Following a jury trial this month, a Lexington County jury has convicted Ronald Wood, 64, of Burglary - First Degree.  The burglary was committed during the day at a home located on Old Charleston Highway in Lexington County on April 23, 2021.  Wood was caught by a family member of the homeowner, who went by the house and observed the front door to be open.  When confronted by the eyewitness, Wood fled the scene on foot but was apprehended two hours later after being pursued by Lexington County Sheriff’s Department deputies and tracked by K9 officers. Unknown to Wood, there was also nearby video evidence which depicted him going up to the front door of the home with a cart at the time of the burglary. Inside, law enforcement and the homeowners found the refrigerator unplugged, moved from the wall, and completely empty.  All of the food items were on the kitchen floor as was the cart the defendant had brought inside.

At the sentencing hearing, Eleventh Circuit Senior Assistant Solicitor Angela Martin and Assistant Solicitor Kelly Oppenheimer presented evidence to the sentencing judge, the Honorable Clifton B. Newman, that Wood had been in prison for most of his adult life.  Wood has prior felony convictions over the span of many years. One past conviction was for a prior crime of Burglary - First Degree, for which he received the mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years.  Martin informed the court that because of his long criminal record, including other burglaries, forgeries, failure to stop for a blue light, and breaking into an automobile, Wood needed to “retire” from his criminal career by receiving a substantial and lengthy prison sentence. Wood was sentenced to twenty-three (23) years incarceration.  Under South Carolina law, he must serve at least 85 percent of this sentence.

Wood has been transported to the S.C. Department of Corrections to begin immediate service of the sentence.