Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Whittier, NC Man on Safecracking Charges

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Whittier, NC man Thursday on charges related to two separate investigations. One of the investigations led to three charges of Safecracking against the suspect.

34 year old Christopher Nathan Stephens of Lewis Cove Road was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center around 5:48pm on a Temporary Custody Order. Arrest warrants were obtained today by an investigator with the Criminal Investigations Division. At this time, Stephens remains in custody at the Oconee County Detention Center with a bond amount set at $38,000.

The three charges of Safecracking stem from the break in and opening of money locks boxes with the intent to commit a larceny at two Oconee County owned recreation areas. Two of the charges pertain to lock boxes located at the Lawrence Bridge Boat Ramp on Lawrence Bridge Road and one of the charges pertain to a lock box located at the Seneca Creek Boat Landing on Seneca Creek Road. The incidents were reported to deputy’s Thursday morning, April 29th. The value of the money that could be possibly missing is unknown.

Stephens was also charged with one count of Petit Larceny in a separate investigation related to the theft of a wheel and cover from a Chevy Tahoe that occurred at the Lawrence Bridge Boat Ramp on Lawrence Bridge Road Thursday. Stephens and his vehicle, a red Nissan Xterra, were discovered on the side of Old Seneca Road in Pickens County with a tire and wheel that matched the ones stolen from the Chevy Tahoe. The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.

The wheel and tire were returned to the owner and Stephens was placed into the custody and transported to the Oconee County Law Enforcement Center in Walhalla.

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation and the OCSO would like to thank the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance.