HAMPTON, S.C. (April 3, 2024) – A Savannah man who broke into an Estill home and stole firearms and jewelry – plus a bag full of baby teeth – has been sent to prison.
A Hampton County General Sessions jury found Darrell Kwyon Minor, 31, guilty Tuesday of first-degree burglary and grand larceny, stemming from a 2016 break-in. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
“People have a right to feel secure in their possessions, and it doesn’t matter if those possessions are of high monetary value or simply high in sentimental value,” said Vince Drago of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, who prosecuted the case. “The defendant’s history of these types of crimes landed him in prison before. For the sake of the community’s safety, he’s going back.”
In January 2016, Hampton County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a residence near Estill by the homeowner’s alarm system company. They arrived to find evidence that a rear door to the home had been forced open. A trail camera near the home captured images of two Black males breaking into the home and a partial image of the burgundy sedan they were driving.
Minor and his accomplice stole 16 firearms, 11 pieces of jewelry and a bag containing the baby teeth of the victims’ children. The items had an estimated value of more than $23,000.
Solicitor’s Office Investigator Dylan Hightower distributed the trail camera photos to state and federal law enforcement officers. In 2018, a U.S. Marshal identified Minor as one of the men seen in the trail camera photo. At the time, Minor had just started serving a five-year sentence in federal prison for illegal transport of firearms.
Minor’s criminal history also includes convictions for receiving stolen property, hit and run, probation violations and a first-degree burglary charge in Georgia.
Drago called five witnesses during one day of testimony at the Hampton County Courthouse.
Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman handed down the sentence.
Minor’s accomplice has not been identified.
Drago is part of the Solicitor’s Office community prosecution team. He has worked for the Solicitor’s Office since 2023.
