For thief, chocolate heist has a bitter end

A thief attempting to make off with more than 10,000 pounds of gourmet chocolates abandoned the effort September 21, apparently because his or her efforts to break the trailer's multiple locks were unsuccessful.

The 48-foot refrigerated trailer, being used to deliver chocolate for Duncan SC-based Sally Foster Inc, was stolen from the Wilco truckstop in Blacksburg SC between 6:30 pm September 20 and noon the next day. The shipment of nearly $180,000 worth of Harry London brand chocolates that Sally Foster distributes was en route to a refrigerated storage facility in Greenville SC when the theft occurred.

According to Ron Pickett, vice-president and general manager of Sally Foster, the driverÑan employee of Arctic Express (Hilliard OH)Ñhad dropped the trailer off at the truckstop and gone to his home nearby.

"He checked on the trailer at around 6:30 pm and it was fine," said Pickett. "When he came back at noon Sunday, the trailer was gone."

The trailer was found September 22 at the Williams Travel Center in Gaffney SC, unopened and with the refrigerator still running. Two of four trailer locks had been broken off, but the remaining two were intact. Pickett speculates that, after multiple attempts to open the trailer, the thief gave up.

"Makes you realize how some people will stop at nothing to get their chocolate fix," said Pickett.

No suspects have been arrested in conjunction with the theft; the Cherokee County sheriff department is investigating.