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Suspect started both Bishopville Post Office fires, police believe

The police chief said they believe the suspect is responsible for the fire that took place over three years ago.

BISHOPVILLE, S.C. — Bishopville police they believe a man charged with trying to set a fire at the city hall building is also responsible for the fire that heavily damaged the city's post office this past weekend and three years ago. 

Jeffrey Albert Scott, 61, is charged with arson second degree, burglary second degree, and malicious injury to property related to an attempted fire at Bishopville City Hall early Saturday morning. According to an affidavit, police said video footage showed Scott try to start a fire on a rug with a newspaper and ignitable liquid. 

Those charges against Scott were filed by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Bishopville police say he was denied bond on those charges. 

That same morning, the Bishopville Post Office was set on fire and was engulfed in flames, causing major structural damage. Officials say some mail inside the facility was damaged but no absentee ballots for the upcoming election were lost. Officials said that case was arson as well. 

In a video posted on the police department's Facebook page, Bishopville Police Chief Calvin Collins said his agency believes Scott is responsible for both incidents, as well as the 2017 burning of the post office. 

"Bishopville Police Department along with state and federal authorities has evidence to prove that Mr. Scott was involved in all of these incidents," Collins said. "We are not looking for any other suspects. It appears that Mr. Scott worked alone."

However, Scott said the decision to charge him for the post office fires would have to be made by the U.S. Attorney's office, since it's a federal case. News19 reached out to the U.S. Attorney's office in South Carolina, where a spokesperson for the agency said they had not filed charges at this time.

In January of 2017, a fire broke out inside post office and forced the United States Postal Service (USPS) to close the office until renovations could be done. The building remained closed for a longer period of time because of an investigation into the intentionally set fire. 

The post office reopened in October of 2018, more than a year later. 

It's unclear when service will be restored following Saturday's fire. 

Credit: Sumter County Detention Center
Jeffrey Scott

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