2nd accused Bluffton PD employee fired after misconduct charges over stolen firearm

A Bluffton cop accused of withholding information in a misconduct investigation was fired Friday. The allegations relate to a colleague allegedly stealing a firearm.

Former Sgt. Bonifacio Perez, 39, was terminated in a hearing Aug. 16 for failing to fully cooperate during an internal investigation done by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, according to reporting from The Post and Courier. Along with quartermaster Thomas Rauchfuss — who was fired in May after a brief suspension — Perez was indicted Aug. 15 by a grand jury in Beaufort County.

Perez became a sworn officer with the Bluffton Police Department in 2010, receiving glowing performance reviews and a number of promotions over the years. He became a sergeant in 2017 and was responsible for overseeing officers and training new recruits. In 2019, he took on the role of a school resource officer supervisor, managing five of the officers posted in Bluffton-area schools and taking charge of police operations in other schools that did not have assigned SROs.

For several years, Perez also acted as the public information officer for the department, handling media requests and the department’s public relations.

At a Monday bond hearing attended by his family, friends and former colleagues, Perez was given a $15,000 personal recognizance bond, meaning he would not be required to pay bail unless he missed a court date or violated other conditions. He was then booked at the Beaufort County Detention Center, according to Jeff Kidd, spokesperson for the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

As of 4 p.m. Monday, a mugshot for Perez had not been made public on the county’s jail rosters. A spokesperson for the Beaufort County Detention Center could not immediately be reached for additional questions, including whether Perez went through the facility’s typical booking process.

Town officials say the two employees were indicted after Rauchfuss failed to report a gun that was surrendered by a resident, and that Perez aided his colleague in stealing the weapon. Prosecutors have not specified the number of weapons the men were accused of stealing, a detail also left ambiguous in their indictment documents.

An unnamed officer notified Chief of Police Joseph Babkiewicz on May 8 after observing the alleged misconduct, the department says. That informant was following the police force’s “Duty to Intervene” policy, which requires officers who observe their colleagues violating laws or department policies to report the actions to a higher-up.

Rauchfuss and Perez were placed on paid administrative leave May 9, along with two other sworn officers: Sgt. Matthew Ferrelli and Capt. Scott Chandler, both of whom were not part of Thursday’s indictment. Rauchfuss, who as a civilian quartermaster regularly handled department-issued firearms, was terminated May 21, Babkiewicz told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette.

The Town of Bluffton said it would determine the employment status of Ferrelli and Chandler after reviewing the internal affairs report written by the sheriff’s office, which was handed off to the department Friday morning. The two employees remained on administrative leave as of Tuesday afternoon, Babkiewicz said.

Kidd said prosecutors were still working to schedule a bond hearing for Rauchfuss, who had moved out-of-state following his termination. Proceedings would likely occur Monday, he said.

Ben Shelton, a Hilton Head attorney representing Perez, could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.