Union Co. scrapyard owner arrested for not reporting stolen vehicle, SLED says

UNION COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrested a Union County scrapyard operator on Thursday.

According to arrest warrants, 72-year-old Robert Fred Small of Small World Recycling purchased five vehicles between March 1, 2025 and Aug. 27, 2025 without verifying with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) whether the vehicles had been reported stolen. Small also failed to report the vehicles to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System as required by law.

A vehicle that Small purchased between Aug. 11 and Aug. 27 was reported stolen on Aug. 27, according to warrants. Another vehicle Small purchased on Aug. 20 was taken without the owner’s permission.

Officials said that Small was arrested on five counts of not kee