Full Notification

Saturday morning, Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to Huspah Plantation Road in Sheldon regarding a burglary in which over $5,000 in landscaping equipment had been stolen overnight. Deputies met with the victim, who advised that subjects entered barns on her property and stole a Snapper riding lawn mower and a backpack blower. The victim advised that this was the second time that this had occurred in as many days, as between May 31^st and June 1^st subjects entered barns on her property and stole landscaping equipment: weed eaters, a chain saw and a white, gas powered golf cart.

After deputies took the report and searched the Sheldon area for the stolen equipment, they were advised that the victim was following a white Ford pickup truck with landscaping equipment in the bed, which she believed was the stolen equipment. The victim advised that she lost sight of the pickup truck on a dirt road, as the male driver sped up when he realized she was following him. The victim further advised that when the driver sped up to get away from her, the pickup truck fishtailed and a few pieces of landscaping equipment fell out of the pickup truck’s bed and onto the roadway. Deputies met with the victim and began to search the area for the white pickup truck.
 
A short time later, deputies located the white Ford pickup truck in the yard of 676 Trask Parkway in Sheldon. In the same yard, deputies observed landscaping equipment matching the description of the equipment reported stolen by the victim on Huspah Plantation Road. Of particular note was a Snapper riding lawn mower with a screwdriver in the ignition in place of a key. Also in the yard was a male subject, who, when approached by deputies, refused to answer any questions about the origin of the landscaping equipment, but did advised that the white Ford pickup truck was his. The subject, identified as 55-year-old Michael Buckner, was arrested for Receiving Stolen Goods (more than $2,000) when the Snapper riding lawn mower with the screwdriver in the ignition was confirmed to have been stolen from the victim’s barn on Huspah Plantation Road. Deputies contacted investigators to respond to Buckner’s residence and assume the investigation.

After being notified and based on the belief that the landscaping equipment in Michael Buckner’s yard had been stolen from the victim’s barns on Huspah Plantation Road, investigators met with a Beaufort County magistrate and obtained a search warrant to seize the equipment. When investigators served the search warrant at Buckner’s residence, they seized numerous pieces of landscaping equipment in which the serial numbers had been removed. Ultimately, investigators recovered landscaping equipment reported stolen from the Huspah Plantation Road victim’s barns in both incidents and, in addition, a generator was recovered, which had been stolen from another Huspah Plantation Road victim’s property last week. The white, gas powered golf cart has yet to be recovered.

Following his arrest on Saturday, Michael Buckner was transported to the Beaufort County Detention Center and incarcerated. Buckner’s bond was set at $5,000 for the Receiving Stolen Goods charge by a magistrate, which he posted and was released. The origin of some of the equipment—chainsaws, lawn mowers, blowers, trimmers and generators—found outside of Michael Buckner’s residence at 676 Trask Parkway is still under investigation, as is the consideration to charge Buckner additionally.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact Staff Sergeant Brandon Disbrow at 843-255-3407 or CrimeStoppers 1-888-CrimeSC if wishing to remain anonymous and for possible reward.

We appreciate your partnership and continued commitment to the safety of our community.