PC man guilty of trafficking in 6,000+ grams of GHB - Larry Basford

The defendant outside his camper as deputies await a search warrant.

Sentencing is set for May 8 for a Panama City man found guilty of having more than 6,000 grams of GHB, commonly known as “Scoop,” hidden under the bed of his camper, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Darren Scott Tyrell, 54, was found guilty Thursday of Trafficking in GHB (more than 5kg, less than 10kg), and Possession of Paraphernalia. Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay ordered the defendant held without bond.

Prosecutors Zachary VanDyke and Jackson White called three witnesses and presented evidence to jurors that on March 25, 2021, Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators served a search warrant at 1210 Oak Ave. The search warrant included a “free-air sniff” around the camper in the backyard by Inv. Dwight Cummings’ K-9, Fila.

The 6+ kilos of GHB were found in the gray “bag/container” seen in the bottom right photo. The container is next to security camera boxes.

Fila “alerted” to the presence of narcotics in the camper. Inside, deputies found the defendant in the bed. In a compartment under the bed they found a large plastic jug which contained 6.12 kilograms of a “clear oily liquid” right next to the boxes from the security cameras that were installed on the property to protect the illicit operation. The liquid tested positive for GHB, which was later confirmed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

On the street GHB is measured and sold by pouring it in a bottle cap. This is thousands of doses.

GHB is known as a date rape drug and its use at “raves” and clubs. It goes by street names like “Scoop,” “Georgia Home Boy,” and “Water.” It affects the body’s central nervous system. One of the dangers it poses is that users do not know the strength or potency of the drug they are consuming.

The amount seized weighed about 6.12 kilograms, or about 6,120 grams. Under Florida’s enhanced drug laws, trafficking in more than 6 kilograms of GHB is a First-Degree Felony punishable by a minimum-mandatory prison term of 7 years with a maximum possible sentence of 30 years.

Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for its work on the case and for proactively seizing a large amount of GHB before it could be sold on the street.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.