New charges filed in sheriff’s death

Suspect now faces 13 counts in shooting at meth house

? Prosecutors have added four charges to the indictment of a man accused of killing Greenwood County Sheriff Matt Samuels.

The superceding indictment against Scott Cheever, 23, of Virgil, adds another count of attempting to murder two law enforcement officers while engaged in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

Also added to Cheever’s indictment were two additional charges of unlawful possession of stolen firearms and another count of manufacturing methamphetamine.

A federal grand jury added the charges Tuesday; they were announced Wednesday by U.S. Atty. Eric Melgren.

In all, Cheever is now charged with 13 counts.

Samuels was shot Jan. 19 as he was serving a search warrant on a suspected methamphetamine lab at a home in northeast Greenwood County. Cheever was arrested after a seven-hour standoff, and officials said they found a suspected meth lab at the home.

The revised indictment adds another count of manufacturing methamphetamine against four others charged along with Cheever — Billy Nowell, 35, of Bronson; Darrell Cooper, 43, of Hilltop; Belinda Cooper, 37, of Hilltop; and Rhonda O’Brien, 43, of Virgil.

According to the indictment, the Coopers leased the house and allowed Cheever to make meth there. O’Brien allegedly warned that deputies might be on the way.

Prosecutors dismissed charges against Matthew Denny, who was accused of being a lookout for the others.