A joint investigation into a multi-county burglary ring has resulted in the arrests of five suspects.
The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office, working with the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, released information on the investigation after a fifth at-large suspect was taken into custody today.
Otis Lamonte Rhodes Jr., 22, of Walterboro, was taken into custody Sept. 7 in Atlanta, Ga., by the U.S Marshall's Fugitive Task Force.
Rhodes is the son of former Walterboro police chief and current candidate for Colleton County sheriff Otis Rhodes. “I know very little about the case,” Rhodes said Wednesday afternoon. “He’s my son and I love him. He moved to Atlanta to live with my sister and go to school. If the sheriff would have called, I would have told him to come home. He has nothing to run from. Just because he’s my son he should be treated no different than any other citizen. Hopefully, he can work things out. I have taught him to be responsible and do the right thing. Unfortunately, the timing is not good. I'm running for sheriff, he's not. He’s beat cancer, has had his left leg amputated. He’s strong and hopefully he’ll be found not guilty in this process.”
On July 14, investigators arrested Lindell Williams, 18, and Linzell Williams, 18, twin brothers from Walterboro. The Williams brothers are related to Rhodes, according to the sheriff’s office press release.
The third suspect, Esser Williams, 18, of Yemassee, took two weeks to track down. He was apprehended on Aug. 4 with the assistance of SLED’s Fugitive Team.
Brooks Drawdy, 34, of Walterboro, was arrested on Aug. 8.
The suspects are charged with multiple counts of first-degree burglary stemming from crimes committed during the operation and execution of the multi-county burglary ring.
The investigation began in December of 2015, when Colleton detectives discovered that a series of burglaries all shared several key similarities.
On Dec. 20, 2015, a residence on Possum Corner Road in Colleton County was burglarized. The resident was a single mother of two small children. The burglars stole all of the Christmas presents from underneath the Christmas tree. According to Colleton County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Lt. Shane Roberts, a witness provided information that helped investigators develop several possible suspects.
On Jan. 18, three residences were burglarized in the Islandton area of Colleton County. In one incident, the victims’ 15-year-old daughter was home and hid inside a bathroom while the suspects looted the residence.
Once again, witnesses assisted authorities by providing pertinent information.
This time, investigators were able to corroborate statements and uncovered additional evidence. Subsequently, The Williams brothers were arrested and charged with two of the burglaries. The July arrest added additional charges.
In the late spring 2016, the Colleton County Sheriff's Office was notified of more residential burglaries. Hampton County investigators reached out to local authorities for assistance on similar burglaries.
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.
To add to the seriousness of the crimes at hand, the vast majority of the victims reported multiple firearms stolen, said Roberts. “Between the two reporting agencies, investigators estimate more than 200 firearms were stolen and presumably sold in the streets,” he said.
In a cooperative effort, Colleton and Hampton investigators compiled information from crimes scenes, witness statements and multiple other sources.
Roberts reports 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, Roberts explained.
