MAY 22, 2018

Attorney General Wilson announces lengthy sentence for crime spree

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - May 22, 2018 - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announces that Brittany Michelle Furubotten, 33, of Swansea, South Carolina, entered guilty pleas to one count of Burglary, 2nd degree (Violent), one count of Burglary, 2nd degree (Non-violent), and five counts of Forgery, value less than $10,000. The Honorable R. Lawton McIntosh accepted the plea and sentenced Furubotten to 12 years on the Burglary 2nd (Violent), 10 years on the Burglary 2nd(Non-violent), and 5 years on each of the Forgery charges, with all of the sentences to run concurrently. Additionally, as a result of her guilty plea, she also received an additional 5 years for violating her probation on a prior charge, with that sentence also to be concurrent with the other sentences.

All of the conduct related to these charges occurred during a span of two weeks in July 2017. The forgery charges relate to Furubotten cashing or attempting to cash stolen and forged checks at several different banks in the Lexington area.  All of the checks were stolen out of the personal mailboxes of the victims. Furubotten then changed the payee to herself and also changed the amount of the checks to attempt to receive a greater amount of money from the victims. During the same two-week period, Furubotten also broke into two residences in the Swansea area of Lexington county. The first was on July 26, 2017, at a home where she broke a window and entered the home and stole a handgun. The second was on July 27, 2017, where she broke into a home and stole various jewelry and other valuables.  Furubotten was ultimately arrested after a manhunt. When she was arrested, she was in possession of the handgun and also many of the items she stole from the residence in the second burglary.

“Such blatant violations of the law must be punished swiftly and severely,” Attorney General Wilson said.

These cases were investigated by the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, West Columbia Police Department, and Lexington Police Department and were prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Sam Jones.

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