A South Carolina man will spend the next 12 years in prison after prosecutors say a simple beer run at a Food Lion turned into a felony armed robbery when he pulled a metal object on an employee who tried to stop him from walking out the door. Derrick McLemore was sentenced following a Richland County jury's conviction, closing out a case that began more than two years ago over a 24-pack of Bud Light.
According to WYFF4, investigators say McLemore picked up the 24-pack from a shelf inside the Food Lion on June 20, 2024, and headed for the exit without paying. A store employee confronted him and asked him to put the beer down, per investigators cited by the station. Instead of complying, McLemore allegedly threatened to stab the worker and pulled out a 12-inch metal object, according to investigators. The employee ran, fearing they would be stabbed, WYFF4 reports.
McLemore was listed in a Richland County booking report dated June 20, 2024, according to South Carolina Arrests.
Jury Convicts McLemore of Armed Robbery
More than two years after the confrontation, a Richland County jury convicted McLemore of armed robbery on August 24, per the same account cited by WYFF4. The case was prosecuted by the Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office, which has been led by elected Solicitor Byron E. Gipson since January 2019 and serves as the primary felony prosecutorial authority for Richland and Kershaw counties.
Circuit Court Judge Christopher D. Taylor was elected by the South Carolina General Assembly in February 2025 to fill the Fifth Judicial Circuit seat, according to South Carolina Public Radio. The seat had sat vacant for more than a year before his election, the outlet reported.
How a Beer Theft Became a Felony Armed Robbery
The case hinges on a specific quirk of South Carolina law. Under South Carolina Code § 16-11-330, an armed robbery charge applies whenever a suspect uses a deadly weapon or brandishes any object that a person present reasonably believed to be one, according to legal analysis from South Carolina Criminal Laws. McLemore was convicted of armed robbery in the beer-theft case.
The distinction carries steep consequences. Armed robbery in South Carolina is a felony with a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of 30, per Adams & Bischoff. Anyone convicted must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole, the firm notes, meaning McLemore's 12-year term sits just above the statutory floor.
By contrast, strong-arm robbery — common law robbery committed without a weapon — carries a maximum of 15 years but no mandatory minimum, and it allows for probation or Youthful Offender Act sentencing in eligible cases, according to the same legal comparison from Adams & Bischoff. Had McLemore not brandished the metal object, the case could have unfolded very differently under South Carolina law.
Statewide Signage Requirements and Falling Robbery Rates
South Carolina law also requires retailers to display cardboard placards concerning armed robbery. Under South Carolina Code § 16-11-340 and § 16-11-345, the state mandates that placards be displayed in retail establishments, according to the South Carolina Legislature.
The case involves an armed robbery at a Food Lion.
Food Lion operates the store involved in the case.
