Man pleads guilty to string of property crimes in Spartanburg County

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – A man pleaded guilty to a string of property crimes and was sentenced Wednesday to prison, the Spartanburg County Seventh Circuit Solicitor said.

On Sept. 16, 2023, a homeowner on Oakridge Court in Wellford heard Michael Trevor Barton, 32, in his wife’s BMW with the dog and an assault rifle, authorities said.

Barton held the homeowner at gunpoint and stole the vehicle. Barton was later identified by the homeowner.

During the investigation, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office determined that Barton had broken into the home on Oakridge Court the day before and stolen items, including a spare key to his BMW. Through additional investigation by Landrum Police and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement determined that Barton had committed a number of property-related crimes in and around Wellford, Duncan, Lyman and Landrum.

Barton was later arrested in September 2024 following a pursuit by Spartanburg County deputies.

Barton was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the following charges:

Four first-degree thefts,
Attempted armed robbery
Possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime
Four grand thefts
Two petty thefts
Receiving stolen property twice
Malicious destruction of personal property
Breaking into a motor vehicle
Failure to stop the motor vehicle when signaled by the police vehicle
Using the vehicle without the owner’s permission
possession of a stolen gun

Barton was sentenced to 20 years in prison for each count of first-degree burglary, authorities said. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempted armed robbery. All sentences will be served concurrently, officials said.

His prior criminal history includes: third-degree burglary, petit larceny, assault and battery, second-degree unlawful neglect of a child, and domestic violence.