Horry County police say recent fentanyl bust ‘probably' largest in county's history
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Horry County police spoke on camera for the first time since last week's dramatic chase and eventual fentanyl bust in Myrtle Beach.
HCPD says the recovered drugs, which include more than 25 pounds of fentanyl, are worth roughly $1 million. Police on Tuesday also identified the suspect in the chase — Omega Junior Wilson — who was charged with failure to stop for a blue light with great bodily injury and trafficking in fentanyl.
The chase happened at about 4 p.m. Friday and ended near Pine Island Road in Myrtle Beach, police said. At least one bystander was hurt.
An officer tried stopping Wilson for an improper turn near Fantasy Harbor Boulevard and Forestbrook Road, but police say Wilson sped off and threw several bricks of fentanyl out of the car window before he crashed, damaging several vehicles along the way.
'This is probably the largest fentanyl seizure that the county has seen. It's a significant amount of fentanyl that was seized,' Horry County Deputy Police Chief Mick Kathman said. 'It would be enough to be a lethal dose for the population of Horry County 13-plus times over.'
Workers at nearby businesses said they were in shock when they heard and saw the crash happen right outside their windows. Officers also found meth, cocaine, three firearms and other drugs in the car, like multiple prescriptions not prescribed to Wilson.
Some neighbors, like Beverly McGee, were appalled to know the bust happened in their community.
'As far as I'm concerned, get it out of here and keep it out of here,' McGee said. 'My niece was a drug addict, and fentanyl was a drug she used often. Thankfully, she's been sober now for over a year. But it could have killed her, and we were constantly worried about her.'
Another person, who wanted to remain anonymous, said their wife was killed by her xanax anxiety medication being laced with fentanyl and ketamine in 2021 in Socastee. Others, like Linnea Ciavardini, were thankful for police's quick efforts.
'They say there's a market for drugs, so it's never going to go away,' Ciavardini said. 'But if we can keep it down and capture the distributors, that's wonderful. Everyone will be a lot happier.'
Kathman said they're unsure if any other people were involved in the drug operation with Wilson, who lives in Georgetown.
McGee says the fentanyl crisis needs to be taken even more seriously.
'The fentanyl problem is out of control,' she said.
* * *
Gabby Jonas joined the News13 team as a multimedia journalist in April 2024. She is from Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Kent State University in May 2023. Follow Gabby on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and read more of her work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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