Lexington Teens Charged With Stealing $37,000 After Breaking Into Home

Lexington County Sheriff’s Department deputies on Monday, August 1 arrested two 16-year-old boys from Chapin and detained one 15-year-old boy from Chapin in connection with the theft of $37,000 during a break-in at a home on Midge Creek Court near Chapin. Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said deputies arrested Jessie Edward Miller, 16, of Wessinger Road, Chapin, and Devin Michael Sherer, 16, of Old Lexington Highway, Lot A, Chapin, on arrest warrants on charges of first-degree burglary and criminal conspiracy. Miller and Sherer were charged as adults.

Miller and Sherer were being held on Tuesday, August 2 at a pre-trial detention facility off Broad River Road in Columbia that is operated by the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, Metts said. Deputies detained the 15-year-old boy and later released the boy to his mother’s custody, Metts said. Deputies recommended that the 11th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecute the 15-year-old boy in family court in Lexington County on charges of first-degree burglary, criminal conspiracy and unlawful possession of a firearm. Under South Carolina law, Metts said he cannot identify the 15-year-old boy because the boy is a child.

Troy Doss contacted the Sheriff’s Department on July 24 and reported that someone broke into his home at 135 Midge Creek Court and stole $37,000 in cash from a lock box, Metts said. Deputies in the Chapin Patrol District began investigating the break-in. Deputies developed information that the 15-year-old boy used some of the money that was stolen from the home on Midge Creek Court to buy one .38-caliber Smith & Wesson Airweight revolver, Metts said. In addition, deputies developed information that the 15-year-old boy also gave some of the money that was stolen from the home on Midge Creek Court to a 16-year-old boy who lives near Chapin, Metts said. Deputies went to the 16-year-old boy’s home and found a briefcase in the boy’s bedroom that contained $4,000 in cash.

Deputies recovered the .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver that the 15-year-old boy bought, Metts said. Officers found the revolver in woods outside a home that is adjacent to the 16-year-old boy’s home. Deputies determined that the 16-year-old boy hid the revolver in a hole that he then covered up with sticks. Officers seized the revolver as evidence. Deputies determined that Miller used some of the money that was stolen from the home on Midge Creek Court to buy one Kawasaki Pro Circuit dirt motorcycle, one stand for the motorcycle, one Starcross MS2 motorcycle tire, one pair of Motocross goggles, one pair of Motocross pants, one Zstat 500-watt amplifier, one pair of WestC headphones, two XBox video games, one XBox video game controller and one O’Neal MX motorcycle helmet, Metts said. Deputies found all of the aforementioned items at Miller’s home and seized the items as evidence. Metts asked anyone with information concerning additional criminal activity involving Miller, Sherer or the 15-year-old boy to contact the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department at (803) 785-8230 or CrimeStoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. Citizens also can provide information anonymously by accessing the Crime Tip link on the Sheriff’s Department web site (www.lexingtonsheriff.com).