Fired Bluffton PD employee accused of stealing 6 firearms, prosecutor says in bond hearing
The second indicted employee from the Bluffton Police Department appeared for a bond hearing Monday afternoon. Court disposition revealed the former civilian quartermaster is accused of stealing at least six firearms that were given to the police force by residents.
Thomas Rauchfuss, 42, received a $40,000 personal recognizance bond from Circuit Court Judge Carmen T. Mullen, meaning he would not be required to pay bail unless he missed a court date or violated other conditions. He was also required to surrender all personal firearms until the case was completed.
Rauchfuss and former sergeant Bonifacio Perez, 39, were indicted Aug. 15 as part of the same investigation into alleged stolen guns. While Rauchfuss was fired May 21 — less than two weeks after the employees were placed on paid administrative leave — Perez was terminated in a hearing Aug. 16 for reportedly failing to cooperate during an internal investigation done by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
The Town of Bluffton says the two employees were indicted after Rauchfuss failed to report a gun that was surrendered by a resident. An unnamed officer observed the alleged misconduct in early May and reported it to Chief of Police Joseph Babkiewicz, in line with the department’s “Duty to Intervene” policy.
“We now have one charge, but I will tell you there are two separate instances: one with one firearm, and one with five, I believe,” Deputy Solicitor Sean Thornton of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said Monday afternoon when asked by Mullen how many firearms the allegations involved.
Before Monday, the exact number of allegedly stolen firearms was not disclosed by officials or in the two defendants’ indictment documents.
Thornton said Rauchfuss had no prior record and there was no evidence “other than the charge itself” that the defendant was a danger to the community. He added that Rauchfuss did not appear to pose a flight risk but was currently living in New York, which complicates future court dates that might require him to appear in-person.
Richard Peacock, a Bluffton-based attorney representing Rauchfuss, asked the judge to allow his client to attend non-trial proceedings via WebEx, a video conferencing tool commonly used by the Beaufort County court system. Mullen agreed, saying the defendant would need to waive their right to appear in-person through the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
Following the bond hearing Monday afternoon, Rauchfuss was led to the Beaufort County Detention Center through a back entrance, where he went through a booking process before being released. Like Perez, his mugshot did not appear on public jail rosters.
Rauchfuss was hired in January 2022 as the town’s quartermaster and fleet manager, a civilian role with responsibilities of maintaining and documenting the department’s equipment and vehicles. He regularly handled department-issued firearms as part of his position, Babkiewicz previously told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.
4 employees placed on leave
Rauchfuss and Perez were placed on paid administrative leave May 9, along with two other sworn officers: Sgt. Matthew Ferrelli and Capt. Scott Chandler, both of whom were not part of the indictment in mid-August.
As part of the indictment, a Beaufort County grand jury charged Rauchfuss with obstruction of justice and Perez with misconduct in office. Both offenses are misdemeanors punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
At an Aug. 19 bond hearing attended by his family, friends and former colleagues, Perez was given a $15,000 personal recognizance bond.
Following the release of the sheriff’s internal investigation report to the Bluffton Police Department, Ferrelli was “cleared” and back at work, Babkiewicz said Monday afternoon. The department had not yet made a decision regarding Chandler’s employment status.
This story was originally published August 26, 2024 at 3:51 PM.
