Seneca Man arrested for Possession of Stolen Vehicle

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Seneca man Wednesday evening on multiple charges, including a charge of possession of a stolen Vehicle. Booked into the Oconee County Detention Center was 29-year-old Matthew Travis Lear of Frenge Branch Road. A deputy while on routine patrol on south Highway 11 had dispatch run a tag on a white 2006 Chevrolet Silverado that was traveling southbound. The deputy was advised that the vehicle was entered into the National Crimes Information Center database as stolen out of Richland County. According to the arrest warrant, the truck was reported stolen on Nov. 14. The deputy attempted to initiate a traffic stop but the vehicle did not pull over and continued down Highway 11 and then turned onto Highway 24. The pursuit ended at an address on Crooks Farm Road. The total distance of the pursuit was around nine miles and did not exceed the posted speed limit nor did Lear fail to stop at posted stop signs and used his turn signal at each turn that was made, according to deputies. Lear was taken into custody by deputies, whereupon deputies discovered that his driver’s license had been suspended and that he is considered a habitual traffic offender. Lear was arrested and has been charged in traffic tickets with driving under suspension, failure to stop for a blue light and for being a habitual traffic offender. He was also booked in on a Temporary Custody Order on the possession of a stolen vehicle charge.