LAURINBURG – Scotland County Sheriff’s Office gave the gift of metal bracelets to some county residents as part of an investigation called Operation 12 Days of Christmas.
The sting resulted in 10 arrests in Laurel Hill, Laurinburg and Marston for drug and theft charges with four more suspects still being sought.
The operation included two weeks of research into local break ins and illegal drug activity, according to Capt. Earl Haywood, chief detective of Scotland County Sheriff’s Office.
“During that time we were able to execute three successful search warrants, seize property and identify suspects in those cases,” Haywood said. “We worked pretty hard on this thing, and every day we had something come up new information, new leads.”
The sheriff’s office worked with other law enforcement offices and the public.
“Over the last several weeks we’ve been getting a look at break in reports in the county and starting to analyze the data and the areas that were hit, the kinds of property that was taken and the MO [modus operandi] of the people committing the crimes,” Haywood said. “We interviewed people and worked with other law enforcement agencies to locate these people. The public has been helpful in this too.”
Much of the property has already been identified and returned to the owners, but there is still some for which detectives have not located the owners, Haywood said.
Some of the arrests made were in connection to a recent string of break ins to storage units owned by ZV Pate Inc. in Laurel Hill. Several of the facilities were hit on three occasions beginning in late October. The thieves cut locks on, and stole items stored inside and in some cases left damage to the buildings or gates.
Four people were arrested in those break ins.
Kenneth Ryan Chavis, 28, of Pate Street, Laurel Hill was arrested for four felony counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle, four felony counts of conspiracy to commit breaking and entering, four felony counts of breaking and entering, two felony counts of attempted larceny, one felony count of larceny of a firearm, five felony counts of larceny and four misdemeanor counts of injury to real property. No bond amount was available for Chavis.
Brittany Ciera Chavis, 25, of Hunt Road, Laurel Hill was arrested for four felony counts of breaking and entering, and three misdemeanor counts of injury to real property. Hunt was given a $60,000 secured bond.
Davey Leviner, 38, of Peeles Chapel Road, Laurel Hill was arrested for one felony count of possession of stolen goods, and one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Leviner was given a $15,000 unsecured bond.
Robin Leviner, 44, of Peeles Chapel Road was arrested for felony possession of stolen goods and given a $15,000 unsecured bond.
Donovan Utley, 19, of Kayla Drive, Marston was arrested for first degree burglary, breaking and entering and larceny after breaking and entering for the Dec. 7 break in at Breeden’s Convenience Store on Aberdeen Road where an undisclosed amount of Newport cigarettes were taken. Utley was given a $10,000 secured bond.
Five others were arrested on separate drug and larceny charges as a result of the investigation.
Mary Miller, 26, of Cameron Street, Laurel Hill was arrested for one felony count of accessory after the fact breaking and entering, one felony count of possession of stolen goods, one misdemeanor possession of a non-marijuana-related drug, and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia. Miller was given a $15,000 secured bond.
Robert Goodwin, 32, of Stanley Bonner Road, Laurel Hill was arrested for three felony counts of breaking and entering a motor vehicle, two felony counts of larceny, and one felony count of possession with intent to sell and deliver methamphetamine, one felony count of possession of methamphetamine, and one felony count of possession of drug paraphernalia. Goodwin was given a $15,000 secured bond.
Arnoldrea Victoria Thomas, 44, of Washington Street, Laurinburg was arrested for two felony counts of possession with intent to sell and deliver a schedule II controlled substance, two felony counts of maintaining a dwelling place to distribute a controlled substance, two felony counts of conspiracy to sell and deliver a schedule II controlled substance and three felony counts of trafficking opium or heroin. Thomas was given a $290,000 secured bond.
George Martin, 47, of Washington Street, Laurinburg was arrested for one felony count of maintaining a dwelling place to distribute a controlled substance, one felony count of conspiracy to sell and deliver a schedule II controlled substance and one felony count of trafficking opium or heroin. Martin was given a $239,000 secured bond.
Terrance Lamont McKoy, 20, of Wagram Street, Laurinburg was arrested for one felony count of maintaining a dwelling place to distribute a controlled substance, one felony count of conspiracy to sell and deliver a schedule II controlled substance and one felony count of trafficking opium or heroin. McKoy was given a $230,000 secured bond.
