Drugs and guns seized from man out on bond from 2019 murder charge, SC sheriff says
A man who was out on bond from a murder charge found himself back behind bars after drugs and guns were confiscated during a recent arrest, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office said.
Benjamin Wright, a 34-year-old Orangeburg resident, was charged with trafficking cocaine (more than 10 grams but less than 28 grams), possession with intent to distribute cocaine within proximity of a school (more than 10 grams but less than 28 grams), possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a stolen pistol, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Information on the exact amount of drugs and the number of weapons seized was not available.
In 2019, Wright was charged with murder after a man was fatally shot, according to the release. Information on his bond from that arrest was not available.
“This is an individual who does not need to be on the street,” Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said in the release. “He has shown time and time again he has no regard for the law nor even for life.”
Keshia Pelzer, 27, who lives at the same address as Wright, was arrested on the same charges, according to the release.
Ravenell said surveillance by the his department’s narcotics unit revealed an extensive drug operation at Wright’s Clarendon Street residence.
A search warrant obtained for the home was served on Thursday.
“We located several weapons, one of which turned out to be stolen,” Ravenell said. “And along with the other drugs, we seized laced gummy bears.”
Pelzer’s bond was set at $149,000 on the combined charges, and it was posted Friday, Orangeburg County court records show.
A bond hearing for Wright was held last Thursday, but information about any possible bond was not included in Orangeburg County court records.
Both Wright and Pelzer are scheduled to return to court on the new charges on Dec. 15, judicial records show.
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This story was originally published October 15, 2023 at 1:46 PM with the headline "Drugs and guns seized from man out on bond from 2019 murder charge, SC sheriff says."
