Former Fort Mill cop accused of kidnapping wife extradited to SC from Florida
A former Fort Mill police officer accused of kidnapping his wife in December is back in York County after he was caught in Florida.
Stephen James Cleary, 36, was booked into the York County jail Thursday night after being extradited from Florida on charges of kidnapping, domestic violence, and unlawful conduct toward a child.
He was denied bond by a York County magistrate judge Friday, according to court records and Trent Faris, spokesman for the York County Sheriff’s Office. Cleary is being held in protective custody because of his status as an ex-police officer, Faris said.
Cleary could face as much as 60 years in prison if convicted of all three charges, South Carolina law shows. Kidnapping carries a potential sentence of 30 years; domestic violence, up to 20 years; and felony unlawful conduct toward a child, up to 10 years.
He will be represented by the 16th Circuit Public Defender’s Office, according to the York County Clerk of Court’s Office.
Former cop caught in Florida
Cleary was arrested in Hillsborough County, Florida, near Tampa on Dec. 29, according to State Law Enforcement Division and Fort Mill Police Department records.
Arrest warrants obtained by The Herald state Cleary had a gun near him when he held his wife against her will for more than an hour on Dec. 27 at the couple’s Fort Mill home. One of the couple’s children was in the home at the time, according to SLED arrest warrants.
Cleary’s wife escaped the house and called 911, Fort Mill police Maj. Bryan Zachary said. Fort Mill officers asked SLED to investigate because Cleary was a patrol officer with the department at the time of the incident.
Cleary was fired Dec. 28, a day before he was captured in Florida, police said. He had worked as a police officer in Fort Mill since March 2019.
This story was originally published January 15, 2021 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Former Fort Mill cop accused of kidnapping wife extradited to SC from Florida."
