LEXINGTON, S.C. – Lexington County deputies have charged a man after tracing property reported as stolen back to his address, where they found drugs, guns and a commercial trailer with an altered vehicle identification number.
Michael Gerald Tart, 38, is charged with trafficking heroin, possession of less than a gram of cocaine, trafficking ice, possession of LSD, possession of anabolic steroids, operation of a chop shop, possession of body armor by a violent offender, possession of a stolen handgun, receiving stolen goods, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, according to arrest warrants.
“Deputies went to Tart’s home on McLee Road in Lexington in response to information they had gathered as part of a follow-up investigation related to stolen property,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “Tart gave them consent to search his property after they explained why they were there.”
One of the deputies saw a U-Haul car hauler that was freshly painted green with marks on the trailer where the company typically places identification numbers, according to Koon.
“Investigators obtained a search warrant before searching Tart’s backyard,” Koon said. “During a search of Tart’s house, deputies found several firearms in plain view and illegal drugs inside a gun safe.”
Koon said Tart was arrested at the scene and transported to the Lexington County Detention Center.