Suspected SC ‘porch pirate’ charged in package thefts in York County, deputies say

A South Carolina man has been charged with five “porch pirate” thefts of packages in York County. The packages were stolen around Thanksgiving, according to sheriff deputies and documents.

Samuel Alexander Little, 37, of Simpsonville in Greenville County, S.C., was arrested late Tuesday on six charges of enhanced larceny, according to jail records and Capt. Carson Neely of the York County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s office incident reports obtained by The Herald show Little was charged with stealing packages from five homes near Fort Mill the day before Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving.

Items stolen included a coat worth almost $100, childrens’ toys, groceries, kitchen supplies, play mats for babies, office supplies, refrigerator filters, and other items, according to the incident reports.

Packages were stolen on five different streets, reports show. In at least three of the cases, empty boxes were left in place of packages that had been delivered, reports show.

In some of the incidents, doorbell cameras or surveillance video cameras outside homes captured the thefts and deputies used them in the investigation, the reports show.

Little remains in the York County jail under a $30,000 bond, sheriff records show.

Protecting yourself from porch pirates

Package thefts, often called “porch pirate” incidents, are a concern for area law enforcement and mirror a national trend of thefts as people use home delivery.

The sheriff’s office issued social media public service announcements through Facebook and Twitter in late November about keeping packages safe from theft.

York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson advised people to keep packages safe by:

* Tracking packages through delivery by using a shipping code provided by the shipper;

* Have someone be available at home for deliveries;

* Have packages delivered to your office;

* Require a signature;

* Choose in-store pick-up or a package locker service such as Amazon drop off lockers;

* Use security cameras or a doorbell camera.

Thefts a national problem as Christmas approaches

Online purchasing and shipping has changed how people shop for the holidays. A 2020 report from the Pew research center said as many as eight out of 10 Americans shop online and have packages delivered.

Lt. Michael Chavis of the Rock Hill Police Department and Chief Bryan Zachary of the Fort Mill Police Department said it is also helpful to schedule delivery when someone will be home, or ask a neighbor or someone else to accept packages if you can not be home during the day.

Law enforcement officials advise anyone who is victimized to report the theft so it can be investigated by officers, and the consumer theft can be documented by the shipper.