Pair charged in hotel drug bust

A man and woman were arrested earlier this month on drug charges at a Lexington County motel.

Members of the multi-jurisdictional Lexington County Narcotics Enforcement Team arrested Mark Jonathan Jeffcoat, 39, and charged him with trafficking meth, possession of a Schedule IV narcotic, possession of a Schedule II narcotic, possession of marijuana, distribution of a Schedule II narcotic, and possession of Ecstasy, according to arrest warrants.

Sandra Katherine Raphael, 30, is charged with possession of a Schedule IV narcotic, possession of Schedule II narcotics, distribution of meth and possession of Ecstasy, according to arrest warrants.

“Agents made contact with Jeffcoat at the Knights Inn on Airport Boulevard July 16 and found a trafficking amount of meth, a digital scale and more than $1,000 on his person,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “Agents found out which room Jeffcoat had reserved and made contact with Raphael, who was also staying in the room.”

Agents obtained and executed a search warrant on the room after they saw packaging materials and a plastic bag containing a crystal-like substance in plain view, according to Koon.

Jeffcoat and Raphael were arrested at the motel. They have been released from the Lexington County Detention Center after posting bail.

Motorcycle driver killed on I-26

A 19-year-old motorcycle driver died on I-26 when his bike collided with an 18-wheeler.

Benito Santiago Alejandro of Irmo was driving near the Broad River Rd. exit 101 when he attempted to pass the 18-wheeler, State Troopers said.

Alejandro’s motorcycle struck the tractor trailer, and he was thrown from the bike. He was then struck by the 18-wheeler.

I-26 westbound was shut down for 2 hours following the July 29 incident.

The collision remains under investigation.

Lexington man arrested for armed robbery

A Lexington man was charged in the July 29 evening armed robbery of a Sunoco gas station in Lexington.

Harold Greg Heath, 58, was arrested after tips from the public, Police Chief Terrence Green said.

Officers were dispatched to the Sunoco, located at 5019 Augusta Road in Lexington, for an armed robbery last Monday around 7:40 pm.

When officers arrived, they spoke to an employee who stated that a white male, who has been identified as Harold Heath, entered the store and reached over the counter to take money from the cash drawer.

When the employee began to push the robber away, he made a threat that he would shoot her while his hand was under his shirt holding what appeared to be a weapon.

Police arrested Heath Tuesday night and transported to the Lexington County Detention Center. He was given a bond of $8,000 with the restriction of returning to an alcohol/drug rehabilitation center if released.

Lexington restaurant fire

Lexington County Fire Services units responded to a commercial structure fire in the 4300 block of Augusta Road just before 4:30 am Friday.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, preventing it from destroying the building that is the home of Palmano’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, Cola Daily reported.

In total, $10,000 in damages were reported.

There were no injuries.

6 units with 19 LCFS personnel were dispatched, alongside an EMS unit for patient and firefighter rehabilitation.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

West Columbia man found dead

Richland County Coroner Gary Watts has released the name of a man who was found deceased on a park bench in Columbia Friday.

Hunter Craig Hollingsworth, 58, of West Columbia was discovered in the Rosewood area around 8:30 am Friday.

Autopsy results are pending, but did not indicate any signs of trauma, the Chronicle’s Terry Ward reported.

The Richland County Coroner’s Office and the Columbia Police Department are investigating the incident.

West Columbia man faces 55 years

A federal jury found Dayquan O’Neal Phillips, age 23, of Lexington County, guilty of 10 counts of drug and firearm charges.

Charges included 4 counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, 3 counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, 2 counts of Distribution of Cocaine, and one count of Distribution of Cocaine and Marijuana.

Between May 10, 2018, and May 25, 2018, Philips sold or planned to sell more than $10,000 worth of firearms and distribution-level amounts of cocaine and marijuana to a confidential informant working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Federal law prohibits Phillips from possessing firearms and ammunition based on a prior state felony drug distribution conviction and a state unlawful carrying of a pistol conviction.

Phillips faces up to 55 years in prison between all the charges.

The case was investigated by agents and officers of the ATF, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and Batesburg-Leesville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys William Camden Lewis and Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia presided over the trial and will sentence Phillips after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.