Man arrested after string of arson attempts on post office and city hall, SC cops say

A suspect has been arrested for a series of arson attempts in Bishopville, South Carolina, spanning back to 2017 — including two fires at the post office and a recent attempt to set city hall ablaze.

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division has joined the investigation, Bishopville police said Monday. SLED is handling the investigation into the attempted arson of city hall because it is a government building and the “severity of the charges” being brought against the suspect, Bishopville police chief Calvin Collins said.

Bishopville police are “working closely with several state, local, and federal authorities in reference to the attempted arson on city hall, and the arson of the United States Post Office,” Collins said.

Authorities accused 61-year-old Jeffery Albert Scott of setting the town’s post office on fire in 2017, and again on Saturday, Oct. 17. Scott attempted to burn down city hall the same night, but failed, according to SLED documents.

Officers responded to city hall after they were alerted by a glass-break alarm, authorities say, but didn’t catch Scott in the act. He was allegedly found in the vicinity and detained while officers searched for signs of a break-in. Not seeing any, they let him go.

But surveillance footage viewed soon after showed Scott inside of city hall, using newspaper and an unidentified flammable liquid to start a fire, SLED documents allege. He’s accused of trying and failing four times within a 20-minute period to ignite the building, SLED documents say.

Scott was arrested on Oct. 18 in connection with the post office fire, according to Bishopville police.

In an interview, Scott admitted to lighting fires at city hall, according to SLED documents.

Scott is charged with second-degree arson, second-degree attempted burglary, and malicious injury to real property.