Disturbance Call Leads to Drug Busts for Sallisaw Police

 Tyler Lee Smith

Joyce Inez Swigert

A routine disturbance call last week turned into two drug busts for the Sallisaw Police Department.

Officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at Don’s Mobile Homes just after 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17. 

Upon arrival, a grandmother reported she had come to get a baby from her daughter because the daughter’s boyfriend, Tyler Lee Smith, 19, was allegedly intoxicated and had drugs in the home with the baby.

After further investigation, another person at the residence stated Smith and his girlfriend had left the house in a black Dodge Nitro. The officer left the residence and spotted the Dodge Nitro at a nearby EZ Mart and located Smith as the driver. The officer advised Smith of the accusations, and Smith denied that there were any drugs in the house. After questioning the girlfriend, however, she advised there was marijuana in the house. Smith later admitted there were drugs in the house, and took officers back there, where they seized a large glass bong, a few pipes, working digital scales, several sealed baggies of a leafy green substance, that later field-tested positive for marijuana, and a baggie filled with white, crystalline substance, which later field-tested positive for methamphetamine. Smith admitted that he was selling the drugs for extra money.

Later that evening, the officers, working off a tip, visited the home of Joyce Inez Swigert on Hickory Street. Swigert, 42, consented for a search of her home, where officers found multiple baggies of pre-packaged green leafy substance, which later field-tested positive for marijuana, along with several pieces of paraphernalia, including baggies, working digital scales, and a metal grinder.

The narcotics investigation seized approximately 1.5 pounds of marijuana from the two locations.

Both Swigert and Lee were arrested and booked at the Sallisaw Police Department. Swigert was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and drug paraphernalia charges. Smith was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana and narcotics and drug paraphernalia charges.

Police Chief Terry Franklin said the officers went above and beyond, resulting in the drug bust and additional charges.

“The guys did a good job,” Franklin said. “They worked hard, investigated and followed up on it, and we got a couple of drug arrests.”

Pam Cloud, Managing News Director

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