From Fox Carolina, February 2nd, 2010:

Federal prosecutors said that Spartanburg County Clerk of Court Marcus Kitchens and another man have been arrested and charged with federal drug crimes.

Investigators said that Kitchens stole drugs from the Spartanburg County Courthouse's evidence room. They said that Kitchens then asked Terry Lanford, of Spartanburg County, to find a buyer for the stolen drugs. They said that Lanford found a buyer in Florida and sold him the stolen drugs in August.

Prosecutors said that the buyer in Florida was actually a confidentially informant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. They said that authorities in both South Carolina and Florida worked with the informant to identify Lanford and Kitchens as the source of the drugs.

Kitchens and Lanford were arrested on Tuesday morning after law enforcement monitored a meeting between the two, investigators said. They said that during the meeting Landford paid Kitchens $3,000 for partial overdue payment on the August drug deal.

"Stealing and selling the very drugs that dedicated law enforcement officers had earlier removed from the streets is a very disturbing allegation and a very serious charge," said acting U.S. Attorney Kevin McDonald.

"No one is more shocked about this than I am," said Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright. He said that his agency has a hard stance on drug dealers, no matter who they are.

Both Kitchens and Lanford were charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.

If convicted, both Kitchens and Lanford could receive 20 years in prison and a $2 million fine.

Kitchens submitted his resignation to South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford on Tuesday morning. The governor said he will begin a search for Kitchens' replacement immediately.