Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Announces Arrest in Farm Center Theft Investigation

Aaron Lionel Burdette

(Walhalla, SC)-------------------------------------The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is announcing today an arrest in an investigation into the theft of trailer that was stolen from the Farm Center back in February of this year. 

45 year old Aaron Lionel Burdette, of Mount Pleasant Road in Westminster, was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center at around 2:21pm today on one count of Grand Larceny.  At this time, Burdette remains in jail pending a bond hearing.

On February 25^th of this year, the Sheriff’s Office issued a news release seeking the public’s help in a property crime investigation which involved the theft of an 18 foot trailer from The Farm Center campus.  The trailer that was stolen was valued at approximately $2,800 dollars.  In the same release, the Sheriff’s Office also requested assistance in identifying a person of interest and a vehicle of interest in relation to the crime.

The Sheriff’s Office was made aware of the theft on Monday morning, February 23^rd after a Deputy from the Uniform Patrol Bureau responded to the Farm Center on the Highway 123 by-pass and made contact with the victim in the case.  Based upon evidence obtained during the investigation, the trailer was stolen around 7:15am on Sunday, February 15^th of this year by a then unknown person of interest driving a dark in color full size pick-up truck. 

The case was assigned to an Investigator assigned to the Property Crimes Unit of the Criminal Investigations Bureau.  Based upon evidence obtained during the investigation, Burdette was identified as a suspect and probable cause existed to charge him with the theft.

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing with its investigation.