Man Jailed for Months Over Faulty Drug Test of Prescription Meds

Unreliable field tests and long lab delays led to wrongful charges and disruption of his addiction recovery

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Bryan Getchius, a 41-year-old man in recovery, was pulled over in Greenwood County, South Carolina, and arrested after sheriff's deputies conducted faulty field drug tests on his prescription medication, leading to felony trafficking charges. Getchius spent 15 days in jail and 7 months on house arrest before lab tests confirmed the pills were his legitimate prescription dicyclomine. This case highlights the widespread problems with unreliable police field drug tests and lengthy delays in getting lab results, which can lead to wrongful arrests and disruption of people's lives, especially those in addiction recovery.

Why it matters

This case illustrates the serious consequences that can result from the widespread use of unreliable police field drug tests, which can lead to wrongful arrests and charges, even for people who are doing the right thing and seeking treatment for addiction. It also shines a light on the systemic issues in South Carolina's criminal justice system, including lengthy delays in getting lab results back, that can upend people's lives over minor, non-violent offenses.

The details

When sheriff's deputies pulled over Bryan Getchius in Greenwood County, they conducted multiple field drug tests on his prescription medication, which repeatedly gave false positive results for drugs like fentanyl and oxycodone. Despite Getchius' insistence that the pills were his legitimate prescription dicyclomine for irritable bowel syndrome, he was arrested and charged with felony drug trafficking. Getchius spent 15 days in the Greenwood County Jail and 7 months on house arrest with an ankle monitor before lab tests finally confirmed the pills were not illegal drugs. The entire ordeal cost Getchius tens of thousands in legal fees and disrupted his addiction recovery by cutting him off from his support network.

  • On the night of May 15, 2024, Getchius was pulled over by Greenwood County Sheriff's deputies.
  • Getchius spent 15 days in the Greenwood County Jail after his arrest.
  • Getchius was placed on house arrest with an ankle monitor for 7 months while awaiting lab results.
  • On October 1, 2025, the SLED lab report confirmed the pills were Getchius' legitimate prescription medication.
  • Several days later, on October 16, 2025, prosecutors finally dropped the charges against Getchius.

The players

Bryan Getchius

A 41-year-old man in long-term recovery from addiction who was wrongfully arrested and charged with drug trafficking after sheriff's deputies conducted faulty field drug tests on his prescription medication.

Greenwood County Sheriff's Office

The law enforcement agency that arrested Getchius and charged him with felony drug trafficking based on unreliable field drug tests.

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED)

The state forensics lab that took over a year to confirm Getchius' prescription medication was not illegal drugs, contributing to the lengthy ordeal.

Greenwood County Prosecutors

The prosecutors who initially refused to drop the charges against Getchius even after receiving the lab results confirming his innocence.

Tyler Bailey

The civil rights attorney representing Getchius in a potential lawsuit against the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office.

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What they’re saying

“He said, 'I got some news that will brighten your day. The lab results are back. No traces of narcotics.'”

— Bryan Getchius

“Absolutely, we have many outstanding drug analysis cases waiting well over a year for results. The worst ones are marijuana cases.”

— De Grant Gibbons, Public Defender, South Carolina's 2nd Judicial Circuit (Reason)

“In the big picture, this enormous case backlog is one of the many failure points in South Carolina's so-called war on drugs.”

— Paul Bowers, Communications Director, ACLU of South Carolina

What’s next

Getchius has retained a civil rights attorney, Tyler Bailey, to potentially file a lawsuit against the Greenwood County Sheriff's Office over the wrongful arrest and damage to his vehicle. However, civil rights lawsuits can take years to resolve, so systemic reforms to address the problems with unreliable field drug tests and lengthy lab delays would better protect people like Getchius in the future.

The takeaway

This case highlights the serious consequences that can result from the widespread use of unreliable police field drug tests, which can lead to wrongful arrests and charges, even for people who are doing the right thing and seeking treatment for addiction. It also exposes systemic issues in South Carolina's criminal justice system, including lengthy delays in getting lab results back, that can upend people's lives over minor, non-violent offenses. Reforms are needed to address these problems and prevent similar injustices from happening to others.