Eckard

HARMAN — A Virginia man is facing a felony charge in Randolph County for allegedly receiving and transferring a vehicle that was reported as stolen from Virginia in March.

Nathan Aaron Eckard, 46, of Elkton, Virginia, is charged with one count of receiving and transferring a stolen vehicle, a felony. He is currently being held in Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $50,000 10% cash bond. Bond was set by Randolph County Magistrate Tracy Harper.

According to the criminal complaint, prepared by West Virginia State Police Corporal S. P. Miller, on April 6, Miller was contacted and informed by Pendleton County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Raines about the location of a possibly stolen vehicle in Randolph County, specifically in the Harman area.

Miller was told the vehicle, a white 1996 Chevy Silverado bearing a Virginia registration, had been entered into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and was now possibly in the possession of Eckard in Harman, according to the complaint.

Miller, alongside Trooper First Class E. B. Malcomb, then searched the Harman area and located the described vehicle on Water Street. Harman is a two hour and 12 minute drive from Elkton, Virginia, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, Miller had officials run a search on the vehicle. It was discovered that the vehicle had been entered by the Virginia State Police as stolen with a theft date of March 18.

Miller then made contact with a resident in the home that the vehicle was found near, who was identified as Eckard through a Virginia operator’s license. When asked by Miller as to “who had been operating or was in possession of said vehicle,” Eckard said that he had been operating it and that the vehicle “belonged to his brother,” according to the complaint.

According to the complaint, before he was taken into custody by Miller, Eckard claimed that he was not aware that the vehicle had been reported as stolen.