A Goose Creek resident's pattern of constantly swapping out tags on his vehicle recently caught the attention of the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office (BCSO), as Scott William Whiteley was brought into custody once the tags were found to be stolen.
Upon further investigation, the Berkeley County Narcotics Task Force (comprised of officers from Hanahan, Goose Creek and Moncks Corner-based departments) learned that the 42-year-old failed to appear for a Sex Offender Registry appointment, an obligation stemming from a previous conviction of sexual assault involving a child under the age of 16, police say.
As a result, a warrant was obtained by law enforcement which showed up at Whiteley's Catalpa Court home with the intent to arrest the suspect who fled from cops during their first visit. However, police members located the individual of interest hiding in the attic in their second search.
Stolen items retrieved from Whiteley's home included: a government tag that was reported missing, along with multiple credit cards, mail and checks — all of which were deemed stolen.
The man's girlfriend, Tia Marie Humbertson, 39, was also arrested for trying to obstruct police investigation and assisting her significant other in his attempt to flee authorities.
The list of charges levied against Whiteley include: Sex Offender Registry violation, resisting arrest, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, receiving stolen property and financial transaction fraud. The accused party also has warrants in his name from the Goose Creek Police Department.
In addition, the BCSO states that the individual in question will be extradited to Wisconsin to face the legal ramifications of his Sex Offender Registry Violation.
It was noted that both Whiteley and Humbertson could be subject to additional charges.
