TROY, Pa. (WETM) — A Gillett man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly stealing a vehicle and rifle, then leading troopers on a high-speed chase that crossed state lines.
Brandon Joseph McClain, 33, was arrested on April 23 on an unrelated warrant, but later confessed to stealing a white 1993 Chevy pickup truck and a .22 caliber rifle from the Western Alliance Ambulance service in Troy back in January.
McClain has been charged with:
Theft by unlawful taking (felony, grades one and three)
Receiving stolen property (felony, grades one and three)
Criminal mischief – damage to property (felony, grade three)
Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle (misdemeanor, grade two)
According to troopers, a witness reported seeing McClain driving the stolen truck in February and later hiding it under a tarp after spray-painting it black. The vehicle was reportedly hidden outside Pennsylvania, and McClain switched to driving a gray SUV.
On April 11, troopers attempted to stop a gray SUV in Troy for traffic violations. The driver fled, and police terminated the chase at the Pennsylvania–New York border. The vehicle was later found abandoned in New York. A rifle scope matching the one stolen with the Chevy truck was recovered from inside.
By April 18, troopers located the altered and abandoned Chevy pickup in South Creek Township. A witness told authorities they had seen McClain covering the vehicle with a tarp in Elmira.
During questioning on April 23, McClain admitted to stealing both the truck and the rifle, and confirmed he was the SUV driver in the April 11 pursuit. He said he abandoned the Chevy truck because it had run out of gas.
McClain remains in custody as charges are processed.
