Homeless man turns night in jail into life of service after run-in with deputy and Marine recruiter

He was 18 years old, homeless and living in the woods when a South Carolina deputy arrested Brian Gilbert for stealing food from a supermarket deli. 

Gilbert said he didn't have a direction in life, missing more school than he attended and sleeping in a tent behind a shopping center in the Midlands region.

A night in jail eventually turned his life around. 

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U.S. Marine Corps Pvt. Brian Gilbert, a student from Marine Corps Engineer School, and a native of Gilbert, S.C., poses for a picture at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 15, 2024. Gilbert enlisted in the Marine Corps in March 2024 and is training to become a utilities systems technician.  (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Zachary Candiani)

Lexington County Deputy John Sanders booked Gilbert into jail but couldn't let the encounter end there.

"His biggest need was that he was struggling to get some food, and he didn’t have a job to bring in any income," Sanders recalled later in a video shared by the sheriff's office Friday to honor all three men heading into Veterans Day weekend.

He reached out to the local Marine Corps recruiter, Sgt. Brent Latham, and asked what he could do.

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Lexington County Sheriff's Deputy John Sanders recalled his encounter with Brian Gilbert, a homeless teen he arrested for stealing food from a supermarket deli. After conferring with the local Marine recruiter, he helped Gilbert turn his life around. (Lexington County Sheriff's Office)

"Deputy Sanders gave me a call. ‘Hey man, there’s a kid who’s in a bad situation. I want to know if you can help him,’" Sgt. Latham said. "I had a description of what this young man apparently looked like. I rolled the window down and said, ‘Hey, are you Brian?’ He said, ‘Yes, sir,’ and I told him to get in."

"He brought up the Marines," Gilbert said. "And I was like, ‘Let’s just go for it.’ I met with the recruiter … and signed the papers. I mean, this is way better off than I thought I would be."

Sanders, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve, said the solution was a no-brainer.

Deputy John Sanders shakes Pvt. Brian Gilbert's hand at his graduation from boot camp in May 2024. (Courtesy of Lexington County Sheriff's Office)

"From my experience with the military, you're fed. You get a place to sleep. And you get paid for it," he said.

Gilbert completed basic training at Parris Island and graduated in May, and both Sanders and Latham were there to cheer him on.

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U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Brent Latham, pictured, met with Gilbert at a Starbucks after his arrest. Then the teen enlisted. (Lexington County Sheriff's Office)

Now stationed at Camp Lejeune, he says he is still in regular contact with Deputy Sanders.

"I talk to him all the time," Gilbert said. "He’s a great person to go to. I can talk to him about anything, and he’s always there to just listen."

U.S. Marine Corps Pvt. Brian Gilbert, a student from Marine Corps Engineer School, and a native of Gilbert, S.C., repairs a generator at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Aug. 15, 2024. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Zachary Candiani)

The sheriff's office is calling Gilbert's case a "beautiful success story" that shows how authorities can make a positive difference in a young person's life.

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"It took one phone call from a deputy to a Marine Corps recruiter to get someone from a terrible situation in the woods to a full career and a salary," Latham said. "One phone call can absolutely make a difference."