Thrift store employee charged with burglary while taking a donation

A Burton man was arrested Saturday after a fellow employee called deputies while the man allegedly broke into a home the pair visisted to accept a donation for a Beaufort thrift store.

Brad Fripp, 36, of Burton, was charged with possession of marijuana, second-degree burglary, and three counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances after deputies arrived at a River Oaks Road home in Lobecco around 3 p.m., according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report.

Fripp and another Beaufort Cancer Thrift Store worker, were at the residence to pick up items for donation, the report said. The pair had been told by the homeowner, who was not home at the time of the incident, to not go beyond a certain part of the house and that the donation could be found under the car port.

When deputies arrived, Fripp’s coworker told them Fripp was in the middle of breaking into the home. Deputies detained him in the driveway, the report said.

The coworker said Fripp suggested he act as a “look out” once he discovered that the home’s door was left open and went inside. He returned with several prescription pill bottles and emptied them into a plastic bag in his pocket, the report said.

Fripp said “this place is a gold mine,” the report said.

At that time, the coworker called 911.

Deputies found approximately 153 pills, 4.6 grams of suspected marijuana and two fake gold necklaces on Fripp.

The pills and the necklaces were identified as belonging to the owner of the home, the report said.

Fripp was taken to the Beaufort County Detention Center and was released Monday.

This story was originally published February 9, 2016 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Thrift store employee charged with burglary while taking a donation."