Williamston man sentenced to 20 Years – For Belton Dollar General Robbery

Thomas Britt Alewine of Williamston pled guilty last month to Attempted Murder and Armed Robbery for an incident last year at the Dollar General located on Highway 252 in Belton.
The Honorable Scott R. Sprouse sentenced Alewine to 20 years at the SC Department of Corrections. He will not be eligible for parole as the offenses are considered violent and most serious under South Carolina Law.
Anderson County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the Dollar General outside of Belton off Highway 252 on February 19, 2025, in reference to an armed robbery and shooting. When officers arrived, they found the victim on scene having been shot by an unknown white male who pulled out a gun and demanded money from the employees working the store.
After a brief argument between the employees and Alewine, he fired a revolver at the victim, grabbed money from the register, and exited the building and the premises.
The victim was struck by a bullet and was transported to the hospital and treated. Doctors determined that the bullet passed through the victim’s shoulder, avoiding striking any bones or any major arteries.
As the investigation progressed, Alewine became a suspect based on surveillance images made public by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. Tips received at the Sheriff’s Office led investigators to the suspect’s home in Williamston.
A search warrant from the suspect’s home security system from the day of the incident showed Alewine wearing the same exact clothing that the shooter wore at the Dollar General.
Alewine ultimately confessed his actions to investigators.
Senior Assistant Solicitor Patti Ferguson prosecuted the case for the State with the assistance of Victim Advocate Brenda Smith. Elizbeth Chambers represented the Defendant.
Solicitor Micah Black praised the work of lead investigator Cody Rhoads of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, and other investigators for their work in quickly solving the case and apprehending Alewine.
Black stated, “Thomas Alewine will spend the next two decades behind bars for his senseless actions last year at the Belton Dollar General. We are thankful for law enforcement’s quick actions that day in treating the victim and then ultimately apprehending the defendant in this case, and I pray that the victim will be able to continue to heel from the physical and emotional trauma this situation has caused her and her family.”