S.C. Man Says Woman He Met, Married in One Day Stole Cash

ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Better to have loved and lost, as they say.

One South Carolina man may disagree, however, after he married a woman within hours of meeting her only for his bride to steal his cash and run off with the reverend who carried out the nuptials.

The 58-year-old groom is believed to have fallen victim to a scam cooked up by the pair, The (Rock Hill) Herald reported Thursday.

He told police he called a friend on Saturday night to ask if he "knew any girls that he could meet for companionship."

His friend then introduced him to a woman at a local motel in Rock Hill, 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Charlotte, and the couple called a man who claimed to be a reverend at Rock Hill Chaplin services to marry them.

The victim says he paid $100 for the wedding service, then left to go to a store. When he returned home from his shopping trip, his new wife and $600 hidden under his TV were gone.

He believes the woman and man who married them stole his money, the police report said.

He has not been able to find his new wife and there is no listing for Rock Hill Chaplin Services, The Herald reported.