ROCKINGHAM — A South Carolina man wanted on charges in Scotland County was arrested early Monday morning at a license check in Richmond County.
According to a press release, deputies with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office were conducting a license checking station on Mill Road around 1:30 a.m. when the driver of one vehicle pulled up and said he didn’t have a license.
That driver was identified as 37-year-old Michael Anton Johnson of Hamer, South Carolina, which is in Dillon County, just south of the state line off of Interstate-95.
While one deputy was speaking with Johnson, another deputy on the other side of the vehicle reportedly spotted a handgun underneath the driver’s seat.
Johnson was detained and deputies learned that he had outstanding felony warrants from Scotland County.
Deputies charged Johnson with possession of a firearm by a felon. He was also served with the Scotland County warrants, charging him with two counts each of breaking and entering, possession of burglary tools and conspiring to break and enter; and one count each of larceny after breaking and entering and safecracking.
(Note: Richmond County Jail records list two counts of breaking and entering and one count each of larceny after breaking and entering, safecracking, conspiracy to break and enter a building to commit felony larceny, burglary and possession of burglary tools.)
Johnson is being held on a combined $75,000 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 16 in Scotland County and Aug. 18 in Richmond County.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
