An operation six months in the making  is expected to bring in more than 70 arrests in Sumter County.  Following an extended drug operation known as “Summer Breeze” Sumter County investigators say they’ve made 64 arrests and seized more than $200,000 in drugs. The effort involved both Sumter deputies and officers from the U.S. Marshals Service.

During the arrests, officers say they seized marijuana, cocaine, weapons and over $30,000 in cash.  More arrests are expected in the next several days. With the help of the U.S. Marshals Service, Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis says deputies are looking to bring in a total of more than 70 people from all over the county, mostly on drug charges.

Former Latta Mayor Alan Berry was sentenced in federal court in Florence Wednesday to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release for defrauding the Social security Administration and the Hartford Insurance Company. From January 2000 to November 2008, Berry fraudulently collected $325,000 by falsely claiming he was unable to work in order to collect disability benefits even though he was working as mayor of Latta. He was also working for the Fast Tax Service in Latta.

During the trial, Berry claimed a South Carolina Law Enforcement Division agent had falsified documents to make it appear that he, Berry, was working.  Prosecutors say that to hide his employment with the tax service, Berry had checks issued in his wife’s name. To hide his employment as mayor of Latta, he refused to accept a monthly salary. Berry was also ordered to pay $244,000 in restitution, $6200 to the Hartford Insurance Company, and a special assessment of $6000.