Report: Owner of Myrtle Beach’s Yellow House sold drugs to confidential informant
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – Three undercover drug buys led to the arrest of the owner of Myrtle Beach’s infamous Yellow House, according to a police report.
North Myrtle Beach police arrested Joe Rideoutte Jr. on May 2 following an investigation. He faces a slew of drug charges including manufacturing and distributing crack cocaine and possession of fentanyl.
WMBF News obtained the incident report and warrants on Thursday connected to Rideoutte’s arrest which show a confidential informant scheduled three drug purchases with Rideoutte.
The documents state that for the first two buys, Rideoutte set up the date and location for the drug buys, but sent his co-defendant, Preston Bryant, to make the exchange.
It was during the third drug buy that Rideoutte showed up with Bryant and sold suspected crack cocaine and cocaine to the confidential informant, according to the incident report.
Then on May 2, North Myrtle Beach narcotics detectives executed a search warrant at Rideoutte’s home on Birchwood Street.
During the search, detectives said they found drugs throughout the home.
Detectives then executed an additional search warrant at another home connected to the investigation along South Ocean Boulevard.
The incident report shows detectives found an orange pill bottle in the ceiling of a utility closet that contained fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine and meth.
Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson said this isn’t Rideoutte’s first run-in with the law.
“His record, as far as I can tell, is back from the late 80s,” Richardson said.
if Rideoutte is convicted on the drug charges he could face between seven to 30 years in prison.
North Myrtle Beach police also arrested Bryant, Rideoutte’s co-defendant. He faces several drug charges as well including distribution of heroin.
YELLOW HOUSE HISTORY
Rideoutte owns the notorious Yellow House, which has since been painted blue and is located at 407 5th Avenue North.
Court documents state that for years Rideoutte used the property as a boarding home and rented out rooms to tenants. They also allege that for several years the home had become a haven for drugs, crime and prostitution.
The Yellow House first came on the 15th Circuit solicitor’s radar in December 2018, when the first request for a temporary injunction was filed.
Since that time, judges have issued four temporary injunctions against Rideoutte for maintaining the Yellow House as a nuisance.
Back in January, a judge granted a permanent injunction against Rideoutte which means the building needs to be shut down for a year.
PAST COVERAGE:
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Richardson explained that because the drug arrest is a criminal matter and the permanent injunction is a civil, Rideoutte’s most recent arrest won’t impact the nuisance case against him.
“We never ever mix nuisance, or civil asset forfeitures, or any of the quasi-criminal cases. We don’t even let the two talk to each other,” Richardson explained.
Myrtle Beach Code Enforcement also determined that the home was unfit for people to live in and closed the house. It is now boarded up and Myrtle Beach police barricades have been set up around the property.
According to public index records, a civil trial on the injunction case is scheduled for the week of June 10.
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