Authorities said two Gaffney men charged last week with burglarizing local businesses have been connected to a January armed robbery.

Detective Lt. David Clary of the Gaffney Police Department has charged Marcellous O'Bryan Knuckles, 21, of 302 Joyce St., and Jonathan Leon Simpson, 21, of Connecticut Village Apartments, 409 E. Junior High Road, Apt. 66, each with armed robbery.

They are accused of stealing money from the Eastside Saveway, 302 Wilkinsville Hwy., Gaffney, while using a handgun on Jan. 18, according to warrants at the Gaffney Police Department.

The two also face four counts of 2nd-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into Corner Stop No. 6 and the adjacent One Stop Laundry on Thursday and earlier on April 30, a report at the police department states.

Lottery tickets and cash were stolen from the businesses during the most recent burglary, police said.

Joseph Bernard Wilson, 18, of 513 Stephenson St. has also been charged with four counts of 2nd-degree burglary.

The men were arrested after lottery tickets in their possession were traced back to the Corner Stop, the report states.

Tara Jennings