Police

MYRTLE BEACH

Man charged with filing false tax return

A Myrtle Beach man was charged with filing a false tax return, according to the S.C. Department of Revenue.

Jamon Gerard Canty was charged with assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, according to the release on Thursday.

In 2012, Canty provided to a tax preparer a fraudulent W2 form stating he had earned $15,589 in wages and $701 in state taxes were withheld, according to a news release.

Canty did not work for the employer listed on the W2 form and as a result, Canty submitted a fraudulent individual income tax return and requested a state tax refund of $701, according to revenue officials.

If convicted of the felony charge, Canty faces up to $500 in fines and/or up to 5 years in prison.

The investigation continues and more arrests are expected, officials said.

GEORGETOWN COUNTY

Police: Man sold counterfeit goods

A Georgetown man was charged in connection with counterfeit goods being sold at a business in the city, according to police.

Antoine Quinsander Nelson, 33, was charged with sale of goods with counterfeit marks, produce/reproduce counterfeit marks and illegal distribution of recordings, according to Georgetown police.

Nelson was being held Thursday at the Georgetown County Detention Center.

The charges stemmed from Georgetown police, state and federal agents executing three search warrants Wednesday afternoon looking for counterfeit items, police said.

The Ark, a business located at 215 Merriman Road and homes, at 2109 and 2113 Winyah Street were searched, according to police.

Officers seized about $14,000 worth of counterfeit items and $5,000 cash during the search. The items included shirts, hats, jeans, purses, DVDs and CDs.

GEORGETOWN

Winning $100,000 scratch sold

A Georgetown man has won $100,000 on a scratch-off lottery ticket, according to S.C. Education Lottery officials.

The man, who declined to be identified, told officials he was glad he won, but wished it was more. The man spent $5 to purchase a Scorchin’ Hot 5’s, which is a scratch-off ticket, from the Scotchman No. 17 on Black River Road in Georgetown.

He scratched the ticket in his car parked outside the store and told officials he sat there for about 10 minutes in a daze before he was able to drive away.

The man said he plans to take a couple days off work to celebrate.

The odds of winning $100,000 are 1 in 480,000. The two top prizes of $100,000 remain in the $5 Scorchin’ Hot 5’s game.

For selling the claimed ticket, the Scotchman store received a $1,000 commission.

MYRTLE BEACH

Myrtle Beach fugitive arrested in Virginia

Myrtle Beach police have arrested a man wanted in Bedford County, near Roanoke Virginia.

Elton Mays Short III was arrested about 11:30 a.m. Thursday, said Capt. David Knipes with Myrtle Beach police.

Short is charged with armed burglary, felony child abuse and neglect and wearing a mask during a robbery by the Bedford County sheriff’s office.

Myrtle Beach police were alerted by authorities in Bedford County that short was in the area. He was found at the Polynesian Motel and arrested without incident, Knipes said.

Local

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH

One swimming advisory lifted, one issued

A swimming advisory covering a small section of North Myrtle Beach Wednesday was lifted Thursday, according to the S.C. Department of Environmental Health and Control.

Also Thursday, a different section was placed under the advisory.

Wednesday’s warning covered the area 200 feet above and below 33rd Avenue South in North Myrtle Beach, said Sean Torrens with DHEC.

On Thursday, waters around 16th Avenue North in North Myrtle Beach tested higher than healthy bacteria levels prompting the advisory, while waters at 33rd Avenue South had returned to safe values, Torrens said.

It is safe to wade, collect shells and fish in the area.

“To guard against the possibility of swallowing the water, it’s best to keep your head out of it,” Torrens said. “People with open cuts or other wounds should also avoid contact with the water.”

The risk is related to bacteria levels that could cause gastroenteritis which has similar symptoms to the stomach flu.

For more information about beach water quality, call DHEC’s Region 6 EQC office at (843) 238-4378 or visit DHEC’s beach monitoring webpage at scdhec.gov/beach.

From staff reports