MARTIN COUNTY, FLORIDA – It looked like tea and smelled like tea, but when the bottom fell out of the tea can, it was anything but tea. 27-year old Tyler Bendo and 29-Amanda Bedner-Dwyer of Vero Beach couldn’t explain what they were doing, where they were going—or how fentanyl, alprazolam, Adderall and other narcotics ended up in the bottom of a large can of ice tea mix located inside their car. They also couldn’t explain the large bank of cash Bendo had in his pocket, or why it was situated in “dealer fold” style. But we have an idea.
The couple was traveling northbound on 95 through Martin County when they were stopped for speeding and driving too close another vehicle. K-9 Deputy Ryan Pearlman initiated the traffic stop near mile marker 104. When he spoke to the couple, they appeared very nervous. Deputy Pearlman began seeing signs of illegal narcotics in plain view, leading to a more thorough investigation. In the end, the couple’s poor choice of canned goods earned them multiple drug charges.
The drugs were pulled off the streets, which hopefully prevented some overdoses. Tyler Bendo and Amanda Bedner-Dwyer were taken to the Martin County Jail.