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

Michael Stephen Burns

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

42 year old Michael Stephen Burns was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center at around 12:50pm. In reference to the same call for service, Burns was also charged with one count each of Possession of Fentanyl and Resisting Arrest.  Burns was also served with a warrant for a Violation of Probation.

Deputies assigned to the Pro-Active (P.A.C.E.) Criminal Enforcement Team responded to a motel on the U.S. Highway 123 by-pass in Seneca yesterday morning in reference to a warrant service.  Deputies were assisting the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Service with a warrant that a Probation Agent had obtained against Burns. 

After arriving on scene, Deputies observed Burns at the motel and advised Burns he was under arrest.  Burns then pulled away from the Deputies and attempted to run away, as he resisted arrest.  Burns was eventually taken into custody.  A search incident to arrest produced a quantity of narcotics on Burns’ person.  Further investigation revealed that while Deputies were attempting to place Burns into custody, Burns placed a bag of narcotics on an ice machine at the motel. 

The amount of narcotics seized by Deputies during the warrant service was approximately 50.28 grams of Methamphetamine and approximately 0.26 grams of Fentanyl.  After a presentation of the evidence to a Judge, arrest warrants were obtained against Burns.

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