Deputies arrest Seneca man for meth trafficking after chase

OCONEE COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Deputies in Oconee County arrested a man on Wednesday evening after a chase that took place near the Earles Grove community.

According to a release from the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies got a tip that the suspect, Clifford Jacob Ricketts, was in the area working on a black Chevrolet Camaro. Deputies noticed a car matching the description near Smith Dairy Road and Cottontail Drive and attempted a traffic stop.

Clifford Ricketts(Oconee County Sheriff's Office)

The sheriff’s office says that Ricketts failed to obey commands from deputies and refused to pull over. Instead, the suspect drove off Earles Grove down an unpaved road before getting stuck in the mud, after which Ricketts was taken in to custody.

When deputies searched the vehicle, they found what turned out to be 198 grams of methamphetamine as well as marijuana, two guns and around $315 in cash.

Ricketts was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine, failure to stop for a blue light and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.

Deputies say that in addition to the incident on Wednesday, Ricketts also had 11 outstanding warrants from another incident that happened on November 4 when he failed to pull over for a traffic violation and again began a chase with deputies before they lost sight of Ricketts’ car.

Ricketts was denied bond for Wednesday’s incident, but was given a surety bond of $30,230 for the incident that happened on November 4, according to the sheriff’s office. He remains in custody, deputies confirmed.