February 28, 2019
Walhalla, SC—Yesterday, an Oconee County jury found Michael Lee Trotter guilty on all counts following a one-day trial. The State was represented by Assistant Solicitor Jason Alderman. The Honorable Scott Sprouse sentenced Trotter to 5 years for Possession of Tools Capable of Being Used in a Crime; 10 years for Grand Larceny (enhanced due to prior convictions); 10 years for Petit Larceny (also enhanced); and 15 years for Burglary 2nd Degree, Violent, with all sentences to be served concurrently. Although the defendant told the judge that he had been a drug addict his entire adult life, the Judge remarked that he fashioned the sentence to punish him but to allow him to have a life after prison, if he chose to.
On or between November 27th and 28th of 2017, two trailers were taken from a location on Shiloh Road. Officers responding to the scene spoke to the victim who gave a description of the two trailers and showed the officers the scene of the theft and where the chain used to secure the trailers had been cut. While at the scene of the trailer theft, the officers received a call of shots fired at another location, later found to be the home of the defendant. During the investigation of this incident, a witness stated that he had seen trailers being pulled on to vacant property next door to the defendant’s home. Trotter was found on that property shortly thereafter, although the property was clearly marked with “No Trespassing” signs. The stolen trailers were also located there as well as tools used to cut the locks on the property adjacent to the defendant’s home and also cut the chain securing the trailers at the original incident location. Trotter was taken into custody for trespassing. Warrants were later served for the other charges.
Following the sentencing, Solicitor David Wagner stated, “Michael Trotter has been in and out of prison for many years because of drugs and multiple burglaries. I appreciate the fact that he was sentenced to the maximum on each of these charges due to his long criminal history and want to thank the jurors, the Judge and law enforcement for helping to make our community a safer place.”