News and Investigations

On Sunday, June 27, 2021, PCSO deputies arrested 23-year-old Sam Bolin of Boynton Beach for drug trafficking and other felonies following a traffic stop. 

At around 8:20 p.m. that evening, a deputy sheriff observed a silver BMW traveling northbound on US Highway 98 in unincorporated Lakeland. The registered owner of the BMW had a suspended license, so a traffic stop was initiated.

The deputy made contact with the driver of the BMW, Sam Bolin. When Bolin handed the deputy his driver’s license, he told the deputy, “I believe my license is suspended right now.”

According to the affidavit, the deputy smelled a strong odor of marijuana from inside the vehicle and during a search, found several plastic bags in the backseat floorboard containing large amounts of loose marijuana, THC gummies, and three wrapped packages. 

When asked what was in the packages, Bolin told the deputy “they were going to a friend,” and then said, “You can go ahead and open them.” Inside the packages were 25 vacuum sealed and unopened tubes labeled as 1 gram each, with what appeared to be marijuana cigarettes.

Deputies also located loose ammunition on the front driver’s side floorboard, and three firearms: one not holstered and under the driver’s seat where Bolin had immediate access to it; one in the glovebox, as well as 3 loaded magazines; and another firearm in a locked box in the trunk of the vehicle. 

During the search of the BMW, deputies seized:
* 1.89 grams of morphine;
* 0.57 grams of LSD;
* 12.06 grams of Fentanyl;
* 5 Adderall pills in several clear bags;
* 4.5 Ecstasy pills in a clear plastic bag;
* A total of 448.07 grams of a green leafy substance that yielded a positive test result for    marijuana;
* Marijuana resin;
* THC gummies;
* An electronic scale; and
* A glass pipe. 

“A simple traffic stop resulted in getting a significant amount of narcotics off the street and identifying a drug dealer. Of particular concern was the fentanyl he had—two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person’s weight and drug tolerance, and Bolin had over 12 thousand milligrams. Fentanyl is about 100 times more potent than morphine. In fact, drug dealers often use fentanyl to mix with other drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine to make them more potent and increasing the likelihood of a fatal overdose. Bolin has a history of selling drugs. Our deputy may well have saved lives by getting those drugs out of circulation.” - Grady Judd, Sheriff 

Bolin was arrested and charged with:
* Armed Trafficking in Fentanyl (F1);
* Use/Display Firearm during a Felony Offense (F2);
* Possession of LSD (F3);
* Possession of Marijuana Resin (F3);
* Possession of Marijuana over 20 grams (F3);
* Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell (F3);
* Possession of Morphine (F3);
* Possession of Ecstasy (F3);
* Maintaining a Vehicle for Drug Use (M1);
* Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (M1);
* Carrying a Concealed Firearm without a Permit (M1);
* Possession of a Prescription without a Prescription (M2);
* Possession of a Suspended Driver’s License (M2); and
* Knowingly Driving on a Suspended License (M2). 

He is currently in the Polk County Jail and has no bond. Bolin’s prior criminal history includes 10 felonies and 4 misdemeanors, to include charges of Possession of Alprazolam with Intent to Sell, Possession of Codeine with Intent to Sell, Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell, Tampering with Evidence, and DUI.