Saturday, February 5, 2022
Friday, February 4, 2022
20 people arrested, charged in drone attacks at Lee Correctional, officials say
( Sounds like a Mexican Cartel member needed his drugs @ some money. Why
they even called it an attack ?? smh .. ) ( El Chapo must be in there. )
BISHOPVILLE, S.C. —
An eight-month investigation into drone attacks at a South Carolina prison has led to 20 arrests and more than 100 pounds of contraband confiscated, officials said Thursday.
In a release, officials said the investigation was conducted during frequent nighttime drone assaults at Lee Correctional Institution, in Bishopville, about 50 miles northeast of Columbia.
The latest arrests were made over the weekend when Lee County Sheriff’s deputies took five people into custody in two separate, unrelated groups that they said were attempting to fly drones carrying contraband over the prison fences.
“Our main focus is to stop contraband from entering the institution, and especially prevent someone from getting injured in the process,” Lee County Sheriff Daniel Simon said. “We formed this partnership years ago, working hand in hand with each other to keep the inmates and the public safe.”
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The investigation began in May 2021, with eight arrests being made through August. The 2022 arrests were all in January. Lee Correctional is just outside the city limits of Bishopville, a small town near Interstate 20. Law enforcement officers work together to combat the frequent drone attacks.
“My officers are ready and willing to assist the sheriff’s office any time, especially when it involves the drone activity and contraband at the prison,” Bishopville Police Chief J.D. Dellinger said.
As drone technology gets more sophisticated, law enforcement continues to improve efforts and techniques to stop contraband packages from reaching the hands of inmates.
The recent seizures at Lee include:
- About 100 pounds of tobacco
- About 13 pounds of marijuana
- About 843 grams of methamphetamines
- About 114 grams of crack cocaine
- About 49 grams of cocaine
- 25 cellphones
- Two knives
- Three guns
- 12 drones
- $6,393 in cash
Packages also included numerous charging cords, lighters, bottles of liquor, candy and clothing items.
Officers also have found three abandoned drones containing about five pounds of tobacco and 100 grams of meth in the woods near the prison fences.
In the most recent incident, two unrelated groups of people were both trying to fly drones over the yard at the same time. Simon said one of those drones was the largest he’s ever seen.
“These large drones can carry heavier and heavier packages,” Simon said. “We are working hard to stop them from getting in the wrong hands.”
“I’m grateful for the partnership with have with Lee County and the hard work their officers do to keep contraband from entering the institution,” SCDC Director Bryan Stirling said.
Thursday, February 3, 2022
Why take a Team of 3 Detectives and a PI off a Case ?? These Detectives were close to making arrest in 2010. Brittanee Drexel Case. Makes no sense ...
Something is very wrong in this case. The Police have names, suspects,
witnesses, but get pulled??
It's like some Senator or Senator son is involved.
FBI took over the Case and it went stone cold. ( ?? )
Why can't the Family have Closure??
MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - It's now been more than two years since New York teen Brittanee Drexel vanished along the Grand Strand.
The Drexel disappearance is a very complicated case. Drexel went missing back in April of 2009 in Myrtle Beach, but searches have taken the case as far as Georgetown and Charleston counties.
Now a group of people very close to this investigation is coming forward for the first time, to talk about what they say could be holding this case back.
Because this was such a huge case, back in 2009 each law enforcement agency assigned a lead investigator to be in charge of it, and to communicate with the other departments.
For Myrtle Beach Police, it was Vincent Dorio. For the Charleston County Sheriff's office Rocky Burke, and for the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office, the lead was Chris Bailey.
Several months later, a private group called Merrill's Investigations was brought in to help.
Steve Pickering of Merrill's, says they had additional resources that law enforcement needed, and they were volunteering those resources and time.
"Merrill's had started working down here with their canine team, and while they were down here working, they were presented with a unique opportunity to work hand in hand with the Georgetown Sheriff's Department to try to work this case," explained Pickering.
They say things were going great. Chris Bailey describes the momentum and chemistry they had from the very beginning.
"You took strangers," said Bailey, "I had never met Rocky before, never met Vincent before, and never met Steve or anybody else from Merrill's before the case, and in a short time, they were able to build a bond and trust."
With the help of Merrill's Investigations, Chris and Rocky say all the agencies were working side-by-side, gaining ground. They lived and breathed this case, working and developing new leads and getting very close to making some arrests.
In the summer of 2010, however, they say that all changed.
In June, Bailey was taken off the case completely for the Georgetown County Sheriff's Office. Just a few months later, the same thing happened to Burke at the Charleston County Sheriff's Office.
"Some new task forces were formed and my role was diminished," said Burke.
Around that same time, Merrill's Investigations was told, their services were no longer needed, says Pickering.
"I was told, our involvement had run its course, thank you very much, and if we need you, we'll call," Pickering explained. "No one's called me."
That's where they say the problem now lies. These guys who have been with the case from the beginning say they have now been shut out of the investigation.
"Compared to where this case was at the end of April, last year, I feel bad it hasn't progressed beyond that. We were going. We had a focus. We had a direction. We had everybody on board," said Pickering. "Everybody was in it because they could see the end, and then, it ended."
Bailey says he wishes there could be more communication between the old and new set of eyes on the case.
"The biggest problem that I see is when you do bring in a new set of eyes, you still should have some contact with the ones that was from the start, that has the knowledge of what's going on in the case," said Bailey. "The more information you have, the better off you are, in the long run of it."
Shortly after Bailey and Burke were taken off the case, they both retired, and are now employed by Merrill's Investigations.
This interview is the first time this group is coming forward to talk about it all. They say they are serious about solving this case - so serious that Pickering flew in from Maine, just to talk with WMBF News.
"We were invited to help, we wanted to help, and now we're vested in it," said Pickering. "We don't want to walk away from something. We don't want to leave it undone."
They don't want to point fingers, or place blame on anyone, but they want everyone involved to know – they're available, and willing to give of their time, their resources, and their knowledge of the case.
"You've got to at least be able to communicate with the other people that have done it for so many months prior to you even coming into it," said Bailey. "I mean when you look back to a year ago, they were a year behind already when they got reassigned to the case, so they're already trying to play catch-up now. Here we are another year later, and they're still playing catch up. It's there, it's right there."
Pickering agrees, saying more communication between Merrill's and other agencies could help solve it.
"Rocky and Chris probably know more about this case than anybody, and for them not to be a resource does hurt the case," said Pickering.
They say that if more would be done, the family might already have those answers. Bailey says an arrest in the Drexel case is possible.
"When you lay it out and you start looking at things, it's a lot easier to start connecting dots, and you just got to make the final connection on it," said Bailey," but everything is there."
Merrill's Investigations says they are still working this case and anything they find out they will pass along to law enforcement.
They wish everyone could work together, to gain back that momentum that they say was there during the early days of this investigation.
Myrtle Beach Police say they are working the case as hard as ever, and say they've never been shy about asking for help, if they were to need it.
The Georgetown County Sheriff's Office says they still have an investigator assigned to the case, and are still working very diligently on it.
The Charleston County Sheriff's Office says they no longer have a lead investigator in charge of the Drexel case.
With Less Police More People Die Unnecessarily .. !
Carjackings Sky High
People Dying in Apartment Fires - If the right number of
Police were on Patrol they wouldn't die .. That Patrolman
would see that Fire at 3 or 4 am and knock-on doors waking
people up Savings Lives ..
Crime Soaring .. smh
Thanks a lot News Media, Terrorist Groups Antifa, BLM, ect.,
Wednesday, February 2, 2022
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