(LibertyInsider.org) – In a startling breach of trust, three South Carolina deputies are facing charges after they allegedly phoned in a series of hoaxes that tied up local emergency services and sent police on a wild goose chase. According to a statement from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the men made at least five bogus calls about supposed dead bodies in McBee, Cheraw, Chesterfield, and Pageland on February 4.
Most of the hoaxes were telephoned to local police departments. However, the men reportedly called a convenience store in at least one instance.
According to a February 9 Facebook post from the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Cambo Streater learned of the deputies’ possible misconduct while on duty early that same week. He asked SLED to step in, and they immediately launched an independent review.
Three sheriff's deputies in South Carolina have been arrested after they reported a dead body in what investigators said were hoax phone calls in four small towns. https://t.co/tTmR8u9wC6
— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 14, 2024
Authorities charged 25-year-old Sergeant Darien Myles Roseau, 28-year-old First Sergeant Justin Tyler Reichard, and 26-year-old Deputy Killian Daniel Loflin with Criminal Conspiracy, Aggravated Breach of Peace, and Misconduct in Office on February 12. All three men were booked through the Chesterfield County Jail that same day but later bonded out.
Exactly what motivated the deputies to call in the fake reports remains unclear. While local authorities have yet to announce any internal disciplinary actions, SLED identifies them as “former deputies,” suggesting that they may no longer be a part of the force.
A more recent update from Queen City News appears to corroborate this finding. An anonymous tipster who called in to question why one of the men still had possession of a patrol vehicle also stated that they had been fired. ““You’re terminated. You’re no longer with the sheriff’s department,” he said, “yet you still get to keep a vehicle in your yard.”
Reichard, Loflin, and Roseau are expected to face trial in the 12th Circuit Solicitor’s Office at some point in the near future. They face a potential maximum sentence of five years in prison or a $5,000 fine for Criminal Conspiracy, up to 30 days in jail or a $500 fine for Aggravated Breach of Peace, and a year in jail plus a $1,000 fine for Misconduct in Office.
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