Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Seneca Man on Drug Trafficking Charge

Matthew Lee Thompson

(Walhalla, SC)-------------------------------------A Seneca man remains in jail today, pending a bond hearing, after his arrest yesterday evening on charge of Trafficking in Methamphetamine.

45 year old Matthew Lee Thompson, of Tokeena Road, was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center at around 11:42pm Sunday.

A Deputy from the Uniform Patrol Bureau, on routine patrol in the area of Wells Highway and Joe Lewis Road, observed a motorcycle that matched the description of a motorcycle that fled previously from Deputies.  The Deputy attempted a traffic stop on the driver of the motorcycle for traveling in the wrong lane of travel on Joe Lewis Road.

The driver of the motorcycle turned onto Mack Drive and then onto Houston Rice Road, accelerated the motorcycle and disregarded the stop sign at the intersection of Houston Rice Road and Tokeena Road.  The Deputy advised dispatch that he was in a pursuit and then a second Deputy joined the pursuit. 

The driver of the motorcycle was observed by Deputies passing a motorist on a double yellow line on Sam Brown Road.   During the course of the pursuit on W. Reedy Fork Road, Deputies observed a passenger on the motorcycle throw a zip lock bag into the roadway.  The zip lock bag was recovered by a Uniform Patrol Deputy. 

The pursuit concluded in the parking lot of a business at the intersection of Wells Highway and Friendship Road.  The driver of the motorcycle, identified as Thompson, was placed under arrest.  Thompson claimed ownership of the zip lock bag that was thrown into the roadway during the pursuit.  The bag contained approximately 14.27 grams of Methamphetamine.

Deputies also discovered during their investigation that motorcycle was uninsured and was displaying a license plate that was registered to another vehicle.  A tow company was contacted to remove the motorcycle and the female passenger was released from the scene.  

Besides the drug trafficking charge, Thompson was also issued citations for Failure to Stop for a Blue Light, Reckless Driving, Operating an Uninsured Vehicle, Failure to Signal, Displaying a License Plate Registered to Another Vehicle and Disregarding a Stop Sign. 

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