Rose Hill Golf Club’s operator arrested Monday. Here’s what we know
By Lisa Wilson and
Jake Shore
The operator of the golf club at Rose Hill Plantation in Bluffton was arrested Monday on a tax-related offense, according to a news release from the S.C. Department of Revenue.
Andrew Patrick Stephens, 67, of Rincon, Georgia, was charged with operating the Rose Hill Golf Club without a retail license.
The revenue department revoked the club’s retail license in September 2018 over $144,000 in unpaid sales taxes, according to the arrest warrant. Stephens was told to close the business and stop making sales.
On June 17, a revenue department agent found the business open and was able to make a retail purchase.
Calls to the general manager of the Rose Hill Plantation Property Owner’s Association and the golf club’s management were not returned on Monday afternoon.
A conviction on the charge, a misdemeanor, carries up to 30 days in prison and/or a $200 fine.
As of 3 p.m. Monday, Stephens was detained at the Beaufort County Detention Center, and his bond has not been set, according to jail records.
The course was built in 1982 and designed by former professional golfer Gene Hamm, according to the Rose Hill Plantation website. It has 18 holes and stretches nearly 7,000 yards.
When we publish mugshots
The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette publishes police booking photos, or mugshots, in the following instances:
In situations where a public figure or someone in a position of public trust is arrested
In cases where there is an immediate and widespread threat to public safety
In cases where the arrested person is accused of a crime reporters have evidence to believe involved numerous, unknown victims
Reporters will avoid using mugshots as lead images for online articles in order to limit their circulation on social media, except in cases where the public is served by the immediate identification of the accused. Reporters and editors may use discretion in situations that don’t meet the criteria outlined in this policy but still present a compelling reason to publish a mugshot.
This story was originally published August 10, 2020 at 12:47 PM.
Lisa Wilson is senior reporter for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette covering restaurant and retail business openings and closings along with occasional breaking news. The newsroom veteran has worked for papers in Louisiana and Mississippi and is happy to call the Lowcountry home.
Jake Shore is a senior writer covering breaking news for The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. He reports on criminal justice, police, and the courts system in Beaufort and Jasper Counties. Jake originally comes from sunny California and attended school at Fordham University in New York City. In 2020, Jake won a first place award for beat reporting on the police from the South Carolina Press Association.
