A man was jailed after choking on a small plastic baggy of suspected marijuana Saturday night, according to the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office.

It happened about 9:40 p.m. Saturday, while two deputies who are members of the Statesboro-Bulloch Crime Suppression Team were patrolling the area in and around Georgia Southern University after the Statesboro Police Department advised there had been several vehicle break-ins on Friday evening, according to an incident report written by Master Deputy Mark S. Guarino, one of the patrolling deputies.

On Chandler Road near Lanier Drive, Guarino was alerted that a passing car was listed as having a suspended registration and not being insured.

The driver, later identified as Karon Eddie McNeal Jr., 24, of Garden District Apartments, kept driving until stopping in the rear parking lot of Fuzzy's Taco Shop on Statesboro Place Circle, Guarino said.

When the passenger, later identified as Bryan Anthony Marseille, 19, of Centennial Place, spoke, his voice sounded "altered," the report says.

"At first I thought that he may have to speak with the assistance of a Larnx (voice box), however I did not see any signs of the device," Guarino wrote. "It soon became apparent that he was choking on an unknown object that I believed to be narcotics and could not breathe."

Guarino told Marseille to spit out the object, but Marseille wasn't able, so Guarino grasped Marseille's throat and pushed up "in an attempt to free the object lodged in his throat for the purpose of retrieving the contraband and also so that he would not coke to death," the report says.

A few minutes later, Marseille was directed over the trunk, stomach pressed against the car, and was finally able to spit out the object, Guarino said.

Guarino said the object was a plastic baggy of suspected marijuana covered in Marseille's blood.

Further investigation revealed that Marseille had alcohol despite being under 21, Guarino said, adding that a search of the vehicle revealed a digital scale believed to be used in weighing marijuana.

McNeal "was linked to the suspected marijuana and also believed to have aided and instructed Marseille to ingest the contraband," the report says. It was also revealed that McNeal had recently been freed from jail on a felony bond for sale of marijuana, Guarino said.

Both suspects were taken to the Bulloch County Jail. McNeal was charged with suspended registration, no insurance, possession of drug objects, tampering with evidence, possession of marijuana and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. Marseille was charged with tampering with evidence, possession of marijuana, underage possession of alcohol, false identification and possession of a drug object.

The Statesboro-Bulloch Crime Suppression Team is a partnership between the sheriff's office and police department.

Jason Wermers may be reached at (912) 489-9431.