Sea Pines security guards face charges for ‘attempted poisoning’ of boss’ coffeemaker
Two Sea Pines security officers face charges for allegedly attempting to poison a supervisor’s coffeemaker with eye drops, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.
Hunter Emanuel Howard, 30, and Andrew Daniel Doty, 47, both of Bluffton were charged with one count of tampering with a human drug product or food item on Friday. It’s a felony charge that can hold up to 20 years in prison.
On March 6, the two men were accused of “attempted poisoning,” a Sheriff’s Office report said. They allegedly put eye drops into their Sea Pines security supervisor’s personal coffeemaker, according to Maj. Bob Bromage with the Sheriff’s Office.
The supervisor was away and did not drink the coffee, Bromage said.
Another employee alerted management, and the Sheriff’s Office was contacted to investigate, he said.
A reporter left a message for Sea Pines security director Toby McSwain on Saturday morning.
The two men were released on $5,000 personal recognizance bonds, meaning they did not have to post any money for release, on Friday at around noon, according to the Beaufort County Detention Center.
Beaufort County Magistrate Judge Jean McCormick set the bonds.
Putting eye drops into someone’s beverage is very dangerous. A South Carolina woman, Lana Clayton, pleaded guilty in January 2020 for fatally putting eye drops into her husband’s drink, according to the Rock Hill Herald. She was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
This story was originally published March 19, 2022 at 12:37 PM.
