Thieves target restaurant across from York County Sheriff’s Office owned by Pope family

The brazen depths of villainy may have reached a record low in York County this week when a restaurant right across the street from the York County Sheriff’s Office and courthouse was ripped off.

Twice.

Worse, Pope’s at The White House restaurant that is now called Sandy’s at the White House for operator Sandy Jenkins Sanders, is owned by the family of S.C. Rep. Tommy Pope, a candidate for South Carolina governor who was York County’s legendary prosecutor in the Moss Justice Center courthouse across S.C. 5 in York for more than 15 years.

“Right across the street from Moss Justice - these must have been some brave thieves,” Sanders said.

And maybe even worse, some of the items taken from the restaurant that has mementos all over the walls documenting York County’s rich history were antiques collected by the late Elbert Pope - the Pope family patriarch who was the York County Sheriff for decades.

Deputies met on Wednesday with Sanders who said someone had broken in during the night and stole antique pots and knives belonging to the late Elbert Pope, according to two York County Sheriff’s Office reports filed Wednesday.

No signs of forced entry were found, according to the report, but employees then told officers that $350 worth of meat had been stolen sometime over the weekend before the restaurant opened Monday.

Deputies are investigating the crimes, said Trent Faris, a sheriff’s office spokesman.

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Thieves target restaurant across from York County Sheriff’s Office owned by Pope family."