A man found guilty of trafficking in more than 6,000 grams of GHB, commonly known as “Scoop,” has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Circuit Court Judge Shonna Gay sentenced Darren Scott Tyrell, 54, to 15 years in prison Wednesday and levied a $100,000 fine. The charge carries a minimum/mandatory 7 years in prison under Florida’s enhanced drug trafficking statutes.
Prosecutors Zachary VanDyke and Jackson White called three witnesses and presented evidence to jurors at the March 21 trial proving the defendant was in possession of more than 6,000 grams of GHB in 2021 when he was arrested by Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators.
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Deputies were serving a search warrant based upon a “free-air sniff” around the camper Tyrell lived in behind an Oak Avenue home by Inv. Dwight Cummings’ K-9, Fila.
Fila “alerted” to the presence of narcotics in the camper and a second search warrant was obtained. Inside, deputies found the defendant in the bed and a large plastic jug with 6.12 kilograms of a “clear oily liquid” under the bed. The substance tested positive for GHB, which was later confirmed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
GHB is known for its use as a “rave” or “club” drug that 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.
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.