Investigators seek 'sophisticated' Florence credit union burglars

FLORENCE — Florence County sheriff’s investigators and FBI agents are looking for at least three suspects in what they call a sophisticated break-in at a credit union that may be part of a larger Carolinas crime spree.

The crime happened sometime between 2 and 5 a.m. Thursday at Sharonview Federal Credit Union’s Florence location at 315C N. Beltline Drive, off Hoffmeyer Road near West Florence High School.

The burglars saw the alarms in the credit union’s roof space, were able to identify two alarm system lines from a mass of wiring to the business and cut them. They also disabled the backup cellular alarm system, which would have been triggered in the event of a main alarm system failure, sheriff’s investigators said.

The burglars got into the credit union office by breaking into the vacant office space next door and cutting a hole through the sheetrock, investigators said.

Once inside, the burglars broke into a commercial-strength Diebold safe and stole the contents. Sheriff’s investigators would only say a substantial amount of money was stolen.

Surveillance footage shows three white men, all wearing ski masks, all about 6 feet tall with average builds, leaving the scene, sheriff’s investigators said. One of the suspects is slightly stockier than the others.

It’s not clear whether others were involved in the crime, and no description of a possible getaway vehicle is available. Sheriff’s investigators said they were called to the scene about 9 a.m. Thursday after evidence of the crime was discovered.

The skill and precision of the burglars matches that of burglars who targeted at least three other financial institutions in western North Carolina, sheriff’s investigators said. One of the crimes happened in Shelby and the other two at Sharonview Federal Credit Union branches in Salisbury and Charlotte.

The Florence Sharonview Federal Credit Union branch — the only one in the Pee Dee — is the financial institution closest to the Interstate 20/95 spur.

Salisbury Deputy Police Chief Steve Whitley told the Salisbury Post the crime in Florence is very similar to one that happened there in 2003. Burglars broke into the Sharonview Federal Credit Union office by entering an adjacent business through a rear fire door, cutting a hole in a shared wall and disabling the alarm system before cleaning out the safe.

Michelle Bragg, chief operating officer for Sharonview Federal Credit Union in Fort Mill, said the crimes have spanned a period of several years and officials are ready for them to come to an end.

She said she urges anyone who may have noticed anything out of the ordinary, no matter how small, during the time the Florence crime occurred to please call local investigators.

“It would be invaluable to all of us,” Bragg said.

Sheriff’s investigators also are asking anyone who may have seen anything out of place in the vicinity of the crime, which is near a WalMart SuperCenter, to call the sheriff’s office at (843) 665-2121 ext. 340 or the state Crime Stoppers hotline at (888) CRIME SC (274-6372). Callers need not reveal their identities.