Two men have been charged with drug trafficking following drug raids that took place in early October in South Carolina. According to media reports, the searches that led to the men being taken into custody were conducted by investigators attached to the Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office Gang Unit, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and the Greenville Police Department Crime Response Team.
The first arrest was made on Oct. 1 when DEU investigators took a 42-year-old man into custody after executing an investigation warrant at an apartment on Cedar Lane Road in Greenville. When they entered the apartment, investigators say that they discovered what appeared to be a pill press operation. They then allegedly seized about 4 ounces of fentanyl and approximately 3.6 ounces of methamphetamine.
The following day, DEU investigators took action when a vehicle pulled up outside a Century Drive apartment. The 27-year-old man behind the wheel of the vehicle was taken into custody after investigators allegedly discovered undisclosed quantities of heroin and methamphetamine. A search of the apartment is then said to have led to the discovery of a further 72.3 grams of heroin and 86 grams of methamphetamine. Investigators also claim to have found counterfeit Xanax, counterfeit U.S. currency, three firearms, devices used to make pills and drug paraphernalia.
Challenging police searches
Cases like this one often hinge on the legality of police searches. There can still be hope for dismissal if judges agree that the police officers who made the seizures obtained a search warrant under false pretenses or exceeded the scope of the allowed search. Experienced criminal defense attorneys could argue that drug charges should be dismissed if police officers lacked sufficient probable cause to secure a search warrant or exceeded boundaries that were laid down by the issuing judge.
