car, and I told him how much I love him," he said. "I wanted to help him turn himself in so we could end this." Maynor Jr. jumped out of the car and drove away in his father's red 1992 Chevy S-10 pickup truck bearing S.C. license plate 4014CX.
Maynor Sr. said his son has a crack cocaine problem and that he went to rehab for 35 days in Columbia. "He came out and for four to six weeks was doing good. Then it was like a switch flipped one day and it was over again," the father said. "They call that drug the devil and it's hard to shake."
He said he's sat up at night with his son, crying with him and begging and pleading with him to stay off drugs. "It's awful, indescribable," Maynor Sr. said. "There's nothing you could say to describe the emptiness we feel. I want to apologize to all the family and to everybody he has done this to from the bottom of mine and (his mother) Peggy's heart. I wish I could tell those people how sorry we are this has happened. It's just an empty feeling that I've got. I want to help him and I've always helped him."
Maynor Sr. said he does not believe his son will put up a struggle when he is apprehended. "He's probably really begging to get caught to let it all end," he said. "He's good-hearted and he'd do anything he can for you.... I know he's been made into a monster, but he's not."

NEWS CHANNEL 14 CAROLINA
http://www.news14charlotte.com/
Charlotte, North Carolina

Friday, March 30, 2007

Suspect's Truck Found in S.C.

CHARLOTTE -- Authorities might be one step closer to finding a suspect wanted in connection with attacks in North and South Carolina.
A truck believed to have been driven by 33-year-old Gary Maynor Jr. was found Thursday night in Blacksburg, S.C., but there was no sign of him.
Maynor is accused of attacking several women and elderly couples in Cleveland County, Rutherford County and Cherokee County, S.C.
Investigators say Maynor is addicted to crack cocaine and is likely looking for money to buy drugs. They say he might be armed.
Anyone with information about Maynor is urged to call 911.

THE SHELBY STAR
http://www.shelbystar.com/
Shelby, North Carolina

Friday, March 30, 2007

Man Wanted in Three-county Crime Spree:
Gary Ralph Maynor Jr. Accused of Assault, Strong Arm Robbery, Among Others

By Graham Cawthon
Star Staff Writer

Police in three counties spent Thursday searching for Gary Ralph Maynor Jr., who faces charges in at least eight recent robberies and assaults throughout Cleveland, Rutherford and Cherokee counties. Investigators say Maynor, 33, of Blacksburg, S.C., brutally assaulted a Grover couple Wednesday outside their home, hitting one in the head with a brick and beating the other with her own walking cane. A door beside where the attack happened had blood splattered across it Thursday. "It looked like someone grabbed their throat and just slashed it," said neighbor Terry P. Hamilton.
ABOUT THE SUSPECT
Gary Ralph Maynor Jr., Age: 33, Weight: 170 lbs., Height: 5'8", Build: Medium, From: Blacksburg, S.C.
Last seen: Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in Blacksburg. Driving: 2005 Silver Honda Accord.
Police say Maynor is responsible for the following incidents:
March 26 — Grover
9:20 a.m.: Robbing Margie Falls in the driveway of her Cleveland Avenue as she went out to her car to drive to the post office. The robber was armed with a screwdriver and threatened to kill her if she didn’t give him money.
March 27 — Shelby
2:45 p.m.: Stealing a pocketbook from a woman at Cleveland Mall.
2:55 p.m.: Assaulting a woman in the parking lot of Truliant Federal Credit Union on East Dixon Boulevard and stealing her purse.
March 28 — Cherokee County, S.C.
Robbed Diane Parker at her home and robbed another location while armed with a handgun.
March 28 — Grover
8:30 p.m.: Assaulting John and Shirley Bridgeman outside their Cleveland Avenue home. Both were bloodied after Maynor allegedly hit Bridgeman in the eye with a brick and hit Mrs. Bridgeman with her own walking cane.

NEWS CHANNEL 4 - WYFF
http://www.wyff4.com/
Greenville, South Carolina

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Search For Robbery, Assault Suspect Comes Up Empty

GAFFNEY, S.C. -- Investigators in two counties are still looking for a man accused in eight recent armed robberies involving elderly victims.
A telephone tip prompted a two-hour search Thursday night near Blacksburg, but did not turn up Gary Ralph Maynor Jr., 33. The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and the Cleveland County, N.C. Sheriff's Office said they did find the truck they believed Maynor had been driving.
Maynor’s father said that his son is using crack cocaine and pleaded for him to turn himself in. "If you can see me, Bubba, call me and let me come and get you," Maynor’s father Gary Ralph Maynor Sr. said Thursday, "I'll take you in and nobody will be hurt."
Maynor is described as a white male, approximately 6 feet tall, weighing 170 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton said that Maynor is wanted in two armed robberies and assaults of elderly residents. He is also a suspect in other robberies in Cherokee County, investigators said.
Maynor is wanted in Cleveland County in a robbery and assault on an elderly couple, where the victims were hit with a brick. Investigators said that the assault caused serious injuries that required hospitalization.
Maynor's last known address is in Blacksburg.
Blanton said that Maynor has an extensive criminal history and is considered to be armed and extremely dangerous. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Maynor is asked to call the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office at 864-489-4722 or the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office at 704-484-4888.

NEWS CHANNEL 9 - WSOC
http://www.wsoctv.com/news/
Charlotte, North Carolina

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Man Accused of Attacking Cleveland County Couple with Brick, Cane

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. -- Cleveland County investigators want residents to watch parking lots and even their own driveways for a man they say beat a couple in their 50s.
Deputies say Gary Ralph Maynor Jr., 33, approached the Bridgemans after they pulled into their driveway on Cleveland Avenue.
John Bridgeman says the man asked him for change for a $10 bill and when he said he didn't have any, Maynor got angry. "He took the brick and brought it back as far as he could and slung it and hit me in the eye," Bridgeman said.
His wife, who is recovering from brain surgery, used her cane to fight off the attacker, but he took it away and beat her with it. He then grabbed a decorative club and broke it over Bridgeman's head. Bridgeman said he couldn't do anything because his face was covered in blood.
Their attacker then left them bleeding and stunned in their own backyard. Neighbors found them covered in blood and called for help.
John Bridgeman has since been released from the hospital with about eight staples in his head. His wife, Shirley, is still at Carolinas Medical Center in fair condition.
Authorities say they believe Maynor has already robbed six people in parking lots and at their homes in Cleveland County and Cherokee County, S.C., over the last week and a half. They believe he is on drugs, and as time goes by he seems to become more violent. John Bridgeman is worried for others' safety too. "The guy had no reason to do this," he said. "If he continues like this he's going to kill somebody."
Maynor is described as a white man, 6 feet tall, weighing about 170 pounds who has brown hair and brown eyes. His last known address was in Blacksburg, S.C.
Blacksburg Police believe Maynor may be armed with a handgun. They say he is likely driving a stolen Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck that is burgundy with brown primer on the hood and fender. The truck may have the S.C. license plate 4014-CX.
Anyone who sees Maynor is urged to call the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office at (704) 484-4822.

THE SHELBY STAR
http://www.shelbystar.com/
Shelby, North Carolina

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Grover Couple Beaten Badly by Stranger

By Graham Cawthon
Star Staff Writer

GROVER — Investigators believe a string of robberies through three counties and the brutal assault Wednesday night of a Grover couple is the work of one man.
Police in Cleveland and Rutherford counties and Cherokee County, S.C., spent Thursday searching for Gary Ralph Maynor, Jr., of Blacksburg, S.C.
Maynor, 33, faces charges in at least eight separate robberies and assaults over the past week in Cleveland, Rutherford and Cherokee County, S.C.
Violent attack:
But none was as violent as what he is accused of doing to John and Shirley Bridgeman outside their Cleveland Avenue home.
"It looked like someone grabbed their throat and just slashed it," said neighbor Terry P. Hamilton, standing beside the couple's home.
A side door near where the beating happened was splattered with blood during the Wednesday night assault.
Mrs. Hamilton said neighbors across the street noticed a silver car slowly drive past the Bridgemans' home as they returned from a trip to Ingles.
Blocked couple in:
The car then turned around on nearby Sara Road and pulled in behind the couple's truck, blocking them in. Minutes later, around 8:30 p.m., Mrs. Hamilton and another neighbor, Linda Craig, found the couple bloodied.
Bridgeman had been hit over the head and in the eye with a brick. Mrs. Bridgeman, when she tried to intervene, was beaten with her own walking cane. No one saw the beating; it happened near the back of the home, blocked by trees, and could not have been seen from the road. The couple said the man responsible asked for gas money and became violent when Bridgeman said he had none to give.
Bridgeman, 50, had staples put in his head and was released from Cleveland Regional Medical Center. His wife was transported to Carolinas Medical Center and held for observation.
Had brain surgery:
Mrs. Bridgeman, 56, returned home two weeks ago after spending two months in the hospital for brain surgery.
Mrs. Craig said the couple was targeted because they appeared to be easy targets. "They were in their yard … and we weren't," Mrs. Craig said.
Detective T.O. Curry of the Cleveland County Sheriff's Office said investigators have tied the assault to several other crimes this week, including a robbery Tuesday on Cleveland Avenue in which the assailant was armed with a screwdriver. "We're getting a pretty strong link between the cases," Curry said. "They seem to be very opportunistic."
Descriptions similar:
He said the suspect and vehicle description is similar in each case and investigators heavily searched the south end of Cleveland County Thursday for any sign of Maynor. North and South Carolina Highway Patrol, Bessemer City and Grover Police are aiding in the search, Curry said.
A man wielding a screwdriver robbed Margie Falls in the driveway of her Cleveland Avenue home Tuesday morning. Mrs. Falls, 68, identified the suspect Thursday as Maynor after detectives came by her house, she said. "I feel like I'm lucky," she said after learning of Wednesday's assault. "I'm just relieved they at least know who he is. He won’t stop until they catch him."
If you know of the whereabouts of Gary Ralph Maynor Jr., call Shelby Police at (704) 484-6845, the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office at (704) 484-4788 or CrimeStoppers at (704) 481-TIPS (8477).
Maynor was last seen Thursday at 4:30 p.m. in Blacksburg, S.C., driving a gray 2005 Honda Accord with South Carolina plates.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Police, Firemen Get Bears to Give to Children

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

Teddy bears can go a long way in comforting a child, especially in trying times.
The VWF Post 4941 in Blacksburg and its Ladies Auxiliary have donated 50 teddy bears and stuffed animals to the Blacksburg police and fire departments to do just that.
"Our auxiliary bought bears to present to the Blacksburg Police Department and the Blacksburg Fire Department," Elizabeth Hammett, president of the Ladies Auxiliary, said Tuesday evening during a joint meeting of both organizations. "When children are involved in an accident or fire, the police officers and firefighters can give them a bear so they have something to hug."
The teddy bear project will be an ongoing one for the Ladies Auxiliary.
"I can't think of anything better that you could have done for the children of this community," Lt. Zeb Starnes of the Blacksburg Police Department said. "You'll be surprised how much this is going to make a difference for some children. When you see a policeman, it's usually bad. These little things will heal a child's heart."

Teddy Bear Project

--PHOTO CAPTION-- Elizabeth Hammett, president of the Ladies Auxiliary in Blacksburg, presents a teddy bear to Lt. Zeb Starnes of the Blacksburg Police Department on Tuesday evening.
The Ladies Auxiliary has been buying bears to donate to the police and fire departments to give to children during difficult times, such as a house fire.

THE CHEROKEE CHRONICLE
http://www.the-chronicle.com/
Gaffney, South Carolina

Thursday, March 15, 2007

2 Men Hold Up Restaurant, Customers: Blacksburg Waffle House Scene of Daring Robbery

By Jim Holland
News Editor

[PHOTO CAPTION] Armed Robbery -- Bloodhounds from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department (top photo) were brought to the scene of an armed robbery in Blacksburg early Wednesday morning. The bottom photo shows Assistant Chief Al Phillips inside the Waffle House interviewing witnesses and customers who were also robbed.

Blacksburg Police say two armed men robbed the Waffle House in Blacksburg and several customers on Tuesday just before midnight.
The restaurant is located at 1010 N. Mountain Street in the Town limits.
An incident report indicates that the two black males came into the restaurant brandishing pistols and ordered those inside of the building to get on the floor. The two took wallets, purses and cell phones from eight patrons.
In addition, money was taken from the cash register.
Chief Jamie Ham says that bloodhounds from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Department were called to the scene (see photo), but were unsuccessful in their efforts to track the two men.
Chief Ham says between $500 and $750 was stolen in the daring holdup.
Ham said the two had their faces covered up.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Waffle House Patrons Robbed

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

Blacksburg Police are investigating an armed robbery at Waffle House at 1010 N. Mountain Street, according to Blacksburg Police Chief Jamie Ham.
Eight patrons inside the restaurant were robbed of their cash, wallets and cell phones, Ham said. Money was also stolen from the cash register.
The robbery was at approximately midnight Tuesday.
Police are questioning whether suspects taken into custody in Gaston County, N.C. may have been involved in the robbery.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Friday, March 09, 2007

Man Says Arrest Wasn't Political

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

Blacksburg's Brandon "Hat" Byers said he does not believe Mayor David Hogue had anything to do with his arrest on election day.
Mayoral candidate Scott Byars referred to Hat Byers as his campaign manager, and said he thought it was suspicious that he was arrested Tuesday. Scott Byars lost to Hogue by a vote of 203 to 119.
"I stand behind David Hogue as mayor of Blacksburg and I stand behind the whole council. They are good people," Hat Byers, 50, said. "People are calling me and saying David Hogue had me locked up and that's not true. David Hogue is a good man. Jamie Ham is one of the best chiefs who has ever been here.... I did not campaign one bad word against David, because I don't know anything bad about David.... If David Hogue was in a ditch tonight, I would pull him out of it. I'll buy him a meal. It won't be from Kelly's but it would probably be from McDonald's."
"Don't support me, support the town," he continued. "I'm not (Byars') campaign manager. I'm here for the betterment of the town."
He did say that Hogue was incorrect when he stated his beginner's permit was out of date. Police said Byers' permit is current, but he was arrested because he was operating a vehicle without a licensed driver over the age of 21 in the vehicle, as required by law.
Byers was charged with driving without a S.C. driver's license and he was released Tuesday evening on a personal recognizance bond of $232.
Byers also said the police officers treated him fairly while he was being arrested. Byers said his blood pressure had risen, and he was driving home to get his medicine when officers stopped him.
"When police stopped me, I didn't really know where I was at," he said. "Officer Pete McBride and Zeb Starnes - they are the very best - got me an ambulance. They said before we do anything, we are going to get you paramedics."
He said he wasn't released on bond until 8 p.m. because the judge that should have set his bond in the afternoon on Tuesday was out sick. He said he wasn't treated differently than anyone else who was locked up on Tuesday.
During the certification process on Thursday, two votes for Hogue were discarded because they were not marked properly, said town clerk Dell Bagwell.
"It was obvious they were voting for David, but they did not check anything (on the ballot)," Bagwell said.
The votes for the District 1 seat, won by incumbent Joe Ross, were also confirmed. Ross beat out his challenger Brian White by 88 votes to 21 votes.
District 2 councilman Mike Patterson was unopposed for his seat.

THE BLACKSBURG TIMES
Blacksburg, South Carolina
http://www.hometown-news.com/

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Parker, Wallace Arrested for Drug Possession

Blacksburg Police officers assisted the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office [Metro Narcotics Unit] last week in a drug arrest on Whisonant Street in Blacksburg.
Jeremy David Parker, 20, of 642 Rock Cut Road, Blacksburg and Shyron Rashad Wallace, 26, of 117 Whisonant Street [were charged] with possession of drugs with intent to distribute [Webmaster's Corrective Note: actually, they were charged with possession, not with intent to distribute].
Parker was found with 0.1 g. of white rock-like substance believed to be crack cocaine and over $2,000 in cash. [Webmaster's Corrective Note: the cash was actually in the possession of Wallace]
Police found a green leafy material believed to be marijuana and a handgun in Wallace's possession.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Monday, February 26, 2007

Local Officers Join ICE

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

Police officers from the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office and the Blacksburg Police Department assisted the Interstate Criminal Enforcement (ICE) crackdown on Interstate 85 in Spartanburg last week.
In addition to 1,433 citations issued for traffic violations, the ICE team also seized 400 pounds of marijuana, 5.9 pounds of cocaine, 1,553 Ecstacy tablets and 4,300 milligrams of steroids. Police seized $483,032 in cash and estimated the street value of the seized drugs at $543,000, according to a press release from the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office which initiated the multi-agency crackdown.
Some of those arrested for trafficking-level offenses include individuals from California, Connecticut, Texas, Virginia, Georgia and North Carolina.
One suspect led police into Cherokee County on Wednesday. Members of the ICE team chased Edward Thomas Scales, 26, of Charlotte to Mile Marker 90 in Gaffney. The vehicle pursuit ended about a mile after Cherokee County Sheriff's Deputy Glenn Fuller utilized a spike strip to puncture the tires on Scales' vehicle, a report at the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office states.
Fuller was advised by Cherokee County Metro Narcotics Capt. David Oglesby that Spartanburg County Sheriff's Deputies were in pursuit of a silver 2007 Cadillac headed north on I-85 into Cherokee County.
Scales was then taken into custody by the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office Deputies who had initiated the 9:20 p.m. pursuit.
There were 308 speeding violations and 161 for following too closely. Twenty-four people were cited for vehicle license violations while another 27 people were cited for driver's license violations. There were 48 equipment violations issued. One vehicle was seized.

THE GAFFNEY LEDGER
Gaffney, South Carolina
www.gaffneyledger.com

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Checkpoints Net 11 Arrests; Police Issue 227 Citations

By Tara Jennings
Ledger Staff Writer

A multi-jurisdictional traffic unit comprised of officers from four [five] different law enforcement agencies made its debut Friday evening with public safety checkpoints throughout the county.
There were 227 traffic citations issued during the holiday weekend and 107 warnings given. There were 11 drunk driving arrests and three drug arrests. Police issued 53 citations for seat belt violations.
But the most important number to the S.C. Highway Patrol is the number of fatalities.
"Over the New Year’s weekend, I am proud to report there were no fatalities in Cherokee County," said Cpl. Bryan McDougald of the S.C. Highway Patrol. There were also no fatalities during last year’s New Year’s holiday period.
Even more importantly, the number of traffic-related fatalities dropped significantly in 2006 to its lowest number in four years — eight. That’s down from 25 traffic-related fatalities a year before. There were 19 traffic-related deaths in 2004 and 10 in 2003.
"We really believe the increased enforcement and increased presence of troopers on the highways and the primary seat belt law goes a long way to lower the number of fatalities," McDougald said. "We’d love that number of fatalities to be lower this year. We’d love for there to be no fatalities. At least let’s keep moving in the right direction."
McDougald said such efforts like drunk driving arrests and seat belt enforcement, as well as the increased number of troopers on the roads, are done to keep the number of fatalities low.
The Highway Patrol investigated 15 collisions during the New Year’s holiday. That number, as well as the number of tickets issued including seat belt violations, dropped this year from last. The only statistic that was higher was the number of drunk driving arrests made during the New Year’s holiday.
There were seven driving under the influence arrests during the last New Year’s holiday period.
Statewide, there were eight people killed on South Carolina roads during the New Year’s holiday.
As of Dec. 31, a total of 1,029 people died on South Carolina highways, compared to 1,093 in 2005.
Of the 769 motor vehicle occupants who died in 2006, 467 were not wearing seat belts.
Cherokee County Sheriff Bill Blanton said the multijurisdictional unit, which includes officers from the Sheriff’s Office, Gaffney and Blacksburg Police Departments and the S.C. Highway Patrol, conducted public safety checkpoints in the county and in the city limits of Gaffney and Blacksburg on Friday. [WEBMASTER'S NOTE: S.C. State Constables also participated in the joint effort.]
He said there were likely in excess of 25 officers working the checkpoints.