Burton man free on bail for second time after second drug arrest in just over a month

A 34-year-old Burton man is free bond for the second time in just over a month after he was allegedly found with prescription pills and cocaine in October and faced more drug charges in November.

Osotonu Tanielu’s October charges stem from a traffic stop in Port Royal that allegedly uncovered 110 20mg and 10 30mg amphetamine/dextroamphetamine tablets and 14 Dilaudid tablets, according to a Port Royal Police Department report. Both medications require prescriptions. The first is often used to treat ADHD or narcolepsy. The second is an opioid pain medication. Tanielu also had 12.3 grams of cocaine, the report said

In the October incident, Tanielu was charged with trafficking cocaine and three counts of possession with intent to distribute Schedule II drugs, according to the report. He was detained in Beaufort County Detention Center on Oct. 10 and released the same day on $80,000 bond, according to online Beaufort County court records.

Tanielu was arrested Nov. 8 on an active warrants after he and other adults called for help after a home invasion on Old Jericho Road in Burton, according to a Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office report. He was arrested after deputies found 121 Suboxone strips — another pain medication — in his vehicle, the report said. That arrest followed an ongoing Sheriff’s Office investigation into Tanielu’s activities, Capt. Bob Bromage said Monday night. Further details about the investigation were not immediately available.

In the November incident, Tanielu faces two counts of manufacture and distribution Schedule II drugs and of crack cocaine, according to court records.

He was detained in the detention center on Nov. 8 and released Nov. 9 on $50,000 bond.

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 1:05 PM with the headline "Burton man free on bail for second time after second drug arrest in just over a month."