Man and Woman arrested on Breach of Trust Charges

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office arrested an Upstate man and woman over the weekend on outstanding warrants related to a Breach of Trust case. 45-year-old Andy Lee Smith and 29-year-old Kayla Marie Bryson were booked into the Oconee County Detention Center on Sunday. Smith and Bryson were arrested after deputies located both subjects after responding to an address on Pitts Road in the Westminster area Saturday evening in regards to an investigation into a separate incident involving a reported assault that remains under investigation at this time by the Sheriff’s Office. Also located at the Pitts Road address was 44-year-old Charles Kevin Comer of Shelor Ferry Road in Fair Play. Comer was arrested on two outstanding warrants from the Westminster Police Department. In regards to the Breach of Trust case, a deputy from the Uniform Patrol Division spoke with a victim by phone the evening of June 18, in regards to reports of a stolen vehicle. The deputy met with the victim who stated that the vehicle, a 2003 silver Mercury Sable, was taken from an address on Newry Road. A short time later, the deputy received a call from someone, later identified as Bryson and who was not the victim, stating the vehicle had been returned but the individual on the phone refused to meet with the deputy and later after speaking with the deputy, provided a false name to the deputy in regards to the male suspect, later identified as Andy Lee Smith. The deputy spoke again with the real victim, who allowed a male by the name of Andy to use the victim’s vehicle but the vehicle had yet to be returned. As the investigation continued and evidence was gathered in the case, it was determined that Smith had taken the vehicle and had not returned it at the time the arrest warrant was issued. The deputy also obtained a warrant against Bryson for Giving False Information to Law Enforcement as a result of evidence obtained during the investigation. The vehicle in questions was recovered by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office during a traffic stop on June 24, and was returned to the victim. Smith was also served with five bench warrants issued by the city of Seneca and remains in custody at this time at the Detention Center. Smith was given a $2,500 surety bond on the Breach of Trust charge and was issued a ticket for giving False Information to a Law Enforcement officer in relation to the incident Saturday evening in which he provided deputies with a false name. Smith was given a $250 personal recognizance bond on that charge. A hold has been placed on Smith by the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office. Besides the Giving False Information warrant that the Sheriff’s Office had on Bryson, Bryson also had an outstanding warrant on a Forgery charge related to a separate incident that occurred in July of this year. Bryson also had three Magistrates Bench Warrants and two General Sessions Bench Warrants. Bryson was also ticketed with a separate Giving False Information to a Law Enforcement Officer charge in regards to providing deputies with a false name in relation to the incident Saturday evening. Bryson was given two $250 personal recognizance bonds, one for each of the Giving False Information charges. Bryson was also given a $5,000 surety bond on the Forgery charge. She remains in custody at this time at the Detention Center. Comer also remains in custody at this time on a combined $4,250 surety bond on his charges from the Westminster Police Department.