Two men were sentenced in Cherokee County General Sessions Court last week on charges of selling crack.

Larry Foster Jr., 19, who was already an inmate within the state Department of Corrections, pleaded guilty before Circuit Court Judge Roger Couch on Aug. 12 to the charges of first offense distribution of crack, distribution of crack within a 1/2 mile of a school or playground, and an unrelated charge of assault of a high and aggravated nature.

Prosecutors said the drug charges stemmed from a Sept. 15, 2008, incident during which Foster sold $20 in crack to a confidential police informant.

The assault charge stemmed from an April 7, 2009, incident in which Foster was accused of providing a gun to another man who fired shots at a third person parked on Settlemeyer Street.

At the time of his plea, Foster already was serving state prison time on a probation violation related to a previous charge of discharging a firearm into a vehicle.

Judge Couch sentenced Foster to 10 years in the state Department of Corrections, suspended after the service of five years imprisonment, and five years probation on two of the charges. Foster received a fiveyear sentence on the third charge. All three sentences will be served concurrently.

Foster was ordered to obtain his high school equivalency diploma while incarcerated and further is barred from having any contact with the co-defendant in the assault case.

Jimmel Dawkins, 26, address listed in court records as 5th Street, Gaffney, pleaded guilty before Judge Couch on Aug. 13 to first offense distribution of crack cocaine and distribution of crack within 1/2 mile of a school or playground. Prosecutors said the charges stemmed from a Dec. 30, 2008, incident during which he sold $20 in crack to a confidential police informant.

Judge Couch sentenced Dawkins to 10 years in the state Department of Corrections, suspended after the service of four years imprisonment, and four years of probation.

- Tim Gulla