Investigators shut down a Cheraw scrap yard on Tuesday after finding thousands of pounds of railroad tracks, spikes, and related materials tied to CSX, along with wiring suspected of being stolen from a local phone company. Five employees were taken into custody on suspicion of immigration-law violations during the raid, and the business has been ordered closed until further notice.
The Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office, CSX Police, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division executed a search warrant at Cheraw Iron and Metal Inc., located at 179 Legion Lane in Cheraw, according to WPDE. Investigators recovered thousands of pounds of railroad tracks, spikes, and related materials that were identified as CSX property, the station reported. They also found wiring believed to have come from Sandhill Telephone Co.
The SLED Immigration Unit took the five employees into custody on suspicion of violating immigration laws, per the same report. The search warrant operation drew on multiple agencies, with the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office, CSX Police, and SLED all participating, and the Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office detailing the effort in a social media post following the search.
Permit and Recordkeeping Violations Alleged
Beyond the recovered materials, the business itself was found to be operating outside state rules for scrap dealers. Cheraw Iron and Metal operated without the required permit to purchase regulated metals and failed to maintain required documentation and business records, according to The Link. As a result, the business was ordered to close until further notice.
Sheriff Cambo Streater also revoked the business's authorization to purchase nonferrous metals, the outlet reported, directing the company to stop buying regulated materials until it satisfies all applicable state requirements. An attached image of the business's storefront sign, now marked closed, still advertises that the company buys scrap metal daily — including aluminum, batteries, brass, cans, cars, copper, lead, radiators, stainless steel, and steel.
Captain Led Probe Into Rising Thefts
The raid followed an investigation led by Capt. Angel Tubbs into an increase in thefts involving telephone wiring, railroad materials, and other property, per the same report. Sheriff Streater recognized Tubbs and her unit's investigative work, and thanked SLED, the SLED Immigration Unit, and CSX Police for their assistance and cooperation.
The Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office previously flagged a related problem weeks earlier: in late September, the agency said it was investigating a series of copper thefts from Sandhill Telephone equipment, according to WSOC-TV. Investigators are now reviewing evidence, recovered materials, and business records to determine the extent of any criminal violations tied to the Cheraw case, and additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation progresses.
Why Scrap Theft Carries Real Consequences
Copper and railroad-material theft has caused real disruption elsewhere in South Carolina. In Florence County, copper-wire theft near Johnsonville caused Frontier internet outages and resulted in about $50,000 in losses, according to wjcl.com. In that case, 31-year-old Megan Rae Powell of Johnsonville was arrested on 17 charges related to the theft, possession, and sale of nonferrous metals, with investigators alleging she cut copper wires belonging to Frontier Internet and sold the material to a metal recycler in Hemingway. A co-defendant, 43-year-old Shawn Chapman Stone, was arrested on similar charges days later.
South Carolina law specifically targets the kind of materials found at Cheraw Iron and Metal. State law under Section 58-15-875 prohibits purchasing, selling, or transporting railroad track materials for recycling without a statutory exception, such as authorization from the railroad itself, according to the South Carolina Legislature. A companion provision, Section 58-15-870, establishes criminal penalties for unlawfully damaging, removing, or interfering with railroad infrastructure, with penalties that can grow more severe depending on the danger or injury involved.
The Chesterfield County Sheriff's Office says it remains committed to holding individuals and businesses accountable for state-law violations and protecting property across the county. Cheraw Iron and Metal may resume operations only after satisfying all applicable state requirements, though no timeline for that has been given.
