Marlboro County Sheriffs Office

Sheriff Charles Lemon

P.O Box 577 Bennettsville, S.C. 29512
Justice Complex 273 Throop Street
Office: (843)479-5605 Fax: (843)479-2851

Press Release- Theft Ring

Sheriff Charles Lemon announces the arrest of eleven defendants in a several month Investigation that
spans close to 10 years on some cases. At this time, over $400,000 worth of property has been recovered to
include tractors, zero turn mowers, trailers, heavy equipment machinery, fuel tanks, ATVs, farm equipment,
lawn care tools and equipment, tree cutting and tree climbing gear and various other items. This MCSO has
been assisted in the Investigation by several agencies with either manpower, other resources or intelligence
gathering. The Chesterfield County Sheriffs Office, SLED, Bennettsville Police Dept, Hartsville Police,
Darlington County Sheriffs Office, Florence County Sheriffs Office, Florence Police Dept ,DNR, Cheraw
Police and the SBI and Whiteville PD in NC also assisted in the case and most had cases solved and property
returned to their victims as a result of the investigation.

The defendants are as follows: David Ray Jackson, aka David Jackson, 68 years old of 2316 Salem Rd
Bennettsville SC; his son David Jay Jackson aka Jay Jackson, 38 years old of 2275 Salem Rd Bennettsville SC;
the brother and uncle of those defendants Frankie Eugene Jackson aka Gene Jackson, 66 years old of 2327
Salem Rd Bennettsville SC; Jamie Truett Gray, 36 years old of 726 Salem Rd Bennettsville SC; former step
father of Gray arrested also is Wilbur David Berry, 55 years old of 145 Bethesda Way Latta SC; Sandy Miller
42 years old of Lindsay Lane Chesterfield SC; Johnny Walker Britt, 34 years old of 237 Curly Lane
Bennettsville SC(Miller and Britt are co-workers at American Mechanical and Piping in Cheraw SC) and his
father in law, Michael Wayne Summerford, 46 years old 7127 Old Ebenezer RD Latta SC; Christopher J. Carter
24 years old of 247 Gregory St Bennettsville SC; Jackson Milton Hayes 27 years old of 3014 Thadis Lane
Pamplico SC(Carter and Hayes formerly employed by David and Jay Jackson) and William Billy King, 69
years old of Whiteville NC(arrested and charged by SBI in NC). King is a plant manager in NC where Britt and
Gray worked for American Mechanical and Piping and they met there. All defendants have been arrested at
various times during the case and are either out on bond or a bond has been set.

On December 27th 2016, the MCSO received a tip about a tractor in a wooded area on some land off Hwy
38 South. The tractor was stolen from Cheraw PD jurisdiction earlier in December. Britt and Gray have been
charged in that case and Gray will face charges in relation to the theft in Cheraw as well. Gray and Britt also
worked together at AMP in Cheraw where the tractor was taken from. On 12-30-16, the MCSO and others
executed a search warrant on a piece of land on Salem Rd and excavated a Grain Bin stolen from Mccoll Gin
Company in January 2016, almost one year to the date of the theft. Defendants had buried it underground to
hide it from Law Enforcement. In that case, David and Jay Jackson and Carter have been charged in connection.

During the same night on December 30th and leading into the 31st, Investigators stayed out all night and
recovered a UTV vehicle , 4 wheeler and trailer on Smith Rd that Gray had stolen from a Hunting club on
Dunbar Rd in Marlboro County in 2008 and 2011. Gray is charged in connection to those cases. Investigators
also were able to recover a Dump trailer stolen from Florence County Sheriffs Office case from 2015 and a
John Deere tractor stolen from the same hunting club in 2011. Berry had possession of these items and Berry
and Gray have been charged in connection to those cases and recoveries.

On January 1st 2017, MCSO and CCSO executed a search warrant on the property of David Jackson. We were
able to recover the tires; rims and axel to the Grain Bin, safety cones that we later learned were off a stolen
trailer in another case, John Deere Tractor missing its ID number stolen from 2015 near Willamette Rd,
commercial Air compressor stolen from HWY 38 South valued at $24,000. Jay Jackson, David Jackson and
Jamie Gray and Carter were charged in connection to those recoveries. On January 4th 2017, MCSO executed
another search warrant at David Jacksons residence and recovered a Heat Pump/ Air Conditioner Unit stolen
from a church on Bounty Acres Rd in 2015. Carter and David Jackson are charged in that case. On the same
day, MCSO executed a search warrant at Jay Jacksons residence and recovered a Kubota Zero Turn Mower
stolen from Hartsville PD case, a Harley Davidson stolen from Charleston years ago, the digging attachment
from the John Deere equipment found a few days earlier at David Jacksons and other items. The digging
attachment recovered was also buried behind the residence of Jay Jackson and had to be dug up as well. Jay
Jackson, David Jackson and Chris Carter are charged in connection to those cases.

On January 5th, 2017, Investigators were reviewing text messages and got a lead on other stolen items and
their location. The MCSO, CCSO and SBI in NC, met and conducted surveillance. The result was a night long
operation in NC that went from the residence and farm of William Billy King in Whiteville NC to Kings
Beach home on the coast of NC. King was caught in possession of a Wrecker or roll back truck with Gray
inside that he was attempting to purchase for $1,300. The MCSO then recovered a Zero turn mower and trailer
stolen from Mcarthur farms in July 2016, a Polaris UTV and trailer stolen from Meggs Ford on December 23rd
2016, and aluminum car trailer valued at $10,000 stolen from Drive Now Trucks on Hwy 38 in Bennettsville in
October 2015, John Deere tractor stolen on Odom Rd in October 2016, golf cart and trailer stolen off I-95 and a
enclosed trailer stolen from a Florence PD case. King, Gray and Britt have been charged in connection to those
cases and recoveries. Britt and Gray used a work truck from American Mechanical and Piping to transport the
Aluminum car trailer to NC to King. On January 10th, 2017, MCSO Investigators and Bennettsville Police
searched the residence of Jay Jackson again. Investigators recovered numerous items to include hydraulic pole
saws, blowers, weed eaters from Bennettsville Police cases from the spring of 2016. The BPD had a rash of
thefts at the City Shop property into Electrical utility trucks and tree cutting company trucks at various
locations. On the same day, the MCSO was able to recover a John Deere Tractor and trailer stolen from
Bennettsville Police case from the primary school, two zero turn mowers and other lawn equipment stolen from
Bennettsville Recreation Dept in 2015. Berry, Summerford and Britt had the mowers and Miller had the tractor
and trailer. Summerford is charged for removing one of the mowers from Britts (his son in law) residence
while he was in jail so law enforcement would not find it. Berry has been charged in connection for buying one
of the mowers from Gray, his ex step son. Britt has been charged in connection to buying and possessing the
items as well as conspiring with Gray and Miller on the purchase and sell of the tractor stolen from
Bennettsville Police case from the Bennettsville Primary school. Gray met Miller in Wallace to take possession
of the tractor and Miller was driving his work truck from American Mechanical and Piping. Also on the same
night of Jan 10th 2017, the MCSO recovered a stolen trailer on Britts property that Gray stole in 2015. Britt
painted it black and it was originally orange, to help conceal from law enforcement. On January 19th 2017, the
MCSO searched David Jacksons residence again and recovered items related to diesel fuel thefts from three
separate cases from 2015. Carter and David Jackson have been charged in connection to those cases for stealing
the fuel, disassembling the tanks and using the fuel for personal use.
On 2-8-17, the MCSO recovered two trailers, one was stolen near Appin Rd in 2015 and Gray and Frankie
Jackson, brother of David Jackson is charged in connection. The MCSO charged Carter and Hayes in
connection to a Burglary and Larceny at a Church in Clio SC in 2010; the mower has not been recovered. On 2-
9-17, the MCSO recovered a trailer from a residence on Chestnut Rd, the trailer was stolen in 2015 from Hunts
Bluff Rd. Jay Jackson and Carter has been charged in connection to that case. On 2-16-17, the MCSO and
Clarendon County Sheriffs Office executed a search warrant on a residence in Santee or Manning SC
belonging to Jay Jackson and other family members. Investigators found an enclosed trailer with other items
inside that was stolen from Tatum SC in 2010. That trailer has been recovered and returned to the victim. David
Jackson and Jackson Hayes have been charged in connection to that case but other charges may be forthcoming.

Carter and David Jackson has also been charged in connection with a case from 2016 where a $40,000 John
Deere tractor was stolen from Fayetteville Ave Ext in Bennettsville. The MCSO arrived on scene and stopped
the suspect and recovered the tractor but the suspect fled. The MCSO then released a composite drawing of the
suspect in the case.

This investigation is still ongoing. The 4th circuit solicitor Will Rogers has been communicating with MCSO
investigators during the investigation and plans to ask the Attorney Generals Office to prosecute. If anyone has
any information that they feel would help the case, please call and you will remain anonymous. If you have any
property that you obtained from any of the defendants that you may now be suspicious about, please call the
Sheriffs Office at 843-479-5605 and ask to speak to an Investigator regarding the theft ring investigation.

Sheriff Lemon: This investigation is a result of hard work, perseverance and team work. We still have a lot of
stolen property to find but I am very pleased to have returned so much property to victims in these cases. Some
of the cases date back to 2008 and we are fortunate to have had so much success. The investigation is ongoing
and we anticipate more charges, more defendants and more property recovered as it progresses. If you have any
information, please call and we will keep it confidential. I commend my Investigators on this case and the other
agencies for their assistance and for the all the late nights, early morning and the all nighters it took to get us
this far.

Sandy Miller- Conspiracy, RSG $10,000 or more

Wilbur David Berry- RSG 3 counts $10,000 or more

Johnny Britt- Conspiracy 2 counts, Accessory after the fact, RSG 4 counts,

Jackson Hayes- Conspiracy, Grand Larceny (2 counts), Burglary

Michael Summerford- RSG and Accessory after the fact

Frankie Eugene Jackson- RSG $10,000 or more

Christopher Carter- Grand Larceny 8 counts, Conspiracy 5 counts, MIPP 1 count, Burglary 1 count

Jamie Gray- RSG 4 counts, conspiracy 2 counts, Grand Larceny 9 counts

Jay Jackson- RSG 4 counts, Conspiracy 1 count, Accessory after the Fact 1 count

David Jackson- Conspiracy 4 counts, Chop Shop violation 2 counts, RSG 5 counts, Accessory before the Fact 8 counts,
Accessory after the Fact 5 counts

Jamie Seales- Investigations 843-439-3033