5 ARRESTED IN UNDERCOVER DRUG STING

The York County drug task force arrested five people Friday after an
undercover investigation at local businesses into the sale of detoxifying
substances for masking drug tests. Five Rock Hill businesses, including
three alternative stores and two GNC franchises, were caught in the sting,
according to York County Sheriff's Office reports.

Arrested were: [NAMES DELETED].

All except Maley have been charged with one count apiece of unlawful
possession and sale of adulterants (first offenses), said investigator Jody
Long of the York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit. Each
misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a
$5,000 fine.

Cook is the owner of Reggae Central, 232 S. Cherry Road, and Scott owns
Pandora's Box, 2015 N. Cherry Road. Taylor is the manager of the GNC store
at 725 Cherry Road. Maley and Moody are clerks at The Great Escape on Mount
Gallant Road and the GNC store in the Rock Hill Galleria Mall, respectively.

Cook and Maley also will be facing drug paraphernalia charges. Maley has
been charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and
possession of Hydrocodone. Scott also is facing a charge of possession of
marijuana.

It is not clear whether the owners of the stores where employees were
arrested also will be charged.

The suspects arranged to turn themselves in to authorities Friday
afternoon, Long said.

"Everybody seemed pretty adamant that they didn't know it was illegal to
sell adulterants to cleanse your urine for drug tests," Long said.

Selling detoxifying substances, or adulterants, which come in the form of
liquid, pills and chewable tablets, is only illegal when businesses sell
them to cleanse the system of illegal drugs, Long said. It became against
the law recently, and authorities began enforcing it this year.

"It's a matter of the person (store employee or owner) knowing that you're
trying to defraud a drug test," Long said.

York County narcotics officers began their investigation Nov. 12. The State
Law Enforcement Division had been conducting similar investigations
regarding the new law for the past several months, and York County
authorities followed suit, Long said.

They received information that customers had been going into The Great
Escape asking about adulterants. Working undercover, the long-haired Long
went into the alternative store Nov. 12 and inquired about detoxicants to
cleanse his urine for an upcoming drug test, he said.

"I kind of got that hippie look," Long said.

The staffer he spoke with did not have any adulterants in stock but
directed him to stores that did, Long said. From there, Long then went to
Pandora's Box and Reggae Central and purchased detoxicants after explaining
his purpose, he said.

"They knew what I was talking about," Long said. "We didn't try and go
overboard. We didn't try to entrap anybody."

Shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday, authorities executed search warrants at the
three alternative shops. During the investigation, narcotics agents
received information the GNC stores were selling the same products, Long said.

Another undercover officer went to those stores between and 5 p.m., and
bought bottles of "CHF" liquid from Moody and Taylor, reports said.

In all, the task force seized 138 packages, bottles or boxes of adulterants
from four of the businesses, reports said. Authorities seized $3,000 worth
of drug paraphernalia from The Great Escape and $650 worth of the
paraphernalia from Reggae Central.