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A Cordova man says he doesn’t own the methamphetamine allegedly found in his book bag, but he’s still charged with trafficking.

Shalik Foster Hamilton, 37, of 2231 Cannon Bridge Road, Cordova, is charged with first-offense trafficking in methamphetamine more than 10 grams but less than 28 grams.

Officers responded to the Sellers Street area at 2 a.m. Wednesday in response to a report of a suspicious person with a book bag looking into cars.

They spotted a man on the front porch of a Sellers Street home. A book bag was in the yard.

The man claimed he was visiting someone at the home, according to the incident report.

Officers asked the man about the book bag in the yard.

The man claimed it was his book bag, however, he denied owning a pill bottle that was inside of it, the report said.

A warrant claims that the pill bottle contained 14 individually wrapped bags containing a white substance believed to be methamphetamine.

The weight of the substance was 15.7 grams.

Officers took Hamilton into custody.

If convicted, Hamilton faces up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.

In an unrelated report, someone stole the catalytic converter from a bus belonging to the Orangeburg County Disabilities and Special Needs Board. It was parked at the board’s Woodland Drive residential home.

The theft was discovered and reported on Tuesday.

The value of the catalytic converter is $1,500.

Firearms and a gold necklace were stolen from two unlocked vehicles on New Light Drive in Orangeburg.

The theft was reported on Tuesday.

The value of the stolen, .45-caliber Rock Island 1911 handgun, 9 mm Taurus G3 handgun and 18-karat gold necklace is $2,400.

• Someone stole an unlocked 2007 black Chevrolet Silverado from a Block Road residence in Norway on Sunday night, according to an incident report.

The truck owner kept the keys inside of it.

A Bamberg County Sheriff’s Office deputy reported seeing a vehicle matching the description at 10 p.m. Sunday.

The agency pursued the truck, but ended up cancelling the chase, according to the incident report.

The value of the truck is $8,000.

• A 2014 Ford Focus was stolen from the parking lot of Corona Drive Apartments in Orangeburg just before 3 a.m. Monday.

The owner provided deputies with a video which shows a man riding up on a bike in front of the Ford.

The man dropped his bike to the ground, got into the Ford and drove away.

The Ford is valued at $13,000.

Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD

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Martha Rose Brown covers crime and other topics. She's worked as a journalist in the region for the past 19 years.

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