Former Florence county sheriff Kenney Boone appeared in court Wednesday in Darlington County for violating his bond conditions, WVTW News 13 first reported.
Judge Paul Burch revoked bond for Boone in Darlington County and Boone was sent back to the W. Glenn Campbell Detention Center until his next court date, court officials told FITSNews. It’s the second time he’s been to jail in the last month.
The South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services (SCDPPPS) charged Boone with violating probation Wednesday for “going to a gym in Florence where his wife went,” WVTW News 13 reported.
The probation violation stems from an incident in early February when Boone allegedly hit a cat with a baseball bat while he was arguing with his wife. He was charged with second-degree domestic violence and ill treatment of animals on Feb. 3.
At the hearing, an attorney representing Boone’s wife Anna Boone read a statement advocating the court to release her husband.
Anna Boone said she had not seen Kenney “at the gym, at church or anywhere else since the imposition of the bond conditions.”
“I believe the conditions of the bond are far too restrictive on Kenney,” Anna Boone said in the statement. “It was never my intention for Kenney to be arrested, and I was never afraid of Kenney harming me or the children.
In the statement, Anna Boone said the incident “has been blown completely out of proportion, and it has resulted in Kenney being unfairly scrutinized by law enforcement and the probation office.”
“More importantly,” she continued, “it has resulted in my children and I being forced to endure unbelievable scrutiny from law enforcement, probation and media.”
“There is no reason for law enforcement to barge into my home at 10:00 pm to check my home surveillance or follow me to church, to the gym or anywhere else,” her statement continued. “These bond conditions were imposed under the pretense of keeping me safe from Kenney, but they are being used against Kenney and against my family and me. At this point, it seems as though my children and I are on bond or probation.”
Anna Boone, who appeared in court, said she is ready for “this nightmare to be over” and for her husband to be home.
“I ask that the conditions of his bond be made less restrictive to allow Kenney to attend church and work out at the gym without fear of being accused of violating his bond,” Anna Boone said in the statement.
Anna Boone’s request was denied, but that decision can be re-considered at Kenney Boone’s next court appearance sometime in the next 15 days, WPDE 15 News reported.
After Boone posted the $10,000 bond in early February for the domestic violence and animal cruelty charges, SCDPPP charged him with violating his probation stemming from a previous incident, the Florence Morning News reported.
He was released Feb. 7 after posting a $25,000 bond and has been free until today. Boone is set to appear in court at 9:30 a.m Thursday, March 12.
Previous problems
In January, Boone resigned from his position as sheriff after he pleaded guilty to one count of felony embezzlement and one count of common law misconduct in office.
Though he faced up to 15 years in prison for the two charges, Boone was sentenced to five years probation, which can end after 18 months if he pays the $16,000 in restitution. That sentence could now revert to jail time if he is convicted of/ pleads guilty to charges related to this incident.
Boone, a 53-year-old Republican, was first elected sheriff of Florence in 2004. He was reelected in 2008, 2012 and 2016.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Boone has been struggling again with alcohol.
This news outlet has been reporting on Kenney Boone’s downward spiral since 2016. In June 2016, he posted several meltdown comments on Facebook over his then-girlfriend (now wife) Anna Boone. That drama escalated in July 2018 when Anna Boone’s ex-husband Alex Curlington allegedly threatened to kill Boone.
Then, in August 2018, Boone left threatening voicemails for then-county finance director Kevin Yokim, who questioned his spending.
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