Blythewood Online 691

Tag: Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department

  • Father charged with incest

    RIDGEWAY – Complaints of incest dating back four years have resulted in a North Carolina man, 40, being extradited to Fairfield County last month to face charges of criminal sexual conduct.

    On April 29, 2014, the man’s adult daughter filed a report with the Stanley County, N.C. Sheriff’s Office in reference to her father’s sexual conduct toward her.

    According to a report by Fairfield County Investigator William Dove, the daughter stated that she and her father moved to Ridgeway, around Jan. 22, 2014. She stated in an incident report that her father had gotten mad because she was working with black people and that he accused her of giving oral sex to men in the parking lot. In her report to the Sheriff’s Office, the woman stated that her father also accused her of being a prostitute for the people she worked with. The woman, however, stated that nothing like that happened with anyone she worked with.

    The woman also stated that her father had said things sexual in nature to her and that, between Jan. 22, and Aug. 27, 2014, her father had forced her to have sex with him six or seven times, according to the incident report. She moved away from Ridgeway around Sept. 1, 2014.

    After the woman complained to authorities, a warrant was issued for her father’s arrest. He was arrested last month in Salisbury, N.C. and extradited to Fairfield County.

    Bond was denied. The father remains in the Fairfield County Detention Center.

    According to Fairfield County Sheriff Will Montgomery, the incident is still under investigation. The Voice does not identify the victim or the accused in cases of incest.

  • Sheriff seeks ID from burglary

    WINNSBORO – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office and Crime Stoppers need your help identifying an unknown black male suspect who burglarized a residence in Fairfield County. On Jan. 2, 2018, the suspect entered the residence located at 140 Sixth Street in Winnsboro.

    The suspect entered the residence by breaking out a back bedroom window with a rock or brick. He went directly to the safe in the living room, which was covered with a cloth to look like a table, and then walked out of the front door with the safe. The safe contained approximately $4,700 in money and collectible coins. The safe was recovered several weeks later in the woods in Fairfield County near the White Oak Community. The door on the safe had been forced open.

    If you know something about this case, you can provide information anonymously. Your tip could earn you a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for this crime. Call toll-free, 888-CRIME-SC, log onto: www.midlandscrimestoppers.com, and click on the red “Submit a tip” tab or, download the new P3 Tips App for Apple or Android devices. Information can also be provided directly to Investigator Karen Castles with the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office at 803-635-4141.

  • Sheriff seeks information on arson

    WINNSBORO -The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office and Crime Stoppers need your help identifying the suspect(s) who set fire to a residence in Fairfield County. On November 14, 2017, the residence at 4623 Reservoir Road was set on fire between 5 a.m. and 3 p.m. with minimal damage to the exterior. On December 2, 2017, the same residence was set on fire between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m.. The residence was a complete loss.

    If you know something about this case, you can provide information anonymously. Your tip could earn you a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for this crime. Call toll-free, 888-CRIME-SC, log onto: www.midlandscrimestoppers.com, and click on the red “Submit a tip” tab or, download the new P3 Tips App for Apple or Android devices. Information can also be provided directly to Investigator Karen Castles with the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office at 803-635-4141.

  • Prostitution sting nets 16

    RIDGEWAY – An undercover prostitution sting conducted by a tri-county task force that included the Fairfield County and Richland County Sheriffs’ Departments at the Ramada Inn in Ridgeway last Friday and Saturday night netted 16 arrests for prostitution and/or possession of drugs and/or possession with intent to distribute.

    Using the Backpage website, undercover officers made contact with the individuals via phone who arranged sexual encounters and drug deals at the Ramada Inn located at Exit 34 off I-77 where the offenders were subsequently arrested.

    Brad Edmond Howard, 38, and Melinda Medlin Leonard, 57, of Lexington; Amanda Elizabeth Jackson, 27; Ciara Shantae Palmer, 38, and George Stabler, 45, all of Columbia; Julio Cesar Morales, 33, and Shannon Franklin, 48, of West Columbia; Carlisha Shawashki, 31, of Cayce; and Nicholas Stack, 18, (address unknown), were each charged with prostitution and released on a $470 personal recognizance bond.

    Tara Nicole Prince, 38, of Winnsboro was charged with prostitution and possession of two grams of heroin with intent to distribute. She remains in the Fairfield County Detention Center on a $5,000 bond for the heroin charge and a personal recognizance bond of $470 for the prostitution charge.

    Two men, Damian Jujuan Swafford, 30, of Charleston and Paul Antonio Roberts, 34, of Lexington were identified in the incident report as drivers who were arrested for assisting in the solicitation process of two of the women charged.  Swafford and Roberts were each released on $470 personal recognizance bonds.

    Tyrone Brenton Lane, 27, and Tyquan Torrez Matthews, 20, both of Columbia, were charged with possession of narcotics with intent to distribute. Each was released on a $5,000 bond.

    Adrian Keiwan Hammond, 40, of Columbia was charged with possession of cocaine base and marijuana. Ashley Nicole Werts, 30, of Elgin was charged with possession of an oxycodone pill. Each was released on a $5,000 bond.

  • Taking the Plunge

    LAKE WATEREE – The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department took the plunge last weekend at Lake Wateree for a good cause. The Department’s fundraiser benefits Special Olympics and has raised over $3,000 so far.

  • Sheriff addresses school violence rumors

    WINNSBORO – Over the past 12 hours, there have been rumors of threats of violence toward multiple schools throughout South Carolina, to include a school in Fairfield County (Fairfield Central High School). The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating these rumors since they have surfaced and have found no substantiated or credible threats thus far. However, in the interest of alleviating any concerns and/or fears that students, staff, and parents may have, the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office is providing an increased law enforcement presence in our schools throughout the day.

    Sheriff Montgomery: “Although these are just unconfirmed rumors, we want to ensure everyone that we do take these seriously. I’ve directed our personnel to have an increased presence in our schools today. While many counties are dealing with this same issue this morning, we should always err on the side of caution, especially when these types of rumors involve our children. Again, I want to ensure everyone that our increased presence on school campuses today is merely a safety precaution. We have no reason to believe that there has been a direct threat to any of our schools.”

  • Shootout ends with attempted murder

    WINNSBORO – A wild-west drive-by shoot ‘em up that occurred around 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5, on Columbia Road behind the Bi-Lo Shopping Center, ended with a gunshot victim and three arrests, two of them for attempted murder.

    According to the incident report, three men in a Buick Park Avenue on Highway 321 Bypass suspected that an older model, light-colored Buick had begun following them from the EXXON station on Highway 321.

    Geiger

    A 17-year-old, one of two male passengers in the Park Avenue, stated that the driver of that car, Tykavious Sampson, 24, turned into the Deerwood Apartment complex in Winnsboro to determine if the older Buick was, indeed, following them. The Park Avenue turned back onto Highway 321 Bypass, then into the Bi-Lo Shopping Center parking lot and then on to Columbia Road. The older Buick followed, according to witnesses.

    A witness who spoke with Sheriff’s deputies in the BI-LO parking lot following the incident, reported that the older Buick then pulled alongside the Park Avenue while on Columbia Road.  An occupant in the older Buick opened fire with a handgun on the occupants of the Park Avenue, which suddenly braked after the shots were fired. Different witnesses reported hearing three to five shots.

    Sampson sustained a gunshot wound in the side according to the incident report.

    The second passenger in the Park Avenue, Gregory Alexander Javins, who was riding in the back seat, said the older Buick then sped off towards Highway 321 By-Pass.

    The witness in the parking lot stated that a person got out of the Park Avenue and ran behind the BI-LO Shopping Center and then to the BI-LO, the incident report stated.  Deputies stated they later found a 22-caliber rifle behind the BI-LO believed to belong to the occupants of the Park Avenue.

    The Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department was able to obtain a photo of both vehicles from security cameras as they passed by the front door of the BI-LO.

    Marshawn Devon Geiger, 19; Anthony Leo Green, Jr., 20; and Jawine William Ivery, 22, all believed to be occupants in the older Buick, were arrested on Feb. 6. Geiger has multiple charges including attempted murder. He was denied bond and remains in the Fairfield County Detention Center.

    Green was also charged with attempted murder and was released on a $20,000 surety bond.

    Ivery was charged with misprision (neglect to report a crime) and released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond. According to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department, the shooting is still under investigation.

  • County goes after opioid costs

    WINNSBORO – After receiving legal advice in executive session Monday evening regarding potential opioid litigation on behalf of Fairfield County, Council returned to public session and voted to join a lawsuit being brought by Savage, Royall & Sheheen L.L.P of Camden.

    “This firm is filing suits on behalf of a number of counties to recover losses occurring from us having to deal with the opioid epidemic,” County Administrator Jason Taylor said. “They are going after drug companies because of the cost of such things as sheriff’s calls, ambulance calls and all other costs resulting from opioid use.”

    Taylor said the suit is not a class action suit, but the law firm is suing on behalf of the individual counties. As to what extent Fairfield County is affected by opioid use, Taylor said the law firm will begin gathering statewide statistics and looking at national statistics and extrapolating those downward.

    “Then they will look specifically at Fairfield County,” Taylor said.

    According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others. These drugs are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain and can produce euphoria in addition to pain relief, according to the Institute.

    The Voice left a voice message on Wednesday with the Sheriff’s department asking about the overall extent of the use or misuse of opioids in Fairfield County, but the department had not responded at press time.