What began as a Washington Police Department case resulted in the arrest of a man by Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputies last week, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office.
The Washington Police Department  began the investigation when metal was reported stolen from a property on Market Street Extension. However, when the suspect  allegedly sold the metal to Kemps Recycling in Chocowinity, the WPD investigators reported the sale to the sheriff’s office because the sale took place in the county, according to Maj. Kenneth Watson, sheriff’s office spokesman.
William Bernise Crisp, age 32, of Avenue Road, Washington, was arrested Sept. 12, and charged with two counts of obtaining property by false pretense when he turned himself in to the Magistrates’ Office. Crisp was served that warrant and with an outstanding warrant for domestic violence protection order violation. Crisp was given a $5,000 unsecured bond for the obtaining property by false pretense charges but was placed in the Beaufort County Detention Center under no bond for the domestic violence protection order violation, said the release.
According to state statute, in certain cases, domestic violence offenders can be held until a judge can set the conditions of pre-trial release, or up to 48 hours.