WEDGEFIELD, S.C. — Sumter County deputies have arrested a 20-year-old man following a series of armed robberies targeting Facebook Marketplace customers.
The Sumter County Sheriff's Office said Javontae Antonio Lewis faces numerous charges tied to armed robberies that began on Aug. 18 when a Sumter County resident went to a home on McQuiller Street in Wedgefield to buy a utility trailer they saw for sale on Facebook Marketplace. The victims said that when they arrived, the suspects pointed guns at them and demanded money. The sheriff's office said the suspects took the cash and ran into the woods nearby.
Authorities believe Lewis is tied to at least three other times in the following weeks. On Friday morning, Sumter County deputies and the U.S Marshals Service arrested one of the two suspects in the case, later identified as Lewis.
He faces four counts each of armed robbery, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and criminal conspiracy. He also faces a charge of pointing and presenting a firearm at a person. Deputies are searching for the other suspect in the case. Anyone with information that may help can call Sgt. Josh Phillips with the Sumter County Sheriff's Office at 803-436-2004.
