Walhalla Man arrested on Multiple Charges including Safecracking

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Walhalla man on multiple charges, including a charge of safecracking. 24-year-old Zane Stuart Woodward of Pawnee Drive was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center and remains in custody on a combined $40,000 surety bond. The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation after receiving word from the victim in the case that Woodward had tried to cash a check at a bank in Oconee County, which was denied. After checking a safe in the residence where the victim lives, the victim discovered that a check book and firearms had been taken from the safe. The victim also discovered after meeting with officials from the bank that two additional checks had been cashed at another business in the county. The case was turned over to the Criminal Investigations Division of the Sheriff’s Office. As the investigation continued and evidence was gathered in the case, it was determined that Woodward had broken into the safe and stole the contents inside. Woodward also cashed the two forged checks in question and attempted to cash the other forged check at the bank. Besides the safecracking charge, Woodward was also charged in warrants with one count of grand larceny and three counts of forgery. Woodward was also charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent in a separate incident involving the same victim who let Woodward borrow his vehicle late last year. According to the victim, Woodward asked for the vehicle back on multiple occasions but the vehicle, a 2009 beige in color Toyota Corolla, had not been returned to the victim at the time a report with filed with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office on July 13. Woodward was also served with a General Sessions Bench Warrant upon his arrest.