Drug Arrest Snares 2nd Taylortown Leader

Moore County authorities charged a Taylortown Town Council member and his brother with numerous felony drug charges.

Posted 2:17 p.m. Jul 27, 2007 — Updated 10:43 p.m. Jul 27, 2007

CARTHAGE, N.C. — Moore County authorities have arrested a member of the Taylortown Town Council and his brother on numerous drug charges following a three-month investigation.

The arrests Thursday came five months after the mayor was arrested for hiring himself to do town construction projects. Both officials are running for re-election this fall. If convicted, they’ll both be out of a job.

Deputies searched a residence at 118 Burch St. in West End and found 32 grams of crack cocaine, four grams of marijuana, two Percocet pills and assorted drug paraphernalia. Authorities also seized $1,946 from the residence. Authorities estimate the street value of the drugs at $3,600.

“It’s a substantial amount of crack cocaine, especially for this area,” said Capt. W.J. Seawell, with the Moore County Sheriff’s Department.

Lonnie Jones III, 38, and Scott Burch Jones, 26, both of 118 Burch St., were both charged with felony conspiracy to traffic cocaine; felony possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine; felony possession of cocaine; felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver marijuana; felony manufacture of marijuana; felony possession of marijuana; felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance; misdemeanor possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (Percocet), and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Authorities said the arrest came after Scott Jones allegedly tried to sell drugs to an informant.

Lonnie Jones has been a member of the Taylortown Town Council for 10 years. He was being held in the Moore County Detention Center on a $20,000 bond.

Scott Jones was being held in the Moore County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond.

Investigators also searched a residence at 186 Walker St. and seized approximately five grams of Ecstasy, 56 hydrocodone pills and a gram of marijuana.

This marks the second Taylortown official to run afoul of the law in recent months. In February, Mayor Ulysses S.G. Barrett Jr. was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors, including benefiting from a public contract as a public official.

Both Jones and Barrett remain in office.

“I think it’s a disgrace,” said resident Al Haebe.

In an interview with WRAL in March, Jones claimed to take the high road.

“Trust me, I’m not going to work with anyone I thought was crooked,” he said.

Jones is also a substitute teacher in Moore County, but school officials won't say where he taught.

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