Press Releases

David Henson, and wife, Bobbie Jo Wulf-Henson Plead Guilty to Manufacturing Methamphetamine and Child Abuse Charges. Published On 11/10/2011 11:52 AM	Justin Nathaniel Lamarr, 20 years old, plead guilty to First Degree Burglary, Assault and Battery, Conspiracy, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Violent Crime Published On 10/12/2011 8:51 AM	Travis Bernard Phillips, 27 years old, plead guilty to daytime burglaries Published On 10/11/2011 8:30 AM	Thomas Clinton Jordan Lockridge, 18 years old, plead guilty to 16 counts of Breaking and Entering a Motor Vehicle Published On 10/11/2011 8:27 AM
Reginald Hayes, age 19, pleaded guilty to First Degree Assault and Battery Published On 10/10/2011 9:32 AM	Todd Eugene Smith, age 38, was convicted, following a jury trial, of Strong Arm Robbery Published On 8/29/2011 3:57 PM	Raymond Bradley McCarter pled guilty to the offense of Assault and Battery with the Intent to Kill Published On 8/29/2011 3:55 PM	US Airways Pilot Convicted of DUI Published On 8/16/2011 9:54 AM
York County Solicitor's Office Anti-Drug/Violence Poster Contest Published On 5/17/2011 3:01 PM	James Wesley McAlister Pleads Guilty Published On 5/3/2011 9:00 AM	Jason Ray Franks Convicted of Attempted Murder Published On 12/17/2010 10:47 AM	Fraudulent Check Unit: Husband and Wife Convicted Published On 1/15/2010 8:56 AM
Eric Delano Smith - Insurance Fraud Published On 5/29/2008 4:38 PM	Anti-Drug/Violence Poster Contest Published On 5/21/2008 9:23 AM	“Don’t Cross The Line” Published On 5/13/2008 3:54 PM

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November 8, 2011

Couple Cooking Methamphetamine in House with 1 Year Old Sentenced.

David “Manny” Henson was sentenced to 12 years in prison without the possibility of parole last week. Henson’s wife, Bobbie Jo Wulf – Henson of Rock Hill and a former Vice President of Wachovia, plead guilty to Manufacturing Methamphetamine and Child Abuse charges stemming from a York Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Agency investigation last month. She was sentenced to 10 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections. The couple was also ordered to pay $2119.50 restitution for the costs of cleaning up the Methamphetamine Lab found in her home.

In April of 2010, the couple was arrested in their home during the execution of search warrant obtained after Manny Henson sold Methamphetamine to an undercover informant. During the search, Officers from the York County DEU and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division discovered an active Methamphetamine Laboratory in the house. Manny Henson was charged with two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine, Trafficking in Methamphetamine, Manufacturing of Methamphetamine, Distribution of Marijuana, and Illegal Disposal of Methamphetamine Waste Product. Wulf-Henson, who was pregnant at the time, was charged with Exposing a Child to Methamphetamine and later indicted for conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine.

In March 2011, while the Henson’s were awaiting trial, the York County DEU received information that Methamphetamine was again being manufactured at the couple’s home on Fox Lair Court in Rock Hill. On March 29, 2011, Officer’s discovered Methamphetamine and evidence of a Methamphetamine Lab in the home. The Hensons’ now seven month old child was also present. The couple was arrested for Manufacturing Methamphetamine and Unlawful Conduct towards a Child.

Wulf-Henson, who has been held without bond since her 2011 arrest, pled guilty to Manufacturing Methamphetamine. Manufacturing Methamphetamine within Proximity of a School, Exposure of a Child to Methamphetamine, and Unlawful Conduct Towards a Child in last month. Wulf-Henson, now 42 years old, had no prior criminal record.

Manny Henson, pled guilty to two counts of Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine and Marijuana and was sentenced to a 12 years sentence without the possibility of parole on October 31^st. A third individual arrested at the home, Curtis Reid Adkins, plead guilty in October 2010 and received a 12 year sentence.

“The Hensons are the perfect example of how dangerous Methamphetamine is to our community, they had every advantage in life, a good job, a family, and threw it all away, but more importantly, put an innocent child’s life in danger”, said 16^th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett. Methamphetamine Labs pose a particular threat to the community and environment because of the risk of contamination due to caustic chemical fumes and waste. Moreover, the volatility of the chemicals used often cause Labs to explode, posing a risk to innocent bystanders and law enforcement investigating the labs. “The Hensons had a choice to live in the home, their infant child did not.” Solicitor Brackett said that he has made the prosecution of Meth Labs a priority in York County and will show little tolerance when it comes to the prosecution of Meth Cooks who recklessly endanger our community.

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October 12, 2011

Two young men involved in a Clover area home invasion that resulted in the death of a young woman have pleaded guilty to their involvement in the incident.

Justin Nathaniel Lamarr, 20 years old, plead guilty on September 23, 2011 before Circuit Court Judge Lee Alford to the crimes of First Degree Burglary, Assault and Battery, Conspiracy, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Violent Crime. He was sentenced to 15 years without parole in prison.

Lamarr, accompanied by two other young people, 17 year old Christina Marie Sayers and 17 year old Jeffrey Garrett Gillespie, went to the residence of Cody Millwood at 2985 West Highway 55 in Clover around 7:30 on the morning of May 26th this year. Lamarr later told the police that he and Sayers were going to Millwood's residence to punish Millwood for dropping out of their “gang”. Jeffrey Garrett Gillespie evidently thought that Lamarr was going to someone's residence to sell marijuana, and did not know what Lamarr and Sayers were planning and did not know that both Lamarr and Sayers were armed with pistols.

When they arrived at the residence on West Highway 55, Gillespie waited in the vehicle while Lamarr and Sayers got out and went around the back of Millwood's residence. Millwood was alone in the small trailer home, and was asleep. Lamarr helped Sayers crawl through a rear window of the home. Millwood, in bed inside, was awakened by the noise of someone coming down the central hallway of the home, and realized that someone had broken into the home. He got a quick glimpse of someone quickly passing the open door of his bedroom, and he grabbed a pistol. Sayers went to the door of the house and let in Lamarr, and the two of them, armed with pistols, moved toward Millwood's bedroom.

The two intruders virtually collided with Millwood in the doorway to his bedroom, and Millwood reflexively fired a shot that hit Sayers, who staggered backwards toward the open front door. Lamarr, still armed with a pistol, then briefly wrestled with Millwood, who fired a second shot that hit Lamarr in the face.

Lamarr ran back to the parked vehicle, wounded, not fatally, from the bullet wound to his face. Gillespie realized something terrible had happened, and drove Lamarr to a Gaston County hospital.

Christina Marie Sayers made it out of the back door to the deck where she collapsed and died.

Jeffrey Garrett Gillespie pleaded guilty on September 14, 2011 to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana and Accessory After the Fact of First Degree Burglary. He has not yet been sentenced.

“Miss Sayers made a series of foolish decisions that ultimately resulted in her death at the very young age of 17”, said Solicitor Kevin Brackett. “I hope that the youth of York County will stop and think about Christina and her decisions if they are confronted with the same choices because gangs, guns and drugs are nothing but a dead end.”

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October 11, 2011

A Charlotte man, whose lengthy criminal record includes 7 convictions in North Carolina for Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon, was sentenced September 20, 2011 in York County's General Sessions Court to 25 years in prison for 5 burglaries.

Travis Bernard Phillips, 27 years old, plead guilty to the daytime burglaries of a house on Peachtree Lane in Fort Mill on May 19th this year, a house on Montgomery Road in Clover on May 23rd, a house on Sutton Road in Fort Mill on April 27th, a house on Wedgefield Drive in Rock Hill on May 2nd, and a house on Parham Road in Clover on May 2nd. The homes had all been entered by breaking in a doorway. The burglaries were solved when police found Mr. Phillips wallet lying on the floor of the Montgomery Road home after responding to the call from the homeowner. Upon being located and interviewed in Charlotte Phillips acknowledged his responsibility for these five burglaries in York County.

Phillips had been released from prison in North Carolina in late 2010 after serving approximately 8 years on a number of armed robbery charges.

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October 10, 2011

           Thomas Clinton Jordan Lockridge, 18 years old, plead guilty on October 6th to 16 counts of Breaking and Entering a Motor Vehicle.   Circuit Court Judge Lee Alford sentenced him to 30 months in prison to be followed on his release with probation.   He was ordered to pay $2,158.00 in restitution to the victim vehicle owners when he gets out of prison and goes on probation.

          The vehicles broken into were for the most part parked in the parking lots of apartment complexes on Patriot Parkway, Cypress Point Drive, Celanese Road, and Springsteen Road.   The break-ins all occurred around the month of May of this year at the several different locations.

            Lockridge had a codefendant in these 16 vehicle break-ins, Rameek Davis, also 18 years old, and Davis plead guilty to his charges on September 23, 2011, and was sentenced under the Youthful Offender Act to a sentence not to exceed 5 years.   He also was ordered to pay $2,158.00 in restitution when he is released from prison.

           Rock Hill Police Chief John Gregory would like to remind the public to make sure that valuables are not stored in plain view and most importantly that people make sure to lock their cars. “The vast majority of these car break-ins involve cars that were left unlocked by their owners. Don’t make it so simple for criminals to steal your property”, he said.

            16^th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett agreed. “In this case Lockridge and Davis walked through parking lots at apartment complexes looking for the easy target. They found unlocked cars with GPS units on the dash, expensive sunglasses on the console and other electronics on the seats. The public using common sense is the first and best line of defense against car break-ins as well as other crimes.”

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October 10, 2011

Reginald Hayes, age 19, pleaded guilty to First Degree Assault and Battery in connection with the March 26^th shooting of his 10 year-old cousin. The Honorable Lee S. Alford sentenced Mr. Hayes to a Youthful Offender Sentence not to exceed five years.

On March 26, 2011, Reginald Hayes, then 18 years-old, removed a .32 caliber revolver, which belonged to an older family member, from its hiding place and began to play with the unloaded gun with the Victim. Reginald Hayes loaded the gun and then removed several bullets, ultimately leaving ammunition in two chambers. Reginald Hayes, after checking the location of the ammunition in the chambers and apparently in the mistaken belief that the gun would not fire, pointed the gun at the 10 year-old Victim and pulled the trigger. The gun discharged, striking the Victim in the face. The Victim ultimately lost his right eye.

The Defendant was originally charged with Infliction of Great Bodily Injury Upon a Child, which is a felony carrying up to twenty years in prison. As part of a plea bargain, the State reduced the charge to First Degree Assault and Battery, which is felony carrying up to ten years in prison, and asked the court to impose a sentence under the Youthful Offender Act. Under the terms of a Youthful Offender Sentence, an offender serves an active prison sentence of 10 to 13 months in the Department of Corrections before being released on parole.

The plea was heard by the Honorable Lee S. Alford on Friday, October 7, 2011. The Victim’s mother and other family members were present at the plea. They did not address the court, but supported the plea negotiations in the case. After listening to the recitation of the facts, the Honorable Lee S. Alford accepted the plea and imposed the recommended Youthful Offender Sentence not to exceed 5 years. In accepting the plea bargain, Judge Alford noted that the State’s recitation of the facts demonstrated that Mr. Hayes had not intentionally shot the 10 year- old Victim but that his actions in loading and handling the gun constituted criminal recklessness.

“This is a heartbreaking case,” said Solicitor Kevin Brackett. “My heart goes out to the Victim and his family. The Victim’s life has been changed forever. This guilty plea cannot give back to the Victim what has been taken away from him. I can only hope that this case will serve to prevent future tragedies by reminding us all of the importance of safely storing and handling firearms.”

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August 26, 2011

Todd Eugene Smith, age 38, was convicted, following a jury trial, of Strong Arm Robbery, and was sentenced to fifteen years in South Carolina Department of Corrections.

At trial, the 17-year old female Victim testified that on February 13, 2011, the Defendant approached her in her driveway at 9:10 PM as she was locking her car. The Defendant began a friendly conversation with the Victim. However, when the Defendant noticed a Twenty Dollar bill in the Victim’s pocket, he became loud and aggressive and demanded that the Victim give him the money. The Victim testified that she gave the Defendant the money because she was afraid of him and what would happen if she did not do as he said. The Defendant then fled the scene. The Defendant was apprehended a short time later and positively identified by the Victim.

On Tuesday, August 23, 2011, the jury returned a verdict of guilty. At sentencing, the Honorable Lee S. Alford considered the Defendant’s criminal history before imposing the maximum sentence of fifteen years in prison. The Defendant is a convicted sex offender whose criminal history includes 1996 convictions from North Carolina for two counts of Common Law Robbery, one count of Second Degree Rape, one count of Second Degree Sexual Offense, and one Count of Kidnapping.

The case was prosecuted at trial by Assistant Solicitor Erin Joyner.

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For further information, please contact the Office of Solicitor Kevin Brackett at (803) 628-3020 and ask to speak with Erin Joyner

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August 26, 2011

After a day and a half of trial testimony, the Defendant, Raymond Bradley McCarter pled guilty to the offense of Assault and Battery with the Intent to Kill the victim, Dwayne Southard. The Honorable John C. Hayes, III sentenced the Defendant to Ten Years without parole.

The violent encounter happened on February 5, of 2010 when the Defendant, seeking out another individual, went by mistake to the home of the victim in Sharon. In defense of his home and two teenage children, the victim went outside to confront the Defendant, who was armed with a large framing hammer. A struggle ensued and the victim was struck several times with the hammer resulting in numerous injuries including a fractured skull.

Solicitor Kevin Brackett stated that, “Without a doubt, the community of Sharon and the county as a whole is safer with this man behind bars. Every individual has a right to protect their property and their family and feel safe in their own home.”

The case was prosecuted at trial by Assistant Solicitor Mindy Lipinski.

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For further information, please contact the Office of Solicitor Kevin Brackett at (803) 628-3020 and ask to speak with Mindy Lipinski

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US Airways Pilot Convicted of DUI

On Thursday August 11, 2011, a York County jury convicted Samuel Thomas Hannan, III of DUI-2^nd Offense. Hannan, a pilot with US Airways, was arrested on October 9, 2010 for DUI after nearly side-swiping a marked Sheriff’s Department patrol car driven by Deputy Ryan King. Hannan was also observed driving erratically and at a high rate of speed. Hannan refused to submit to field sobriety testing and refused to provide a breath sample for the purposes of determining his blood alcohol concentration.

Hannan told Deputy King he was on his way to his “crash pad” in Lake Wylie that night after spending the day on the lake followed by a stop in at a bar/ restaurant. He admitted to drinking three beers but later confessed to Deputy King that he had consumed more than that amount. Hannan was sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of $2100, suspended on the service of five days in jail and a fine of $1,500 with court costs (a total of $3,354.50), followed by five years of probation. His prior conviction for DUI was for “Extreme DUI” out of Arizona in 2006.

Hannan was represented by Michael L. Brown, Jr. Prosecutors for the State were Assistant Solicitor John Mark Shiflet and Assistant Solicitor Matthew W. Shelton of the 16^th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office. “Thanks to the York County jurors who participated in the process and ensured justice was achieved in this case,” said Assistant Solicitor Shiflet.

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For further information, please contact the Office of Solicitor Kevin Brackett at (803) 628-3020 and ask to speak with John Mark Shiflet.

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Solicitor Kevin Brackett is in his fourth year as sponsor of the York County Solicitor's Office Anti-Drug/Violence Poster Contest involving fifth grade students in the elementary schools in York County. The winning posters have been selected and will be printed on calendars that will be distributed for free throughout York County in August 2011. The winners are as follows:

Brent Courtwright

Bethany Elementary

Harrison Kendree

The Children’s School at Sylvia Circle

Austin Gunnels

Bethel Elementary

Rachel Rodriguez

Independence Elementary

Grace Tong

Bethel Elementary

Veronica DelValle

Finley Road Elementary

Caroline Packard

Sugar Creek Elementary

Davis Johnson

Ebenezer Avenue Elementary

Michael Marcsik

Riverview Elementary

Logan Coker

Northside Elementary School of Arts

Kyle Tolbert

Rosewood Elementary

Spencer Long

The Children’s School at Sylvia Circle

Hunter Dickerson

Rosewood Elementary

Shaira Nixon

Old Pointe Elementary

Also, the Awards Ceremony for the winners will take place on the following date and time:
AWARDS CEREMONY FOR ANTI-DRUG/VIOLENCE CALENDAR
Thursday, May 26, 2011
4:00 p.m.
The Center for the Arts
121 East Main Street
Rock Hill, SC, South Carolina

At this awards ceremony, the winning posters will be displayed and the students will receive a $100 savings bond.

The Solicitor’s Office is very happy to be involved in this project that will bring awareness to others of the dangers of drug use, alcohol abuse and the effects of violence in our community.

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If you need directions or have other questions regarding the contest, please call Ouida Dest at 803-909-7575.

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James Wesley McAlister, aged 20, entered a guilty plea on Wednesday April 27, 2011, to one count of First Degree Burglary. Pre-trial motions were heard on Tuesday, April 26, 2011, and the trial was set to begin on Wednesday, April 27^th.

During the plea, McAlister admitted that he entered his neighbor’s home, located at 677 North Burris Road in Sharon, South Carolina, in the nighttime on or about April 1, 2008. The home’s occupants were not home at the time. When the occupants returned home, they discovered the home vandalized, family keepsakes and pictures destroyed, and jewelry and electronics stolen.

In a statement prepared by the Victim and read to the Court by Assistant Solicitor Erin Joyner, the Victim explained to the Court the effect this crime has had on her family. The statement provided, in part:

This affects me and my boys more than anyone will ever know. It has taken us three years to rebuild our life and for me to try to make up to my children for all we lost. But it’s been harder to forget. I still come home every day worried that something like this will happen to us again.

After hearing from the Defense and from the Victim, Judge John C. Hayes imposed a twelve-year sentence. First Degree Burglary is a felony punishable by up to life in prison. It is classified as a most serious offense under South Carolina’s Three Strike Law and as a Violent Offense. First Degree Burglary is also classified as a no-parole offense, which means that Mr. McAlister will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for release.

Mr. McAlister’s criminal history includes December 2010 convictions for Ill-Treatment of Animals, Dog Stealing, and Threatening the Life of a Public Official, for which he received consecutive sentences totaling seven years.

For More Information contact: Erin Joyner at 803-628-3020

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Jason Ray Franks, age 29, was convicted on Wednesday, December 15, 2010, of Attempted Murder following a two-day jury trial and received a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
             The evidence presented at trial showed that Franks had a longstanding feud with the victim, Edward Mullins, and had made repeated threats to kill Mr. Mullins. On June 7, 2010, Franks saw Mr. Mullins driving a moped down Tega Cay Drive toward Gold Hill Road. Franks pursued Mr. Mullins in a borrowed sport utility vehicle and deliberately crashed the sport utility vehicle into Mr. Mullins. Mr. Mullins was thrown from his moped. Mr. Mullins survived the attack but sustained injuries which resulted in scarring over much of his body. According to Mr. Mullins’ testimony, when he looked into his rearview mirror and saw the vehicle driven by Franks speeding toward him, he believed he was going to die.
              In addition to Mr. Mullins’ testimony, the jury viewed evidence displaying Mr. Mullins’ injuries on the day of the attack and the resulting scarring and heard the testimony of an eyewitness, several law enforcement officers, and several defense witnesses before reaching a guilty verdict.
              This conviction is Franks’ second conviction for a “Most Serious Offense”, which under South Carolina Law requires a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.   Franks’ prior record includes a 2001 South Carolina conviction for Homicide by Child Abuse, also a “Most Serious Offense”, and North Carolina convictions for Assault on a Female and Communicating Threats in 1998 and Damage to Property in 1999.

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January 8th, 2010

A husband and wife were convicted of 14 counts of fraudulent checks in Catawba-Ebenezer Township Magistrate Court Wednesday evening. From mid-December 2008 to March 2009 Graham and Jennifer McCall passed a series of bad checks in Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Tega Cay defrauding various merchants of over $2000.

They both appeared in Check Court on Wednesday January 6, 2010 and entered a plea of guilty to all charges. Judge Robert Davenport was presiding and after hearing the facts and statements of the victimized merchants rendered his verdict. Graham received a sentence of 90 days in jail and Jennifer was sentenced to 180 days in jail. Restitution was ordered in full on all checks. Prosecution of these charges was handled by the 16^th Circuit Solicitor’s Office Fraudulent Check Unit.

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On Tuesday, May 27, 2008, the defendant, Eric Delano Smith, from Charlotte, North Carolina, pled guilty to Insurance Fraud 2nd Offense and was sentenced by The Hon. Larry B. Hyman, Jr. to the maximum sentence of ten years. Eric Smith had a previous conviction from 2005 for three counts of Insurance Fraud from York, South Carolina and had recently been released from an 11 month sentence in October of 2007 in Charlotte, North Carolina for seven counts of Insurance Fraud.

York County Sheriff’s Office Detective Tracy Strickland, working along with Walt Woloszczuk, with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, conducted a thorough investigation that revealed that in the past three years Mr. Smith has filed in excess of thirty claims and defrauded various insurance agencies of over $50,000.00. Eric Smith would use other people’s names, bank accounts, and other personal identity information to secure fraudulent policies and to make fraudulent claims.

The 16th Circuit Solicitor, Kevin Brackett stated, “We are very pleased with this sentence. This defendant needs to be made to understand that the justice system will not tolerate this type of fraud. When people like Eric Smith cheat an insurance company we all have to pay in the form of increased premiums. We sincerely hope that Eric Smith and anyone else contemplating this type of crime will take note of Judge Hyman’s sentence and choose to find an honest way to make a dollar.”

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Please contact Assistant Solicitor, Mindy Lipinski at 803-628-3020 with any questions or for further details.

Mindy Lipinski
Assistant Solicitor
16th Circuit Solicitor’s Office
1675-1A York Highway
York, S.C. 29745

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Winners of the York County Solicitor’s Office

Anti-Drug/Violence Poster Contest for 2008-2009 Calendar

Over 70% of all crimes involve the use and abuse of drugs or alcohol. Each year there is a steady number of juveniles charged with assault and other aggressive behavior. These trends are alarming and everyone in our community needs to work together on prevention efforts. To that end, the York County Solicitor’s Office is in its inaugural year of sponsoring an Anti-Drug/Anti-Violence Poster Contest involving fifth grade students in schools in York County.

This contest is an education and prevention effort by our Office to promote awareness of the dangers of drug use, alcohol abuse and the effects of violence. It is aimed at providing youth in York County the opportunity to make their own positive statement of the dangers of these serious problems and to join in our effort to reduce crime in York County.

Over the past school year, the York County Solicitor’s Office has been accepting posters from fifth grade students in any school in York County. The winners have been selected and the awards ceremony has been scheduled.

The winners of the First Annual York County Solicitor’s Office Anti-Drug/ Violence Poster Calendar Contest for 2008-2009 are as follows:

Tori Herron- Gold Hill Elementary School
John Romanski- Riverview Elementary School
Michal Elizabeth Kemp- Gold Hill Elementary School
Lauren Ervin- Springfield Elementary School
Makaila Manning- Oakdale Elementary School
Troyanna Adams- Old Pointe Elementary School
Jadarrias Vance- Oakdale Elementary School
Isaiah Blackmon- Riverview Elementary School
Victoria Norman- India Hook Elementary School
Wendy Yang- Gold Hill Elementary School
Madison Rinehart- The Children’s School
Kayla Champion- Oakdale Elementary School
Daniel Jose Feagin- Cotton Belt Elementary School- HONORABLE MENTION

Each of these children’s drawings will be featured in the calendar and each child will be given a $100 savings bond. The awards ceremony will be held on the following date time and location:

Awards Ceremony for Anti-Drug/Violence Calendar
Thursday, May 22, 2008
4:30 p.m.
The Center for the Arts
121 East Main Street
Rock Hill, South Carolina
We believe that this contest will be a valuable prevention effort in our County. Several thousand calendars will be distributed throughout the county after the calendar is published.

Please contact Ouida Dest at 803-909-7575 with any questions or for further details.

Ouida S. Dest
Assistant Deputy Solicitor
529 S. Cherry Rd. Box 5
Rock Hill, SC 29732
803-909-7575

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For Immediate Release

“Don’t Cross The Line” crime awareness campaign announced

On Wednesday May 14th at 10:30 a.m. 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett and York County Sheriff Bruce Bryant will be joined by local law enforcement officers from every municipality in York County at the South Carolina state line to announce their new joint initiative to combat cross-border crime.

The campaign, titled “Don’t Cross the Line”, is designed to raise awareness in the North Carolina criminal community of the significant differences in the severity and likelihood of punishment for violent crimes in South Carolina as compared to Charlotte. “Many criminals who come down here from Charlotte are unaware of how much more severe the sentences are in York County”, said Solicitor Kevin Brackett. “They frequently comment that they would not have come to South Carolina had they known.” “After hearing this many times I realized that we needed to do a better job of educating the Charlotte criminal community and that is what we hope to accomplish with this campaign.”

The campaign will be supported by the owners and operators of the Plaza Fiesta Carolinas who have generously offered to allow the Sheriff and Solicitor to use their recently installed LCD billboard. At the press conference the first message of the campaign will be displayed on the billboard. “Arturo Adonay and Plaza Fiesta have really shown their community spirit by working with us to make this happen”, said Brackett. “We would not be in a position to do this without their generosity.”

In addition to this, Sheriff Bruce Bryant will discuss how his departmental restructuring will allow for a more proactive and flexible response strategy to respond quickly to cross-border criminal activity. “Many criminals hope they can get back over the line before we catch them”, said Sheriff Bryant. “What they are going to be finding more and more is that we are going to be waiting for them”. “The new strategy coupled with a recent interstate agreement allowing us to pursue offenders into North Carolina more easily than before will mean there is no upside to coming into York County, just the downside of a long prison sentence”, he said.
The press conference will be held in the back parking lot of the Plaza Fiesta under the LCD Billboard. For directions go to www.plazafiestacarolinas.com and click on the “Location” tab. The physical address is 3700 Avenue of the Carolinas, Fort Mill, SC 29715.

For More Information contact: Stacy Strickland at 803-628-3020 or Lori Stoneburner at 803-628-3059

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