Investigators with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, recently announced the arrest of several individuals accused of masterminding a multi-county residential burglary ring.
The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office have arrested several suspects and the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating several previous home burglaries with arrests expected to be announced soon in at least three more home burglary cases.
“We appreciate the collaborative effort between the two counties to make the arrests and there will be more to come in the near future concerning past residential burglaries in the county,” Hampton County Sheriff T.C. Smalls said. “We appreciate all of those who helped in making the arrests.”
Residential burglaries within Hampton County began to occur in late spring. Investigators from the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office discovered a series of similar burglaries reported in Hampton County in late spring 2016 following numerous reported burglaries in Colleton County. Hampton County investigators reached out to local authorities for assistance and the two agencies began working the cases together.
By July of this year, Colleton and Hampton investigators identified some 40 residential burglaries that appeared to be linked (at least 12 in Hampton County and an estimated 20-30 in Colleton County). The vast majority of the victims in these incidents reported multiple firearms stolen. Between the two reporting agencies, investigators estimate more than 200 firearms have been stolen and presumably sold on the streets.
Working together, Colleton and Hampton investigators compiled information from crime scenes, witness statements, and multiple other sources. Then on July 14, investigators arrested Lindell Williams, 18, and Linzell Williams, 18, twin brothers from Walterboro. A third suspect, Esser Williams, 18, of Yemassee, took two weeks to track down. Esser Williams was apprehended on August 4, with the assistance of SLED’s Fugitive Team. A fourth suspect, Brooks Drawdy, 34, of Walterboro, was arrested on August 8. The fifth suspect, Otis Lamonte Rhodes III, 22, of Walterboro, remains at large despite cooperative efforts from multiple agencies. Rhodes has active felony arrest warrants and is believed to have fled the state. Investigators report that the Williams suspects and Rhodes are related.
The suspects have been charged with multiple counts of burglary in the first degree stemming from crimes committed during the operation and execution of the multi-county burglary ring. Authorities also report that the investigation is still very much active. Additional arrests and more charges are anticipated as Investigators continue to sort through an abundance of evidence.