logo
Upstate man sentenced for trafficking drugs laced with horse tranquilizer

Upstate man sentenced for trafficking drugs laced with horse tranquilizer

Yahoo21-04-2025

PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – An Upstate man was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to trafficking fentanyl mixed with a powerful horse tranquilizer.
The 13th Circuit Solicitor's Office said 61-year-old David Allen Wallace, of Pickens, pleaded guilty to trafficking fentanyl, four grams or more, but less than 14 grams, first offense and was sentenced to 18 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
According to a release from the solicitor's office, an officer with the Easley Police Department found Wallace asleep behind the wheel of a car in a McDonalds' drive-thru in September of 2023.
Upon searching the vehicle, officers found roughly 13 grams of fentanyl and over $1,000 cash, according to a release. Reports state a lab analysis of the fentanyl tested positive for Xylazine, a horse tranquilizer known to cause overdoses that cannot be reversed with Narcan.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

L.A. probation officer arrested, accused of supplying drugs to juvenile hall
L.A. probation officer arrested, accused of supplying drugs to juvenile hall

Yahoo

time10 hours ago

  • Yahoo

L.A. probation officer arrested, accused of supplying drugs to juvenile hall

A Los Angeles County probation officer was arrested Tuesday afternoon on charges he smuggled drugs into a juvenile hall where a teen died of a drug overdose in 2023, prosecutors said. Michael Solis, 59, allegedly conspired with two juvenile detainees to sell Xanax to people being held inside of Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar between May and August of 2023, according to a criminal complaint filed last week. Court records show Solis allegedly began conspiring to sell the drugs on May, 14, 2023, just five days after 18-year-old detainee Bryan Diaz died of a fentanyl overdose in the same building. 'Trafficking illegal drugs to juveniles is unconscionable under any circumstances, let alone as a government employee taking advantage of vulnerable youth in need of guidance and support,' Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement. 'Probation officers have as their primary duty the protection, health and safety of juveniles under their care. My office will not tolerate such an abuse of power, which endangers youth, undermines rehabilitation, and makes our communities less safe.' A spokesperson for the district attorney's office said Solis was cited to appear for arraignment on June 18. The D.A.'s office declined to say if Diaz's death sparked the investigation into Solis, who faces up to three years in prison if he is convicted. Reports of increased drug use among teens held at the Secure Youth Treatment Facility at Nidorf, where Solis worked, had surfaced in the months before Diaz's death. Read more: Judge orders more than 100 youths moved out of troubled L.A. County juvenile hall In April 2023, the L.A. County Inspector General's office detailed two incidents where youths were taken to local medical facilities or revived with Narcan after fentanyl overdoses. A March 2023 search of the unit where the teens overdosed uncovered pills laced with fentanyl and 'two large bindles of what appeared to be fentanyl' inside a dormitory, according to the inspector general's report. Diaz died on May 9, 2023. Five days later, according to the criminal complaint, Solis began conspiring with two juveniles at Nidorf to bring Xanax into the jails. Court filings say he was caught on camera twice handing a juvenile — identified only as "Co-Conspirator A" — small packages believed to be drugs inside Nidorf hall. Solis, who the juveniles nicknamed "Old Boy" in phone calls recorded by law enforcement, was charging as much as $400 per drug drop, according to the complaint. The enterprise fell apart in August 2023, when "Co-Conspirator A" was caught with 106 Xanax pills inside of Nidorf Hall, court records show. 'There is no room in this Department for anyone who violates the public trust and endangers the safety and wellbeing of the youth in our care,' Chief Probation Officer Guillermo Viera Rosa said in a statement Tuesday. 'We applaud the action taken by District Attorney Nathan Hochman, and remain steadfast in our commitment to holding our staff to the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and accountability.' Solis first came under scrutiny in October 2023 after another Secure Youth Treatment Facility resident, Nicholas Ibarra, was charged with bringing drugs into the facility. Ibarra told two probation officers — Reggie Torres and David Corona — that he could identify an officer bringing drugs into the facility, according to Tom Yu, an attorney representing both officers. Torres and Corona were both placed on administrative leave a short time later for conducting an "incomplete investigation," according to Yu, who said the charges against Solis vindicated the officers. "My guys were unlawfully f—ed with essentially, they were harassed and they were obstructed from doing their jobs," Yu said. "Solis was the target of the investigation." The probation department has not responded to Yu's allegations since he first made them in 2023. The charges are the latest in a series of criminal investigations targeting probation officers. Earlier this year, a California Attorney General's office investigation into so-called "gladiator fights" at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey led to indictments against 30 officers. A probation supervisor also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in February, years after the Times published footage of him bending a teen in half inside Camp Kilpatrick. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Spartanburg Police Department prepares officers with annual training exercise
Spartanburg Police Department prepares officers with annual training exercise

Yahoo

time10 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Spartanburg Police Department prepares officers with annual training exercise

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) — Police officers in Spartanburg have asked residents not to be alarmed if they see police activity or hear gunfire near the Temple B'nai Israel — it's all a part of training exercise. In moments of high pressure, officers have only seconds to make a serious and potentially consequential decision. There is no telling what any given call may bring, but officers said it is their job to be prepared for the worst of situations. That's where the training comes in. Sgt. Dylan Davis with Spartanburg Police said 100 to 150 officers are working through incident command response plans and practicing active shooter response. 'We test that decision making ability like you saw in the PID drill again, again and again,' davis said. 'We ramp it up and we ramp it down because you never know what you're walking into. So as instructors, if we can train, if our training is harder than anything you'll ever encounter — that's good.' Officers are given complex scenarios to navigate through and are tested on how they react. 'Is the officer able to make a clear decision under stressful circumstances? Because that's the nature of law enforcement,' Davis added. 'So that probably above all else, is what we're looking at now.' Police are also receiving assistance from role players; many of whom are family of officers. 'I come here every year with my dad, I like to be a hostage with a couple of my friends, so we come in and put fake wounds on,' said Warren, a 13-year-old family member of a participating officer. Dashanti Tillotson said she enjoyed helping officers practice. 'We did drills and stuff for like shootouts to help police officers get more experience and prepared for stuff like that,' Tillotson added. 'I had to stand in the front, say 'Help' and stuff and wait for them to come and get me.' Police will train inside the Heywood Avenue-based temple through Thursday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Police: Portsmouth woman arrested after child gave her Narcan
Police: Portsmouth woman arrested after child gave her Narcan

Yahoo

time12 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Police: Portsmouth woman arrested after child gave her Narcan

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (WPRI) — A Portsmouth woman was arrested and charged with child endangerment last Thursday after a 10-year-old child called police to report a medical emergency. Police said responding officers found signs of a drug overdose, along with unsecured narcotics and several containers of discarded Narcan in the home. ALSO READ: Motorcyclist dies after Portsmouth crash According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, Narcan is a brand of naloxone, a medication that can quickly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Following an investigation, police discovered that the child had used the Narcan on 44-year-old Lauren Nortz. The child had reportedly learned to use the medication from reading the instructions on the package and past guidance from a family member. During an interview with detectives, Nortz admitted to using the drugs and confirmed that the drugs and related paraphernalia were accessible to the child. Police contacted the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) which remains 'involved keeping the child safe.' Nortz was arraigned at police headquarters and released on $2,000 surety bail, with an order not to contact the child. She is scheduled to appear in court for a formal arraignment on June 12. Download the and apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Watch or with the new . Follow us on social media: Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store