OSD makes drug and shoplifting arrests

A marijuana plant in a flower bed next to the porch of a home near Salem caught the eye yesterday of Oconee sheriff’s officers and they charged a man there with possessing and manufacturing marijuana. The Sheriff’s Office reports Timmy Andrew Brown, 42 years old, signed a consent to search—during which officers seized nine plants with a value of around $18 thousand. The Sheriff’s Department yesterday also made the first arrest in a case of shoplifting last month at Oconee County’s Wal-Mart. According to deputies, a Crimestoppers tip led to the arrest of Austin Richard Armstrong of Anderson. The warrant charges the 20-year old Armstrong with shoplifting. On April 25, two persons allegedly stole two laptop computers. Deputies have issued an arrest warrant for a second suspect in the case.