Former Chester teacher sentenced for marijuana plants

CHESTER, S.C. (AP) — A longtime teacher and ROTC leader in Chester has been sentenced to prison after admitting he grew marijuana in his home. The Herald of Rock Hill reported that 52-year-old James Melvin Brooks Sr. was sentenced Monday to three and a half years in prison after accepting a plea deal with prosecutors. The deal allowed him to avoid a mandatory 25-year drug trafficking sentence. State and local police arrested Banks in July 2013 after finding almost 2000 marijuana plants at his home. Banks was in the Army for 22 years and had no prior criminal record. He taught ROTC at Chester High School. He said he grew and used marijuana to help with pain and insomnia. ___ Information from: The Herald, http://www.heraldonline.com