Year-long drug investigation leads to three arrests in Newberry County

Three men were arrested and various amounts of drugs and firearms were seized at a Newberry residence Wednesday afternoon as a result of a year-long drug investigation, officials said.

Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said 22-year-old Raheem Wadell Jackson, 30-year-old Telly Tomarkens Jones and 22-year-old Jermetres Rochard Kirkland, all of Newberry, were charged in connection with the investigation.

All three men face charges relating to trafficking crack cocaine, trafficking cocaine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. Jones will also be charged with possession of a stolen firearm, Foster said.

Just after 12 p.m., officers from the Newberry Sheriff’s Office, Newberry Police Department and the S.C. Law Enforcement Division served a search warrant on a residence in located at 820 Taylor St., Foster said.

When officers approached the home, the three men fled from the residence, but they were apprehended a short time later, Foster said.

Upon further investigation of the residence, Foster said officers were able to seize various amounts of crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana and several firearms, one of which was confirmed stolen, Foster said.

The arrests came as a result of a year-long drug investigation in which undercover narcotics officers bout from the residence, Foster said.

This story was originally published January 28, 2016 at 12:13 PM with the headline "Year-long drug investigation leads to three arrests in Newberry County."