CC grand jury indicts dozen

A dozen individuals, including three South Carolina men who investigators say tunneled under a fence surrounding an auto salvage yard and allegedly stole air bags from vehicles, have been indicted by a Charles City Circuit Court grand jury.

The grand jury, convening on Jan. 5, indicted Barry Lynn Jones, 48, and Michael James Meshell, 22, both of Blacksburg, S.C., along with Nicholas David Shipton, 30, of Clinton, S.C., on one count each of grand larceny and conspiracy to commit grand larceny.

Last Oct. 9, the three men were arrested after tunneling under a perimeter fence at Copart on Chambers Road. County commonwealth’s attorney Rob Tyler said the trio has been traveling up and down the East Coast, seeking to take air bags at other locations.

The grand jury also indicted four Charles City residents who investigators say illegally registered to vote in September 2008 and then voted illegally in the Nov. 4, 2008 presidential election. All are convicted felons who have not had their rights restored.

Indicted on one count each of writing a false statement on a voter registration form and voting when not qualified, both felonies, are Paulas A. Whitehead, 57, of 3901 Wayside Road; Alonzo Dean Dobson, 46, of 12109 John Tyler Memorial Highway; Earnest Lyon Brooks, 53, of 8540 Courthouse Road; and Terry Annette Haskins, 33, of 10340 Kimages Road.

Other individuals indicted on Jan. 5 and the charges they face are:

–Marvin Nigel Austin, 38, of 2502 Byron St., Richmond, and Keith Lamont Bagby, 47, of 4696 Darbytown Road, Richmond, on one count each of burglary, grand larceny, and possession of a firearm by a non-violent felon. The pair allegedly broke into an unoccupied house and accompanying sheds last Nov. 17.

–Nicole Lee Lester, 25, of 110 Jackson St., Williamsburg, on one count of felony hit and run in connection with an incident last Aug. 9.

–Vincent Lee Brown, 35, of 16410 John Tyler Memorial Highway, Charles City, on one count of cocaine possession stemming from an alleged incident last Sept. 6.

–Linda K. Howard, 64, of 5226 North Warriner Road, Charles City, on one count of misdemeanor operation of a commercial dog kennel without a special use permit. Howard was charged on Dec. 17.