Rufus Lockliear, 58, of 3604 Seaboard Road, Salters, has been charged with trafficking and possession of drug paraphernalia. The drug arrest, made on Thursday, September 10, was a result of an eradication conducted by the Williamsburg County Sheriff’s Office, along with South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the South Carolina Air National Guard Counter Drug Unit and the Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division.
During the eradication, a field of marijuana near Lock-liear Ave., Salters, was spotted by helicopter. Ground crews were notified and 26 plants were confiscated from property belonging to Lockliear. The plants measured 12 to 15 feet in height and would have had a street value of $2,000 per plant.
A further search of Lockliear’s property by law enforcement uncovered a quantity of marijuana in a vehicle. Two totes containing dried marijuana were also discovered in a storage container. Law enforcement also retrieved several containers filled with marijuana from inside Lockliear’s residence. Other items confiscated were several shotguns and rifles and a scale.