Clifford would have been better off had he continued serving time in the federal prison up in North Carolina. But it was his decision in early March to break out and head for Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Shopping at Lowe’s, Clifford purchases a sledge hammer. Like a good businessman, he keeps his receipt. But a few days later Clifford stages an early morning raid on a Department of Motor Vehicles office, using his new sledge hammer to gain entry. Did I mention he arrives at the DMV around 2:00 a.m.? At least there are no lines at that hour.

Clifford makes off with a DMV computer and lots of blank driver’s licenses. Can’t you just see all the evil possibilities here?

Clifford drops out of sight for a long time. Today we know that when he leaves Spartanburg he heads straight for Columbia where he rents a motel room. There he sets up a business with obvious criminal intent.

While in Columbia, Clifford decides to visit a friend who is incarcerated in a federal prison in Georgia. During a visit there, Clifford, a feisty little guy, gets into a serious argument with one of the prison guards.

Things get out of hand and Clifford leaves the prison in a hurry-heading for his car in the parking lot. He drives away in a cloud of dust, with Georgia police close behind.

Not being a very good wheel man, Clifford ends up in a river, but the kindly police fish him out. Once in jail he refuses to give police his name. Okay-that’s what fingerprints are for.

Meanwhile, back in Columbia, Clifford’s room rent is way past due so the manager opens up the room only to find all this DMV stuff everywhere. The State Law Enforcement Division identifies the computer and blank licenses as stolen from Spartanburg. SLED also finds Clifford’s receipt for the sledge hammer. What a businessman!

Now Clifford’s tracks are traced from a North Carolina federal pen, to Spartanburg, Columbia, to a Georgia federal pen.

Today Clifford is a very popular crook as he cools his heels in a Georgia county jail while the criminal justice system struggles with itself over who gets him next.