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Dead-Beat Dad Returned to Lexington County |
 Lexington County Sheriff’s Department fugitive investigators on Tuesday, October 13 returned a 32-year-old Newberry man to Lexington County and served the man with a family court bench warrant that was issued after the man did not make court-ordered child support payments totaling more than $40,000 in Lexington County.
Lexington County Sheriff James R. Metts said fugitive investigators transported Samuel Ray Willingham, 32, of 1305 First Avenue, Newberry, from the Newberry County Detention Center to the Lexington County Detention Center at about 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday. Willingham was released from the Lexington County Detention Center at 11:20 a.m. on Wednesday, October 14 in order to attend a hearing in family court to resolve his Lexington County child support case.
A South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper detained Willingham at about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday after the trooper determined during a traffic stop in Newberry County that Willingham was listed on the National Crime Information Center computer database as a person who was wanted by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department on a family court bench warrant, Metts said. The trooper transported Willingham to the Newberry County Detention Center.
So far this year, Lexington County sheriff’s fugitive investigators have arrested 88 habitual offenders who did not make a combined total of more than $2.3 million in court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County, Metts said.
Lexington County Clerk of Court Beth Carrigg said a family court judge issued a bench warrant for Willingham’s arrest on February 7, 2008 after Willingham did not make court-ordered child support payments totaling $40,690 in Lexington County.
So far this year, fugitive investigators have served more than 454 family court bench warrants on dead-beat parents who have not made court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County, Metts said. In 2008, investigators served 668 family court bench warrants on persons who did not make court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County.
Non-custodial parents who owe court-ordered child support payments in Lexington County can make arrangements to resolve family court bench warrants that have been issued for their arrests by calling the Clerk of Court’s Office at (803) 785-1196, Carrigg said.
Non-custodial parents who are wanted on family court bench warrants also can surrender at the Lexington County James R. Metts Law Enforcement Complex, 521 Gibson Road, Lexington, Metts said.
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