SUMTER, S.C. — Sumter County deputies have arrested a man who they say stole thousands of pounds of chicken he was supposed to deliver and instead sold it himself.
Deputies arrested 55-year-old Christopher Thomas and charged him with breach of trust with fraudulent intent value of $10,000 or more.
Sumter County investigators say Thomas was a truck driver who was hired by the Pilgrim's Pride chicken plant in Sumter. According to deputies, he was supposed to be delivering 41,000 pounds of chicken to two locations in Milton, Georgia, but investigators say he instead took the product with the intent to sell it.
Deputies say they got a tip that that Thomas was set to meet with a buyer to buy some of the chicken. Multiple law enforcement agencies intercepted him and boxed-in his truck.
Deputies say when they looked inside they found pallets loaded with cases of frozen chicken confirmed to be the stolen chicken. They then arrested Thomas.
Investigators say they believe Thomas has sold about 33,000 of the 41,000 pounds he was set to deliver. When they found him, officers said he had 215 cases of chicken weighting 8,000 pounds.
Officers said the total stolen chicken was valued at around $80,000.
Thomas was taken to the Sumter County Sheriff's Office Detention Center and was held on $50,000 bond.
This is the second known theft of chicken from the plant this year. Back in May, the sheriff's office said a man stole $40,000 worth of boneless chicken breasts.