A 41-year-old Savannah man has been accused of impersonating a police officer to a woman he picked up at the Silver Dollar, a Charleston, S.C., area nightclub, on Feb. 27.
Mark Christopher DeWitt turned himself into Charleston police on Saturday and was later released on bond according to Charleston police spokesman Charles Francis.
The victim, a 20-year-old College of Charleston student, stated in a police report filed with the Charleston police department that she was involved in an argument with another female inside the club when Dewitt, identifying himself as an “under-cover-cop,” escorted her out of the club, offering to take her to file charges against the other female. The two then walked to a parking garage off Ann Street, where they got into a white Range Rover and drove off.
DeWitt drove the victim across the Arthur Ravenel Bridge toward Mount Pleasant where he told her she could file charges against the female and that he would take the victim to a hotel room for her safety. DeWitt then turned the vehicle around and drove back toward the city of Charleston. According to the police report, as they were driving DeWitt propositioned the victim and offered her money for sexual favors. The woman was able to persuade him to drop her off at the corner of King and Spring streets where she ran home.
According to the arrest warrant, police were able to identify DeWitt as the suspect after viewing records from a license plate camera that captured a photo of a Range Rover on the Arthur Ravenel Bridge at around the time the victim and suspect were driving over it. The victim was able to time stamp the event by giving detectives the times of text messages from her phone during the encounter.
The tag was linked to the suspect by Georgia Department of Motor Vehicles records and the victim was able to identify the suspect from a photographic line-up.
DeWitt is the owner of DeWitt Mortgage Services & Property Management, which advertised bargain home loans in recent years from its former offices in Savannah. In March 2011, the Georgia Department of Banking & Finance announced it intended to revoke his and the company’s licenses for making false statements to the agency as well as transacting business with an unlicensed agent.
In November 2013, DeWitt agreed to stop doing business immediately in Georgia for five years to avoid a hearing with regulators.
His company remains licensed in South Carolina, where it has an office in Plantation Park in Bluffton.
Water line work to affect traffic in Thunderbolt
Water line maintenance will affect traffic in Thunderbolt starting today and continuing through Friday.
The road closure will be at Bonaventure Road, Downing Avenue and Fennel Street. Large trucks will be redirected at Mechanics Avenue.
There will be no through traffic, but residents and business will be allowed to reach their homes and place of employment. Visitors to Bonaventure Cemetery will be allowed through, but regular traffic will be redirected to Downing Avenue.
Please allow extra travel time and minimize travel as much as possible during those times to avoid the construction area.
Lane closure to affect Gulfstream Road
Contractors for the Georgia DOT will be installing temporary single-lane closures on Gulfstream Road starting near Robert B. Miller Road and continuing to Ga. 21. These single-lane closures are scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Wednesday, weather permitting.
These temporary lane closures with flagging operation are necessary for the contractor to begin the paving operation for this project. A flagger will be utilized to direct traffic through this work zone. Motorists should expect delays at this work zone.
Complied by Katie Martin