GRAND JURY INDICTS LORIS COUNCILMAN; CITY SEAT IN DANGER

CONWAY - An Horry County grand jury indicted a 13-year Loris councilman
Monday on 14 counts of criminal drug charges. Now the governor's office
will consider whether he should remain on the council while he faces those
charges.

The grand jury issued the seven two-count indictments Monday against
57-year-old James Russell Herring related to the sale and possession of
narcotics at his downtown business, according to court documents.

Horry County police conducted a three-month investigation that culminated
with Herring's arrest July 5.

The indictments say Herring sold illegal and prescription drugs without a
prescription April 1, 6, 11, 20; May 2; and July 5.

Those drugs included hydrocodone, lorcet, marijuana, OxyContin, Zyrtec 10,
buspirone, hydrochloride and ranitidine.

He also is charged with possessing those drugs with the intent to
distribute them within a half-mile radius of a school, according to court
documents.

Herring could not be reached Monday for comment. His attorney, Carroll
Padgett, declined to comment on the indictments.

Loris Mayor David Stoudenmire said Monday he had not seen the grand jury
indictments against Herring but "had heard that [Herring was indicted]
through word of mouth."

"We can't do anything now, it's up to the governor's office," Stoudenmire
said. "We're waiting for the [judicial] process to take place."

Stoudenmire said the solicitor's office must mail a certified copy of the
indictment to Gov. Mark Sanford's office, which will review Herring's charges.

Those officials will decide whether or not to suspend Herring until the
disposition of the charges.

He could be removed from office if he is convicted or pleads guilty,
according to the governor's office.

Officials with the governor's office could not be reached for comment Monday.

During Herring's arrest, Horry County police seized and closed his store,
Russell's Super Service business, a convenience store, gas station and
auto-repair shop.

Herring was allowed to reopen the store July 29 after an agreement with the
15th Circuit solicitor's office, which had placed a lien on the business at
the time of the arrest. Details of that settlement were sealed by the court.

The forfeiture settlement has no bearing on his criminal charges, officials
said.

If convicted on all drug charges, Herring could face more than 80 years in
prison.