Man Accused Of Using Coat Hangar To SwipePayments

FLORENCE, S.C. - (11/14/05) -- A local was charged Friday with 40burglary counts after police arrested him in connection with an ATMbreak-in at Pee Dee FCU, and later charged him with using a coathanger to snatch payments slipped under the doors of financecompanies. Howard Johnson, 36, faces 36 counts of second-degreeburglary in the theft of payments sealed in envelopes that had beenleft at nine finance companies around town. Johnson was alsocharged with the Oct. 29 break-in and robbery at the Pee Dee FCUATM, and three attempted ATM robberies. In those break-ins, hefaces four counts of safecracking; two counts of second-degreeburglary; a count of grand larceny; and possession of tools forcriminal use.