by Lesley Lane - GwdToday News Reporter• Thu, Jun 23, 2011

Investigators say a former Greenwood, SC County Deputy, Scott Masterson stole horse trailers, ATVs, John Deere tractors, lawn mowers, guns, a boat, various trailers, a Kubota tractor, and a $27,000 RV.

Commentary by Debi Metcalfe, founder of Stolen Horse International / Netposse.com.

This article supports what I have been teaching for years:

1. You will be surprised at who steals the horses, tack and trailers from our farms.
2. The people who steal horses and trailers steal other things too (and vice versa).  If it isn’t nailed down it can be gone in a flash!

A former Greenwood County Deputy was sentenced to 4 years in prison today following his March 2011 indictment on eight counts of grand larceny.

Circuit Court Judge Frank Addy sentenced, Scott Masterson of Abbeville, with 4 years in prison following Masterson’s guilty plea to eight counts of grand larceny. The 4 years sentence applied to seven of the eight counts. Addy sentenced Masterson to 10 years in prison, suspended to 1 day and 4 years probation on the eighth and final charge. The SC Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case.

38-year-old Masterson was fired from the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office in April 2009 for misconduct in office after investigators found copious amounts of stolen farm equipment at his Abbeville home.

A 2009 SLED investigation reportedly led to the discovery of several pieces of stolen farm equipment at the former deputy’s home in Abbeville County. Investigators say Masterson stole horse trailers, ATVs, John Deere tractors, lawn mowers, guns, a boat, various trailers, a Kubota tractor, and a $27,000 RV.

The original arrest warrant from the case stated that the equipment was stolen between September 1, 2008 and April 2, 2009. On Thursday, Deputy Attorney General, Dave Stumbo, told the court that Masterson’s theft spree actually began in 2002.

“He stole from his friends, he stole from his family members, he stole from some people he hardly knew,” Stumbo said.

Stumbo said Masterson stole tens of thousands of dollars worth items from friends and family and when those friends and family would report the stolen items to Masterson, as a Greenwood County Deputy, Masterson would write police reports documenting the stolen items.

Lead Investigator for the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, Major John Murray, said Masterson would often follow-up with investigators after he’d written the reports and inquire about their investigations.

“He would come into our investigations division, as a road officer, and ask us where we were with these cases and we would confide,” Murray said. “This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He took advantage of the people of our county. He needs to be punished severely.”

Masterson told the court that there was no excuse for his actions.

“I’ve done wrong and there is no excuse, none whatsoever,” he said. “I’m sorry. [Major John Murray] is right. I’m low. I’m really low. Why I did what I did I can’t figure out.”

Masterson’s attorney, Billy Garrett, asked the judge to sentence Masterson to home detention. He said Masterson was a good person who made bad decisions.

“I know that there is a lot of good in this man,” Garrett said.

Garrett went on to tell the court that Masterson was deeply affected by the 1998 death of high school student Bridget Sheets. Garrett said while on duty and on the way to a domestic violence call, the rear brakes in Masterson’s police cruiser “locked” causing Masterson to run a stop sign. Masterson’s cruiser hit Sheets’ car. Sheets were killed in the accident.

“I don’t know if that’s what’s done this to him or caused him to act this way,” Garrett said.

Addy said he had no doubt that Masterson was profoundly affected by Sheets’ death but that he could not ignore Masterson’s betrayal of his numerous victims.

“I don’t doubt that you are sorry for this. I don’t doubt that you regret that this ever happened but you betrayed family members. You betrayed friends. You betrayed people who trusted you, Addy said. Couple that with the fact that you were an officer when these things happened.”

Addy continued.

“A sentence to place you on probation or allowing you house arrest will send exactly the wrong message to anybody that sticks that badge on, to anybody that’s responsible for our safety.”

Masterson was remanded into custody immediately following Judge Addy’s sentence.

Article can be found at: http://gwdtoday.com/former-deputy-sentenced-to-years-in-prison-for-thefts-p26300-1.htm