Jeffrey Albert Scott, Bishopville Post Office and City Hall Arson, South Carolina 2020

Arsonist Targets Bishopville Post Office and City Hall

A federal grand jury in Columbia has indicted Jeffrey Albert Scott, 61, of Bishopville, on five counts of fire-related crimes.

According to Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart, on January 19, 2017, Scott allegedly set fire to the Bishopville Post Office, causing damage to the mailboxes inside. Approximately three years later, on October 17, 2020, Scott allegedly set fire to the Bishopville Post Office and City Hall, destroying the post office and its contents.

Scott has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is currently being held in custody pending trial. He is also facing related state charges in Sumter County.

The case was investigated by a joint team of law enforcement agencies, including the United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Bishopville Police Department, and Lee County Department of Public Safety.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek A. Shoemake is prosecuting the case.

DeHart emphasized that all charges against Scott are mere accusations, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Mandatory Facts:

• Defendant: Jeffrey Albert Scott
• Criminal Charges: three counts of malicious damage to a building by means of fire and two counts of destruction of letter boxes and mail
• City and State: Bishopville, South Carolina
• Date: January 19, 2017, and October 17, 2020
• Sentence/Outcome: Currently detained pending trial

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/federal-indictment-returned-bishopville-post-office-and-city-hall-arson