Three Dead-Beat Dads Arrested 06/02/10

Lexington County Sheriff’s Department fugitive investigators served family court bench warrants on a 56-year-old Johnston man, 43-year-old Batesburg-Leesville man and 33-year-old Gaston man who have not made a combined total of $127,184 in court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County.

Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said fugitive investigators on Wednesday, June 2 transported Charles Culler, 56, of 217 Johnson Street, Johnston, to the Lexington County Detention Center from the Edgefield County Detention Center. Culler was booked at 11:56 a.m. on Wednesday at the Lexington County Detention Center, where Culler was being held while awaiting a hearing in family court to resolve his Lexington County child support case.

An officer with the Johnston Police Department detained Culler at 8:06 p.m. on Tuesday, June 1 after determining that the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department had entered Culler on the National Crime Information Center computer database as a person who was wanted on a family court bench warrant, Metts said. Lexington County sheriff’s investigators provided information to the Johnston Police Department concerning a home where Culler was living.

An officer with the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department detained Samuel Ray Brunson, 43, of 105 Sulton Street, Batesburg-Leesville, on Monday, May 31 after determining that the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department had entered Brunson on the National Crime Information Center computer database as a person who was wanted on a family court bench warrant, Metts said. Brunson was being held on Wednesday at the Lexington County Detention Center while awaiting a hearing in family court to resolve his Lexington County child support case.

Robert Dwain Martin, 33, of 5508 Edmund Highway, Gaston, turned himself in on a family court bench warrant on May 28 at the Marc H. Westbrook Lexington County Judicial Center in Lexington, Metts said. Martin was released from the Lexington County Detention Center at 4:20 p.m. on May 28 after arranging to make court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County.

Lexington County Clerk of Court Beth Carrigg said a family court judge issued a bench warrant for Brunson’s arrest on May 12 after Brunson failed to appear in court for a hearing concerning his Lexington County child support case. Brunson has not made court-ordered child support payments totaling $85,468 in Lexington County.

A family court judge issued a bench warrant for Culler’s arrest on July 24, 2009 after Culler failed to appear in court for a hearing concerning his Lexington County child support case, Carrigg said. Culler has not made court-ordered child support payments totaling $10,302 in Lexington County.

A family court judge issued a bench warrant for Martin’s arrest on May 12 after Martin did not make court-ordered child support payments totaling $31,414 in Lexington County, Carrigg said.

So far this year, fugitive investigators have arrested 33 habitual offenders who have not made a combined total of more than $930,000 in unpaid, court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County, Metts said.

In 2009, fugitive investigators arrested 194 habitual offenders on family court bench warrants, Metts said. The 194 habitual offenders owed a combined total of more than $3.2 million in court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County.

Non-custodial parents who owe court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County can make arrangements to resolve family court bench warrants that have been issued for their arrests by calling the Clerk of Court’s Office at (803) 785-1196, Carrigg said.

Non-custodial parents who are wanted on family court bench warrants also can surrender at the Lexington County James R. Metts Law Enforcement Complex, 521 Gibson Road, Lexington, Metts said.