Two South Carolina students brought drugs and weapons onto a school bus, while a driver in Connecticut was arrested for using the company school bus he drove to conduct drug deals.
The State reported that a Colleton County School District bus was on its morning route on March 29 when the driver smelled marijuana. She followed protocol and notified the transportation department.
When the bus reached school, school officials and school resource officers had the students disembark and searched the bus. They discovered marijuana hidden inside some headphones, a pill bottle and a jacket. After separating the students that these belonged to, they found more marijuana inside one minor student’s pants. In total, almost $4,000 worth of the drug was seized.
The other student, who is 18, refused to listen to officers or stop talking on her cell phone. She was searched and found to be carrying a Taser and pepper spray. She was charged with disrupting school and carrying a weapon on school property. Her bond was set at $6,000.
Just a week later in Connecticut, the CT Post reported that Garfield Howell, a bus driver for school transportation contractor We Transport, was arrested after an investigation that lasted several months. Police detectives observed Howell taking the school bus that he drove for Bridgeport Public Schools to buy and deliver heroin.
It was unclear whether students were on board the bus when Howell was traveling to and from the drug deals. However, he was charged with risk of injury to a minor, as well as four counts of selling narcotics and two counts of conspiracy to sell narcotics.
We Transport told the CT Post that Howell’s employment status would be decided after its investigation was complete. Howell could not post his $100,000 bail and awaits his court date of April 18.
