Undercover drug buy leads to one arrest

A Blountstown man was arrested last week following an undercover drug buy.Daniel Lee Swearengin, 51, has been charged with sale of a controlled substance within 1000 feet of a public housing facility, as well as possession with intent to sell.According to the Blountstown Police Department, a confidential informant was utilized to arrange a drug buy on New Year’s Eve. The informant was wired for video and audio and given $20 in marked money. Just before 11:30 a.m., Swearengin approached the informant’s vehicle and asked what he wanted. When the informant told him he wished to purchase $20 worth of crack cocaine, Swearengin said he’d retrieve it. He returned about five minutes later and made the exchange. Swearengin reportedly asked the informant if he could have a piece of the cocaine, but the informant refused. A warrant was issued for Swearengin’s arrest and he was booked into the Calhoun County Jail on Jan. 14.The case was investigated by BPD Ofc. Timothy Partridge and CCSO Sgt. Mark Mallory.Swearengin was recently involved in another drug related incident that resulted in him filing a complaint with the Sheriff’s Office about State Attorney’s Office Investigator Steve Mears (see related story).