When federal officials descended on this small South Carolina town to investigate a kickback scheme that had caught up the mayor and another official, they stumbled across a web of corruption they believe is deeper and more widespread through the county.

Authorities began looking into the 8,000-person town more than a year ago, announcing in July 2008 that now former Union Mayor Bruce Morgan and former zoning administrator Jeffrey Lawson were charged with multiple federal crimes, including seeking bribes and plotting to take thousands in kickbacks from building contractors.

Both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to federal prison earlier this year.

Now, four other town and county officials face federal and state charges. The accusations include corruption, witness tampering and using public offices to store cocaine and methamphetamine.

As zoning administrator, Lawson had authority to supervise the competitive bidding process for city building contracts. He conspired with Morgan to demand contractors give them kickbacks in return for contracts, prosecutors said. The men extorted more than $30,000 from at least three contractors, authorities have said.

As agents investigated them, U.S. Attorney for South Carolina Walt Wilkins says other allegations surfaced. A third man, Willard Farr, was charged this year with aiding and abetting Morgan and Lawson in the scheme.

Union County supervisor Donald Betenbaugh and Willie E. Randall Jr., the county's former tax assessor, also found themselves facing federal charges ranging from money laundering and accepting $50,000 in kickbacks to allowing Randall's office to be used to store drugs. Randall and another man, Lapriest Darnell Beacham, are also charged with distributing cocaine and methamphetamine.

Wilkins declined to give details about the pending cases, saying only that Farr is charged with ferrying a payment from a contractor to Morgan, keeping a portion for himself.

Other officials also have been charged.

"These investigations are always ongoing," Wilkins said Thursday.

On Main Street, shopkeepers say the town is focused on healing _ both from its bleak economy and from the scandals that have rocked it in waves.

"The good outweighs the bad," said Diane Jordan, a sales clerk at Keepsake Jewelers. "I feel like a clean sweep was necessary."

In state court, former Union County court clerk Brad Morris has been charged with embezzling $200,000 in public funds. Kevin Brackett, the county's lead prosecutor, said he became concerned after parents complained that child support payment checks written from accounts that Morris oversaw had bounced.