Report: Cops found cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and firearm in weekend busts in Bluffton
Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputies recovered cocaine, heroin, marijuana, fentanyl and a firearm during two separate incidents in Bluffton over the weekend, according to a report by the Sheriff’s Office.
They obtained the cocaine, marijuana and a loaded firearm in a traffic stop on Saturday morning on Fording Island Road in Bluffton, and the heroin and fentanyl after responding to a report of suspicious activity in the Bluffton Walmart parking lot around 7 p.m. on Sunday.
The incidents resulted in two arrests, according to the report.
Here’s a breakdown of the incidents:
Saturday morning traffic stop
Around 2:20 a.m. on Saturday, a Sheriff’s Office deputy pulled over a Toyota Avalon driven by 25-year-old Tyler Wimbush on Fording Island Road in Bluffton. Wimbush allegedly gave a false name to the deputy when he was pulled over, according to the report.
During the traffic stop, a K-9 dog named Niko sniffed the car for drugs and alerted the deputy to crack cocaine and cocaine, the report said.
When deputies searched the car, they found a loaded handgun underneath the driver’s seat. Wimbush also had a small amount of marijuana on him, according to the report.
He was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, unlawful carrying of a handgun, providing false information to law enforcement and simple possession of marijuana, the report said.
Wimbush was transported to the Beaufort County Detention Center and incarcerated.
He had a bond hearing later Saturday morning and was released after signing a written promise to show up for court and not to engage in any illegal activity while he was out on his own recognizance, according to the report.
Sunday evening Walmart incident
Around 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of suspicious activity in the parking lot of the Bluffton Walmart.
Deputies observed a Toyota Camry with several people in it parked in an accessible parking space without the appropriate handicap parking signage, the report said.
Inside the car, deputies found a syringe with what appeared to be heroin in it and a plastic bag with a white, powdered substance that appeared to be fentanyl in 36-year-old Nathan Smyth’s pants pockets, according to the report.
The syringe was field tested and confirmed to contain heroin, and the white substance was sent to the Sheriff’s Office forensic services lab to be tested, the report said.
Smyth was arrested and charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and transported to the Beaufort County Detention Center. He may face additional charges if the white substance is confirmed to be fentanyl, the report said.
As of Monday afternoon, Smyth remained incarcerated on a $10,000 bond.
This story was originally published March 11, 2019 at 4:44 PM.
