Monday, the Marlboro County Sheriff's Office and the Bennettsville Police Department announced the arrests of seven more suspected gang members. The arrests were made as part of Operation Peace Maker Phase 2. Investigators issued the following press release:

The Marlboro County Sheriff's Office and the Bennettsville Police Department would like to join together to announce the arrest and future arrest of seven more members or affiliates of the "Down West Boys" street gang. These arrests come on the heels of the arrests of seven other defendants on federal charges two weeks ago as part of the "Down West Boys" gang.

These gang members affiliate themselves with the Folk/Crip gangs in bigger cities. These most recent arrests are in connection with three armed robberies that occurred in Marlboro County in the last 2 years and have been unsolved until now. In January 2008, the Salem Grocery on Salem Road in Bennettsville was robbed at gunpoint by two masked gunmen and a shot was fired inside the store. In February 2008, two masked gunmen robbed the clerk at gunpoint at Rogers Grocery on Marshall Street in Bennettsville, and fired shots while inside the store. In April 2008, two masked gunmen robbed the clerks at the Country Cash and Carry in Clio, SC, and made off with money. These defendants have been charged in state court for now , but we will be talking with the U.S. Attorneys Office about prosecuting them along with the continuation of the "Down West Boys" case. The defendants will be charged with armed robbery, conspiracy, possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime and possible other charges. The charges will vary with each defendant as they were involved in different robberies in different combination with each other. Brian Campbell had originally been charged in the June 2009 armed robbery of the Marathon Gas Station in Bennettsville as an accessory, but those charges have been upgraded based on this investigation. One defendant, Kadeem Ocean is wanted in connection with this investigation and once we make an effort to apprehend him, his case will be turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service for capture. Bond hearings will be held in magistrate and municipal courts in Bennettsville on Monday, August 9th.

"We feel that with these most recent arrests that we are beginning to dismantle the Down West Boys. These most recent defendants seem to be the lower level of the group and were trying to earn respect. The violence was escalating rapidly with each robbery," said Lt. Jamie G. Seales.

"The sad part about these young men is that they are extremely young and were influenced to make some horrible decisions by the older gang members," said Sheriff Fred Knight, Marlboro County.

"I would like to commend Detective Shawn Lucas for his work on these younger gang members. He has gathered valuable intel over the last year that helped all of the investigators connect the dots," said Sgt. Larry Turner.

Davon Jamar Gurley , 18 years old, 12 ½ Kinney St. Bennettsville, SC

Randell Thomas, 19 years old, 141 Carolina Drive Bennettsville, SC

Antonio Whaley, 18 years old, 14 Sunny Bank Street Bennettsville, SC

Kadeem Ocean , 20 years old, 218 Jennings Street Bennettsville, SC

Johnny Locklear, 17 years old, 111 Newton Street Bennettsville, SC

Brian Campbell (not a gang member, but cousin to Lokheim Campbell who is in federal custody, arrested in phase one) 20 years old, 1230 Valley Dale Rd Bennettsville, SC

Lakeem Baker, 17 years old, 142 Chrisitan Road Bennettsville, SC (cousin to Lokeheim Campbell also)