After Goochland County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man on Nov. 15 they believe is behind a number of break-ins that occurred this fall in Goochland and Hanover counties, authorities from both localities are continuing to add charges.

Michael Christopher Scott, 22, was arrested at about 9 p.m. that Thursday, traveling along Va. Route 6 just east of George’s Tavern. Local authorities had received a tip that Scott was in the area, according to Investigator Mike East with the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office.

“We knew Hanover deputies were already looking for him and we had reason to believe he was in our county,” East said.

At the time, Hanover deputies had a pair of warrants out for his arrest.

Scott, a resident of Bumpass, was pulled over while driving a red Dodge Stratus and was arrested for possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm while in possession of a controlled substance, which East said authorities believed to be marijuana.

At the time of his arrest, authorities recovered many items from his vehicle, including a handgun, a rifle, two shotguns, and a 23-inch LG flat-screen television. Subsequently, Scott was charged with possession of stolen property.

The items recovered, East said, could have come from a breaking-and-entering that authorities were not aware of or they could be from one they were investigating.
“We’re still continuing to investigate,” he said.

Since then, the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office has been able to link Scott directly to two break-ins there, according to Sgt. Chris Whitley.

“We were able to link Mr. Scott to a burglarly on Pony Farm Road and one in the 18400 block of Taylors Creek Road, which occurred on Nov. 15,” Whitley said.

A total of five felony charges have been brought against Scott in Hanover, Whitley added.

According to Whitley, authorities in the two adjoining counties have been looking into a total of five breaking-and-entering incidents within the localities with similar circumstances.

On Nov. 5, Hanover officers responded to the 20200 block of Pony Farm Road for a reported breaking-and-entering. The home, located in the Rockville area of Hanover near the Goochland line, had been burglarized.

An unknown suspect or suspects forced entry during the day, stealing a flat screen television, jewelry, and an undisclosed amount of money. At the time, the residence was unoccupied and no one was injured.

Meanwhile, Hanover investigators continue to exploring the possibility that a similar break-in to a private residence in Beaverdam may be related. That incident, which occurred Oct. 23, also occurred during the day with no injuries, though not all of the items taken matched the Rockville burglary.

While investigating the two incidents, the Hanover Sheriff’s Office learned of several similar break-ins in western Goochland, where the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office was investigating other incidents.

As with the Hanover break-ins, these three took place in Goochland and involved flat-screen televisions and jewelry being stolen. The incidents occurred during the daytime to unoccupied homes.

On Aug. 27, a home in the 5400 block of Duvall Road in Kent’s Store was burglarized, followed by a home in the 3900 block of Whitehall Road in Sandy Hook on Sept. 26 and finally a home in the 4300 block of Payne Road in Columbia on Oct. 23.

Anyone with any additional information on any of the break-ins is asked to contact Crimestoppers at 780-1000, the Hanover Sheriff’s Office at 365-6140, or the Goochland County Sheriff’s Office at 556-5349.