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Swannanoa man arrested after multi-day crime spree

Swannanoa man arrested after multi-day crime spree

Bryan George Coleman Photo: Contributed/Buncombe County Sheriff's Office


ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A Swannanoa man has been arrested following a multi-day crime spree that spanned several jurisdictions in eastern Buncombe County, authorities said.

IGRANT agents and detectives with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office arrested Bryan George Coleman, 50, on Thursday, Feb. 5, according to a news release.

Investigators said the crime spree began the morning of Feb. 3 and continued through late Feb. 5, when Coleman was taken into custody. Authorities located him in a vehicle reported stolen and arrested him after a brief chase.

After speaking with Coleman, deputies recovered a second stolen vehicle reported out of Black Mountain, officials said.

The investigation involved multiple agencies, including the Black Mountain Police Department, the Montreat Police Department and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.

Coleman faces numerous charges, including one count of felony first-degree burglary; 24 counts of felony uttering a forged instrument; seven counts of felony obtaining property by false pretenses; one count of felony attempted obtaining property by false pretenses; nine counts of felony financial card theft; one count of felony larceny after breaking or entering; four counts of misdemeanor financial card fraud; one count of felony possession of a stolen motor vehicle; one count of misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia; one count of felony fleeing to elude arrest; one count of no operator’s license; one count of reckless driving to endanger; and one count of failure to stop at a steady red light.

“This case was resolved promptly due to the dedicated efforts of IGRANT and our Criminal Investigations team,” BCSO District 1 Capt. Dustan Auldredge said in a statement. “We appreciate our partnership with the Montreat Police Department and are grateful to Capt. Tim Bradley for his assistance in achieving resolve for this case.”

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