Community tip leads to drug arrests at St. Andrews area motel

Lexington, SC 05/01/2024 - A tip from the public led narcotics agents to a motel on Piney Grove Road Friday in their search for an accused drug dealer.

“Investigators with the Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team, along with narcotics investigators from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department arrested 38-year-old Vander Antonio Mingledolph as he walked out of the motel,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “Investigators smelled marijuana coming from his vehicle, so they conducted a search.”

They found 150 grams of fentanyl, more than 200 grams of meth, more than 100 grams of cocaine and more than $3,000 in cash in Mingledolph’s car, according to Koon.

“During their interaction with Mingledolph, investigators learned a man wanted on drug charges in Richland County and known to work with Mingledolph in distributing drugs was in a room at the same motel,” Koon said. “They made contact with 39-year-old Jeffrey Vernon Myers in his room and smelled marijuana.”

A search of Myers’ room yielded fentanyl, crack, cocaine and three handguns, according to Koon.

Mingledolph is charged with trafficking fentanyl, trafficking meth and trafficking cocaine, according to arrest warrants. Myers is charged with trafficking fentanyl, trafficking crack, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm during a violent crime, according to warrants.

Both men are being held in the Lexington County Detention Center.