Arcade Game Packed with Marijuana, Owner Arrested on Drug Charges
A man in Orangeburg, South Carolina has been arrested after he was found with a PacMan arcade game filled with pot. He was arrested on serious drug charges.
Luis Tyler, 40, was arrested on Tuesday, April 16th after an undercover investigation led authorities to the arcade machine, which had 55 lbs of marijuana stored inside.
The investigation was conducted by both local and federal authorities. According to reports, Tyler accepted delivery of the suspicious PacMan game. Deputies pulled Tyler over as he made his way home with the machine, and he was charged with drug trafficking. Authorities seized his vehicle, which contained the game and the pot.
His bond has been set to $75,000, and it is currently unknown if he has a lawyer.
“Our efforts to make Orangeburg safer will not stop,” said Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell. “We are and will continue to investigate the criminals in our community and make arrests. You may be looking for a high score but what you’ll get is ‘game over’!”
Drug Charges Like Drug Trafficking in South Carolina
Trafficking charges are based upon the weight of the drug you are in possession of:
- Ten grams of cocaine
- Four grams of heroin
- Ten pounds of marijuana
In South Carolina, possession of drugs at this weight or greater is considered trafficking.
Sale or trafficking of marijuana is a very serious drug crime in South Carolina. Possession of over 10 lbs of marijuana constitutes intention to traffic, and you will automatically be charged with a felony. If you have 10 lbs or less in your possession, you could end up in jail for up to 5 years, with a $5,000 fine. Drug charges can go all the way up to 10,000 lbs, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison, and $200,000 fine.
Although some states have recently legalized possession and use of marijuana, South Carolina has not, and it is still a drug crime to possess even an ounce or less.
Under Federal Law, anyone who uses, possesses, or carries a firearm during or in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is subject to a five year mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment.
If you are convicted of carrying a firearm, five years will be added to your sentence and it may not be served consecutively with any other count.
If You Face Serious Drug Charges, the Strom Law Firm Can Help
The penalties for various drug charges, especially drug trafficking, are severe, including mandatory minimum sentences of 25 years for certain trafficking charges. South Carolina has some of the stiffest penalties in the nation for drug crimes.
The criminal defense attorneys of the Strom Law Firm, LLC in Columbia, South Carolina, know the laws, court procedures and strategies used by government prosecutors to secure drug charges convictions, and can use that knowledge to defend your case and to help you avoid lengthy mandatory minimum sentences. We offer free, confidential consultations, so you can discuss the facts of your case with impunity. Contact us today. 803.252.4800.
