Christopher Maurice Morton accused of stealing Girl Scout cookies | GoUpstate.com
A Woodruff man is in jail, accused of taking almost $19,000 worth of Girl Scout cookies from a warehouse last week.
Christopher Maurice Morton, 37, of 390 Lot Switzer Road, has been charged by the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office with breach of trust more than $10,000, according to an arrest warrant.
The owner of Carey Moving and Storage reported the theft of the 450 cases of Girl Scout cookies to the sheriff's office on Feb. 26.
Brian Carey said cookies began arriving at the warehouse on Feb. 15, and employees began doing an inventory last week and realized that cases of Thin Mints and Shortbreads were missing. The stolen cookies are valued at $18,900.
Carey said last week he was deeply saddened by the theft, as his company has assisted the Girl Scouts in their cookie sales for the past 40 years.
Master Deputy Kevin Bobo said in a written statement that from working with the management at Carey Moving and Storage, reviewing invoices and surveillance video, investigators developed Morton, a truck driver for the business, as a suspect. Bobo said Morton, who had been an employee since July 2012, has been terminated from the company as a result of his arrest.
On Sunday night, the Greenville County Sheriff's Office found 352 cases of Girl Scout cookies behind an abandoned business on Haywood Road, Bobo said. The boxes were found initially by a taxi cab driver, according to an incident report, who reported his find to Greenville deputies.
When an investigator spoke with Morton on Wednesday, he confessed to stealing 450 cases of cookies, valued at $18,900, from the business and disposing of the cases in Greenville, Bobo said. No more arrests are expected.
The sheriff's office would like to thank the management at Carey Moving and Storage for their assistance with this investigation, Bobo said.
Some proceeds from cookie sales go back to each community through beautification and other community service projects by the Girl Scouts, said Susan Schneider, director of public relations and advocacy for Girl Scouts of SC Mountains to Midlands.
In spite of the theft, Schneider said sales are strong. Those who haven't bought their favorite varieties of cookies may still do so at weekend cookie booths at area businesses, especially at BiLo and Walmart.
We are pleased with the continuing support from customers, Schneider said. If people have gotten their fill of cookies themselves, they can always buy a box at a booth and have them sent to soldiers overseas. We work with the Blue Star Mothers on that.
There's a Girl Scout cookie finder app for iPhone and Android devices that will help those with a sweet tooth to find a booth via ZIP code, Schneider said.
As for Morton's arrest, Schneider said, I think we all like closure.
Morton was released from the Spartanburg County Detention Facility Wednesday night on a $10,000 bond.
I was at work today, and this dudes up here talkin bout his daughter's gonna be slangin them cookies yahmean? So I gets to plottin and schemin n shyt...cuz them thin-mints, tagalongs and samoans be hankin breh
