District of South Carolina

Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Larry Eugene Alford, 30, and Dale Carroll Drew Oneal, 24, both of McBee, South Carolina, were sentenced in federal court for gun and drug charges.  Alford was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of court-ordered supervision, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Oneal was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of court-ordered supervision, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of 69 stolen firearms.  Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence sentenced both defendants.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented to the court at Oneal’s guilty plea hearing established that on November 14, 2017, two subjects wearing camouflage-colored clothing and masks and carrying a large cardboard box and blue tote bag broke into and burglarized a Federal Firearms Licensee in Patrick, South Carolina.  The subjects stole 69 firearms.  The Darlington County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a house where a witness saw Oneal and Alford on the day of the burglary with a blue tote bag and a large cardboard box.  Deputies found camouflage-colored clothing, a blue tote bag, and two firearms stolen from the FFL burglary, along with five other firearms. 

On November 17, 2017, Oneal was arrested on a state probation violation warrant, and officers found a firearm stolen during the FFL burglary in the vehicle he was driving.  Officers found a second firearm stolen during the FFL burglary on the ground near the vehicle.  Federal law prohibits Oneal from possessing firearms and ammunition based on his prior felony conviction for Receiving Stolen Goods. 

Evidence presented to the court at Alford’s guilty plea hearing established that on November 16, 2017, an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and a confidential informant purchased five of the firearms stolen during the FFL burglary from Alford at his house in McBee.  The undercover agent also purchased an Oxycodone pill from Alford, and during the transaction, there was a scoped rifle in the room.  Federal law prohibits Alford from possessing firearms and ammunition based on his prior felony controlled substance offense conviction. 

The charges against Alford and Oneal were the result of an investigation by ATF, the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, and the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office.  This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a crime reduction strategy originally launched in 2001 that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Turning the tide of rising violent crime in America is a top priority for the Department of Justice, which has reinstituted PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy.  Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office prosecuted the case. 

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Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that a Federal Grand Jury in Greenville, South Carolina, returned an Indictment alleging a conspiracy to engage in mail and wire fraud.  Scott A. Kohn, age 64, of Newport, California, and Future Income Payments, LLC (FIP), an entity organized under the laws of Nevada, are charged in the Indictment. 

According to the Indictment, FIP operated a Ponzi scheme in which it actively recruited pension holders who were desperate for money, including many veterans of the United States Armed Forces.  The pensioners made monthly payments to FIP in exchange for a lump sum payment or loan.  The adjusted annual percentage rate on these transactions often exceeded 100%.

FIP then solicited investors to purchase “structured cash flows,” which were the pensioners’ monthly pension payments.  FIP promised the investors a rate of return between 6.5% and 8%.  It took active steps to conceal from the investors the usurious nature of its transactions with the pension holders.  FIP diverted new investor funds flowing into the business to fund payments to earlier investors in order to keep the scheme operational.  When FIP ceased doing business in early 2018, investors were owed approximately $300 million.  The scheme alleged in the Indictment victimized over 2,600 individuals.

“The scheme alleged in this Indictment took advantage of pensioners facing difficult financial situations – including veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces – and preyed upon innocent investors to the tune of roughly $300 million,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “Along with our federal, state, and local partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina will continue to aggressively prosecute those who seek to line their own pockets by robbing individuals of their hard-earned money.”

The maximum penalty Kohn could face for the conspiracy charge is 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.  The case is being investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office for prosecution.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges in this Indictment are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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20190312-1_-_indictment.pdf

 

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Wilbert Green, Jr., age 30, of Columbia, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence presented in court established that at approximately 8:45 p.m. on April 13, 2018, officers of the Columbia Police Department and the Midlands Gang Unit were patrolling the Lorick Circle area of Columbia with special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) after having received several firearm-related reports the previous month. As they drove through an apartment complex on Lorick Circle, officers/agents observed what appeared to be a black pistol magazine protruding from Green’s right rear pants pocket. Officers/agents exited their vehicles and made contact with Green, who was also holding an open container of beer, in violation of the open container law. Green failed to comply with directives of officers/agents to quit reaching behind to his back pocket and to turn around and put his hands on a nearby car. Green advised officers/agents, “I know the law….I just got out of prison.” Officers secured Green and located a loaded Hi-Point 9mm with an extended magazine in Green’s rear right pants pocket. A ballistics analysis revealed that the Hi-Point 9mm handgun was linked to shell casings recovered from an unsolved July 2017 shooting off Garners Ferry Road. Officers/agents also learned that Green had outstanding warrants from 2015 for attempted murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in Clarendon County.

Federal law prohibits Green from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon prior North Carolina and South Carolina state convictions for assault with a deadly weapon to inflict serious injury (N.C. 2009); criminal domestic violence, wherein he threatened a female with a firearm and slapped her (S.C. 2013); and assault and battery 1st degree, wherein he shot a man during a robbery (S.C. 2015).

Green faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of court-ordered supervision on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge.

Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie of Columbia accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has received and reviewed a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

The case was investigated by ATF and the Columbia Police Department. It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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Charleston, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Valdimere Rasheen Rivers, age 30, of Hanahan, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel of Charleston sentenced Rivers to 137 months in federal prison, to be followed by 2 years of court-ordered supervision.

Evidence presented to the court showed that agents of the U.S. Postal Service alerted the Charleston County Sheriff's Office and the Hanahan Police Department that Rivers was receiving suspicious packages from California, and he was arrested while returning from the post office with a box of marijuana in his vehicle. When officers stopped Rivers, he texted his girlfriend with instructions to retrieve money and additional marijuana from the couple's townhouse. As a surveillance team closed in on the residence, Rivers’ girlfriend dropped a container of marijuana into a nearby dumpster and loaded thousands of dollars of cash into one of Rivers' cars. She was arrested, and a search of the townhouse revealed additional marijuana and a loaded revolver. An additional shipment of marijuana addressed to one of Rivers' relatives was also intercepted. In all, authorities seized over five pounds of marijuana and more than $4,500.00 in cash.

The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Service, the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, and the Hanahan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Schoen of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  The Department of Justice has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, the Attorney General announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

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Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Jessica A. Dishinger, age 24, of Greenville, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to manufacturing counterfeit money.  United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Dishinger to 48 months in federal prison, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision.  This was Dishinger’s second federal counterfeiting conviction. 

Evidence presented to the court established that in the summer of 2018, Dishinger passed counterfeit federal reserve notes at various locations throughout the Upstate of South Carolina.  Based on a local investigation, Greenville City Police officers developed probable cause and executed a search warrant on Dishinger’s home.  Officers located in Dishinger’s bedroom resume paper, a paper cutter, and a deskjet printer—all of which are commonly used to manufacture counterfeit money.  In addition, officers found multiple counterfeit federal reserve notes hidden throughout the premises.  Dishinger manufactured the counterfeit notes to help fund her consumption of methamphetamine.  

The case was investigated by agents with the Greenville City Police Department and the United States Secret Service.  Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

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Florence, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that nine defendants, including six current or former members of a criminal street gang, were sentenced in federal court on drug and firearms violations.

During the sentencing hearings, United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks characterized the gang as one of the most dangerous criminal organizations the federal government has prosecuted in the Florence and Myrtle Beach areas in many years.

Assistant United States Attorney Andy Moorman presented evidence to the Court that overwhelmingly established that Barbara Landy, age 27, was the leader of a subset of a national criminal street gang, and she communicated directly with a national gang leader who was incarcerated in the Western part of the United States.  As the leader, or four star general, in charge, Landy directed drug shipments, assisted in the trafficking of weapons, and ordered the payment of “homage,” or dues by inferior gang members.  For her leadership role in this dangerous and violent gang, the Court sentenced Landy to 210 months in federal prison.

The Court also sentenced Joshua Randall, age 31, to 195 months in federal prison.  Evidence demonstrated that Randall was a lieutenant in the gang who reported directly to Landy and sold kilogram quantities of heroin and/or fentanyl to customers in the Myrtle Beach and Florence areas.  During the course of the investigation, police arrested Randall on two separate occasions while in possession of guns and drugs.

Lee Tracy Riggins, age 27, was also a member of the gang.  The Government presented evidence that Riggins participated in the gang’s drug distribution and firearms trafficking networks and was integral in gathering guns to be transported to and sold in New York, New York, to generate revenue for the gang.  For his part, the Court sentenced Riggins to 120 months in federal prison.

The remaining Defendants sentenced were either lower level members of the street gang or non-gang members.  Stanley Weaver, Brandon Randall, Jerrick Thomas, Dominique Chatman, Douglas Hart, and Joey Sinclair garnered combined sentences of 130 months, ranging from 35 months in federal prison to time served.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Horry County Sheriff’s Office, the Horry County Police Department, the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the North Myrtle Beach Police Department, the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit, and the Georgetown Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Andy Moorman, Everett McMillian, and Justin Holloway prosecuted the case.

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Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Tabitha A. Hammond, age 37, of Seneca, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.  United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins of Spartanburg sentenced Hammond to 216 months in federal prison. 

Evidence presented to the court established that on August 8, 2017, an Oconee County deputy sheriff was patrolling in the Fair Play area when he observed a vehicle turn without signaling and then turn quickly into a residence before he could initiate a traffic stop.  The vehicle stopped at the residence for just a few minutes and resumed travel.  Upon observing a defective break light, he initiated a traffic stop.  There were four persons in the car and no one had a valid driver’s license with them.  The deputy observed much suspicious behavior, including extreme nervousness, attempts to hide the contents of various bags, and one passenger giving indications of flight.  The deputy received consent to search from the driver and located more than five pounds of methamphetamine in a bag belonging to Hammond.  After being given her Miranda warnings, Hammond admitted to engaging in drug trafficking activity.

This case was investigated by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina -- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that arraignments have been scheduled for this afternoon in Columbia following the arrests yesterday in the Aiken-area pursuant to the multi-agency and jurisdictional “Operation Gunsmoke.”  United States Magistrate Judge Paige Gossett will preside.

WHEN:      Wednesday March 13, 2019, at 2:30 p.m.

WHERE:     Matthew J. Perry, Jr., Courthouse

                  Courtroom #7

                   901 Richland Street

                   Columbia, SC  29201

 

The following individuals will be making initial appearances for arraignment and bond purposes:

 

Heather Collins, 42, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, and multiple counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine and Crack Cocaine;

 

Cornelious F. McKie, 42, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine;

 

Reihn Dracon Jennings, a/k/a “Red,” 28, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, Distribution of Crack Cocaine, multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;

 

Christopher Johnson, a/k/a “Crip,”  32, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, Distribution of Crack Cocaine, and multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;

 

Kevin D. Sheppard, a/k/a “Bean O”, 35, of Jackson, South Carolina, charged with  Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;

 

Jerome Morris Simmons, 38, of Aiken, charged with Distribution of Cocaine, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;

 

Keith Williams, 29, of Beech Island, South Carolina, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;

 

Charlie Edward Carter, 31, of Beech Island, charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;

 

Ray Hampton Baughman, 48, of New Ellenton, South Carolina, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;

 

Xavier Mathaney, 26, of Aiken, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

 

U.S. Attorney Lydon stated that all charges in the indictments are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

 

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Jamarcus Dontaye Patterson, age 36, of Lancaster, South Carolina, was sentenced to 115 months (9.5 years) in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Following the term of imprisonment, Patterson will be on federal supervised release for 3 years. Senior United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten, of Columbia, imposed the sentence.

Evidence presented in court established that on July 13, 2018, deputies with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office responded to the area of Plyler and Duke Streets after receiving a call that Jamarcus Patterson had pointed a firearm at someone. Deputies observed Patterson, who had outstanding state warrants at the time, walking down Plyler Street. When deputies approached, Patterson fled on foot. He was apprehended shortly thereafter, and deputies recovered a loaded Hi-Point .40 caliber pistol. At the time of the July offense, Patterson was on state bond for a December 24, 2017, weapon charge stemming from an incident at a residence in Lancaster wherein he was found in possession of a Beretta 9mm handgun, which had been stolen from the Lancaster National Guard Armory in November 2017. Patterson was arrested on new state charges, and a federal arrest warrant and complaint was issued charging Patterson with both weapon offenses.

Patterson entered a guilty plea to the July 2018 weapon charge. Following a contested sentencing hearing, the court increased Patterson’s sentence in light of evidence produced by the Government that Patterson had pointed and presented the stolen Beretta 9mm handgun during the December 24, 2017, dispute with a female at a residence in Lancaster. 

Federal law prohibits Patterson from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior state convictions:  2002 conviction for assault and battery with intent to kill, wherein he shot someone in the leg;  2013 conviction for burglary 2nd degree, where he and a co-defendant allegedly were armed during a burglary in which a two-month-old child was held at gunpoint; 2013 conviction for attempted strong arm robbery; and 2013 conviction for accessory before the fact to a felony.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Assistant United States Attorneys Stacey D. Haynes, Chris Taylor, and Elliott Daniels of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Keith D. Cook, age 38, of Greer, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.  United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, of Spartanburg, sentenced Cook to 10 years in federal prison and ordered that he serve 20 years under court-ordered supervision after his prison sentence is complete. 

Evidence presented to the court established that on January 18, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Cook’s home after receiving information that he was uploading child pornography to a mobile device.  Law enforcement recovered Cook’s cell phone and located multiple images of child pornography, some involving prepubescent minors.  Cook was questioned and admitted to downloading the child pornography that led to the search warrant.  More child pornography was discovered on a work computer at Cook’s place of business.   

The case was investigated by agents with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the ICE – Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Steven Verren Baker, 38, of Holly Hill, South Carolina, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to participating in a Conspiracy to Smuggle Wildlife.  Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr., of Columbia, imposed the sentence and ordered Baker to forfeit $263,225.00 in proceeds.

On February 27, 2019, Joseph Logan Brooks, 29, formerly of Holly Hill, was sentenced to five months incarceration and five months home confinement for his participation in the conspiracy.  Likewise, on March 1, 2019, fellow conspirator Matthew Tyler Fischer, 26, of Holly Hill, was sentenced to six months home confinement and two years’ probation.  William Fischer, age 48, of Harleyville, South Carolina, was sentenced to two years’ probation and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine for a misdemeanor Wildlife Trafficking violation.  All three participated in or facilitated Baker’s efforts.   

Matthew Harrison Kail, age 30, of Pomona Park, Florida, and William Thomas Gangemi, age 26, of Freehold, New Jersey, have both pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.  

Evidence presented previously established that Baker was the ringleader of an international syndicate of wildlife smugglers exchanging turtles protected by international agreements back and forth between the United States and China.  The activity took place from January through June 2016.  Baker obtained protected turtles from Hong Kong to distribute here in the United States, and he shipped protected turtles from the United States to Asia. 

The transactions were set up using the Facebook text messaging feature.  Shipments were made internationally through the United States Postal Service.  Several packages were intercepted entering the United States at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorney Winston David Holliday, Jr., of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

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Aiken, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that 26 individuals, many of them associates of a violent criminal street gang, have been indicted on drug and firearms charges after a series of investigations in South Carolina and Georgia.

The investigation and arrests were announced in a joint press conference held at the Aiken Department of Public Safety by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of South Carolina and the Southern District of Georgia.

The investigation was initiated by the Regional Anti-Gang Enforcement (RAGE) Task Force of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  It began in 2017 as an investigation of a member of a criminal street gang who is alleged to have coordinated continued criminal activity while being held in the Aiken County Detention Center awaiting retrial for murder in a 2008 drug-related home invasion.

From 2017 to the present, ATF agents in South Carolina and Georgia identified multiple targets in the investigation, many of them linked by association with the street gang.  Nine defendants were named in three separate indictments by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia, while 17 additional defendants have been indicted in the District of South Carolina.

“We will not stand by and let violent criminal enterprises continue victimizing our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina is locking arms with our law enforcement partners, and we will spare no resource to take back our neighborhoods from criminal actors who are mixing violence and illegal drug distribution.  I am proud to stand with our federal, state, and local partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Georgia, and I applaud their excellent work in these cases.”

“Our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors continue our relentless and unwavering effort to identify, arrest and prosecute associates of violent criminal street gangs and remove them from our neighborhoods,” said Bobby L. Christine, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.  “City limits, county lines and state borders are no barrier to the professionals who fight tirelessly to eliminate drug-dealers and illegal firearms from our communities.”

The 17 defendants charged in South Carolina are:

 

Ronald Gartrell, a/k/a “RJ,” 33, of Aiken, South Carolina, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, multiple counts of Distribution of Crack Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;

 

Heather Collins, 42, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, and multiple counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine and Crack Cocaine;

 

Cornelious F. McKie, 42, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine;

 

Reihn Dracon Jennings, a/k/a “Red,” 28, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, Distribution of Crack Cocaine, multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;

 

Christopher Johnson, a/k/a “Crip,”  32, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, Distribution of Crack Cocaine, and multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;

 

Quinton De’Shaun White, a/k/a “Q,” 29, of North Augusta, South Carolina, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, and Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime;

 

Kevin D. Sheppard, a/k/a “Bean O”, 35, of Jackson, South Carolina, charged with  Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, and Methamphetamine, multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Using and Carrying a Firearm

During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;

 

Benjamin Roper, 42, of Aiken, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;

 

Jerome Morris Simmons, 38, of Aiken, charged with Distribution of Cocaine, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a   License;

 

Antonio Maurice Scrivens, a/k/a “Bucko,” 34, of Aiken, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Using and  Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;

 

Keith Williams, 29, of Beech Island, South Carolina, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;

 

Larry Thomas, 20, of Aiken, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to and In Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;

 

Charlie Edward Carter, 31, of Beech Island, charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Dealing in Firearms without a License;

 

Rudolph Keith Scott, 27, of Beech Island, charged with Distribution of Methamphetamine;

 

Ray Hampton Baughman, 48, of New Ellenton, South Carolina, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;

 

Xavier Mathaney, 26, of Aiken, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; and

 

Rashad Lundy, 27, of Aiken, charged with Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

 

The defendants indicted in Georgia are:

George Edward Powell, 51, of Blythe, Georgia, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Distribution of Methamphetamine;

 

Keldrick Demonta Streetman, 36, of Augusta, Georgia, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Cocaine, and Distribution of Methamphetamine;

 

Jermarce Antonio Smith, 32, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine;

 

Brandon Jermal Jenkins, 29, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine;

 

Carl Walker, 56, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, multiple counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine, and multiple counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon;

 

Gwendolyn Johnson-Hill, 53, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine;

 

John Willie Powell, 39, of Augusta, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and multiple counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine;

 

Ziquane Sandford, 21, of Hephzibah, Georgia, charged with Conspiracy to Engage in the Business of Dealing in Firearms Without a License, False Statements in Acquisition of Firearms, Engaging in the Business of Dealing in Firearms Without a License, Possession of an Unregistered Short-Barreled Shotgun, and False Statements Concerning Information Kept by Firearms Dealer;

 

Jacquetta Yarbray, 23, of Hephzibah, charged with Conspiracy to Engage in the Business of Dealing in Firearms Without a License, False Statements in Acquisition of Firearms, and False Statements Concerning Information Kept by Firearms Dealer.

 

U.S. Attorney Lydon stated that all charges in the indictments are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton R. Bourne in the District of South Carolina and Assistant United States Attorney Tara Lyons and Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Marchman in the Southern District of Georgia. 

Led by ATF’s RAGE Unit, the law enforcement entities listed below participated in the investigation and the arrests today.  The ATF Regional Anti-Gang Enforcement (RAGE) Unit is a joint gang/violent crime task force with the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, North Augusta Department of Public Safety, Aiken Department of Public Safety, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

 

Participating law enforcement and prosecution agencies:

State of South Carolina:

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – Charlotte Field Division

Aiken County Sheriff’s Office

Aiken Department of Public Safety

North Augusta Department of Public Safety

South Carolina Law Enforcement Division

South Carolina Department of Probation, Pardon and Parole

 

State of Georgia:

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – Atlanta Field Division

Richmond County Sheriff’s Office

Burke County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office

Georgia Department of Community Supervision

United States Marshals Service (USMS)

Georgia State Patrol Aviation

 

State of West Virginia:

Wheeling Police Department

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) -  Wheeling WV Satellite Office

 

Federal and State Prosecuting Entities:

United States Attorney’s Offices – The District of South Carolina and The Southern District of Georgia

South Carolina Second Judicial Circuit – Solicitor Strom Thurmond, Jr.

Superior Court of Augusta Judicial Circuit – District Attorney Natalie Paine

 

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that she hosted a discussion entitled, “China’s Threat to Our National Security: An Economic and Private Sector Perspective.”  The discussion featured William R. Evanina, Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) in Washington, DC; Douglas Hemminghaus, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of National Security and Cyber in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Columbia field office; and David P. Burns, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.  In this first-of-its-kind meeting, NCSC and the Justice Department briefed members of the legal and business communities, heads of chambers of commerce, academics, and legislators about China’s threats to our nation’s economic prosperity.

More than 90% of the Department of Justice’s cases alleging economic espionage over the past seven years involved China.  Over two-thirds of the Department’s cases involving thefts of trade secrets are connected to China. The talk aimed to educate attendees about economic threats posed by China, build bridges between law enforcement and law-abiding members of the business community, and ensure that attendees and their employers know that the federal government stands ready to help should they face data breaches, insider threats, or trade secret theft. 

 “The Department of Justice and the FBI will use all available tools to respond to China’s economic aggression and the threat that these actions pose to the prosperity and security of the United States and other nations that respect the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “Law enforcement cannot fight this battle alone, however.  We need our corporate citizens to be informed and vigilant about protecting themselves from victimization in this area.  The conversation we had today is just the first step in what will be an ongoing dialogue with the business community.” 

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Ron Luclaire Houser, 42, of Mathews, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in federal court to seven counts of Hobbs Act robbery and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Evidence presented to the court showed that Houser committed multiple armed robberies from November 2016 through January 2018 throughout North and South Carolina. In all, Houser robbed six Dollar General stores and a gas station. The robberies occurred in Fort Mill, Lancaster, and Lugoff, South Carolina, and Monroe and Ansonville, North Carolina. In each robbery, Houser threatened employees at gunpoint.

Houser faces of maximum penalty of life in federal prison.  Senior United States District Judge Cameron M. Currie accepted the guilty plea and will sentence him after receiving and reviewing a presentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

The charges against Houser were the result of an extensive and coordinated investigation between the Federal Bureau of Investigation the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, and Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office of South Carolina and the Union County Sheriff’s Office, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office, Oakboro Police Department, Thomasville Police Department, and Stallings Police Department in North Carolina.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Assistant United States Attorney Will Lewis of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that a press conference will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, March 12, 2019, at the Aiken Public Safety Department, J. Carroll Busbee Headquarters, 834 Beaufort Street NE, Aiken, SC 29801. 

Represented at the press conference will be members of the Aiken Department of Public Safety; Aiken County Sheriff’s Office; North Augusta Department of Public Safety; South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; South Carolina Department of Probation, Pardon, and Parole Services; Richmond County (GA) Sheriff’s Office; Burke County (GA) Sheriff’s Office; the United States Marshals Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Second Circuit (SC) Solicitor’s Office; District Attorney’s Office (Augusta Judicial Circuit); and the United States Attorney’s Offices from the Southern District of Georgia and South Carolina. 

NOTE:  Press inquiries regarding logistics should be directed to Lance Crick, 864-282-2105.  All media must present a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license).  Members of the media wishing to attend should gather at the media staging area at 2:00 p.m., 30 minutes in advance of the press conference.

Media Staging Area: Aiken Public Safety Department, J. Carroll Busbee Headquarters, 834 Beaufort Street NE, Aiken, SC 29801

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Nicole Halliett Holland, age 50, former Director of Communications for the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office and a resident of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to committing Wire Fraud and Mail Fraud.  Senior United States District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie presided.  Holland also was ordered to pay $11,164.60 in restitution to the Solicitor’s Office.

Facts presented in court established that from 2011 to March 2018, Holland was employed by Daniel Edward Johnson at the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office. During her time of employment, Nicole Holland used Solicitor’s Office funds to pay for personal expenses.

Using a Solicitor’s Office credit card issued to her for office-related expenses, she made the following unauthorized purchases, among others:

•        In May 2017, various hotel stays at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, totaling over $2,700. These charges correlate to Count 11 of the Indictment, which is the wire fraud for the August 7, 2017, payment covering these personal expenses.

•        In March 2017, a $1,020 expense for a family member’s orthodontics treatment that Holland labelled as “tournament sponsorship.” This charge correlates to Count 19, the mailing of the Bank of America statement ending on March 8, 2017, which contained this expense.   

 The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorneys Winston D. Holliday, Jr., Alyssa L. Richardson, and William C. Lewis of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina – Attorney General William P. Barr and United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon today announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in history, surpassing last year’s nationwide sweep. The cases during this sweep involved more than 260 defendants from around the globe who victimized more than two million Americans, most of them elderly.

“Crimes against the elderly target some of the most vulnerable people in our society,” Attorney General William P. Barr said. “But thanks to the hard work of our agents and prosecutors, as well as our state and local partners, the Department of Justice is protecting our seniors from fraud. The Trump administration has placed a renewed focus on prosecuting those who prey on the elderly, and the results of today’s sweep make that clear. Today we are announcing the largest single law enforcement action against elder fraud in American history. This year’s sweep involves 13 percent more criminal defendants, 28 percent more in losses, and twice the number of fraud victims as last year’s sweep. I want to thank the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, which led this effort, together with the Department’s Criminal Division, the more than 50 U.S. Attorneys’ offices, and the state and local partners who helped to make these results possible. Together, we are bringing justice and peace of mind to America's seniors.”

United States Attorney Lydon stated, “Our office is fully committed to the protection of the elderly as a part of the national Elder Fraud Initiative (EFI).  Our prosecutors work day in and day out with law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable members of our society from harm.  I thank Attorney General Barr and the Department of Justice for their leadership in putting a stop to elder fraud schemes.”  

United States Attorney Lydon has appointed an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) as her statewide EFI coordinator and has designated an AUSA in each of the Columbia, Charleston, Florence, and Greenville Offices to lead the EFI efforts in their regions.  Two cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina in the last year demonstrate that the EFI effort goes after anyone who seeks to harm the elderly financially, no matter how small or large the loss.

Lashonda Ravenell, age 29, of Charleston, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to a fraud charge in federal court after obtaining credit card information from a resident at the care facility where she worked and stealing $30,786.62 from him.

Melvin Wimmer, Jr., age 53, of Greenwood, South Carolina, is serving 75 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a securities fraud scheme that targeted numerous elderly people.  Mr. Wimmer, an “investment advisor,” talked his victims into investing their retirement savings with him.  After obtaining approximately $3.6 million from them, he managed to lose $3 million of it through high-risk trading.  At no time did he ever advise his clients of the risk to their money, and after losing the money he kept the venture going by providing his investors with bogus earnings statements to keep them in the game, to use a conman’s phrase.  Wimmer will be under court-ordered supervision for five years when he is released from prison.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s EFI team has reached out to and is coordinating with numerous federal, state, and local groups that are committed to protecting the elderly from all types of abuse.  Additionally, members of the EFI team are available to make educational presentations to any group throughout the State.

United States Attorney Lydon would invite the public to visit her office’s EFI website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/elder-justice-initiative.  Additionally, reports of elder fraud may be made by calling any of the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in South Carolina and asking to speak to an elder fraud attorney.

Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, the Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. The Justice Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act. 

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Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Thomas Lawton Evans, Jr., 38, of Boiling Springs, South Carolina, was sentenced to three consecutive life terms in federal prison after pleading guilty to Kidnapping Involving a Person Under the Age of 18, Transportation of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, and Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Person under the age of Twelve.  United States District Court Judge David Norton of Charleston imposed the sentence.

Facts presented to the court established that Evans followed a family into their Johns Island, South Carolina, home on February 13, 2018, then brutally assaulted and injured an adult resident.  As she was assaulted, the resident told her four-year-old daughter to run, and the four-year-old hid in an upstairs bedroom, where she attempted to also hide her two-year-old brother.  Evans went upstairs and kidnapped the four-year-old, placing her in the trunk of his car.  He then drove with the girl through South Carolina and Georgia and into Alabama, where he was located by the Riverside Police Department.  Riverside Police Department Chief Rick Oliver was able to separate the young girl from Evans before Evans sped away in a car.  Evans was arrested later the same day in Jackson, Mississippi, after a police pursuit. 

“Thomas Evans’ attack on this family was a random, evil act,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “But it would be the last random act in the story.  For there would be nothing random about the excellent work of the FBI and Charleston Police Department that followed; nothing random about the police chief in Riverside, Alabama, who was determined to help; nothing random about a justice system that affords a defendant due process; and nothing random about prosecutors who hold individuals accountable for their violence.  Everyone came together with a sense of purpose to make sure this story ended well.  Our office will forever be amazed by this family’s strength and resilience.”

The convictions are the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Charleston Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan Williams and Nick Bianchi of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Keycon Deonte Keitt, age 32, of Orangeburg, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Evidence presented in court showed that on March 5, 2018, Orangeburg Department of Public Safety (ODPS) deputies conducting a property check approached a vehicle in which Keitt was a passenger.  After Keitt was observed moving and reaching around the back seat of the vehicle, Keitt initially ignored several verbal commands from deputies.  Keitt was ordered out of the vehicle and deputies found a Taurus 9mm pistol on the rear seat near Keitt and within his reach.  After Keitt admitted to possession of the firearm, deputies found two magazines and 19 rounds of ammunition, including one loaded magazine matching the pistol strapped to the inside of Keitt’s right leg.

Federal law prohibits Keitt from possessing a firearm or ammunition based upon prior state convictions, including two convictions for Assault and Battery of a High and Aggravated Nature in a case that involved a shooting; Threatening the Life of a Public Employee; Criminal Domestic Violence; two convictions for Assault; Burglary; two convictions for Pointing and Presenting a Firearm; and various breaking and entering, possession of stolen property, and property crime convictions, among others.

Keitt faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of court-ordered supervision.  However, if the court determines enhanced penalties apply based on the Keitt’s prior criminal record, he may face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.

United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has received and reviewed a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

The charge against Keitt was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety.  The case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia office.

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Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Jonathan E. Field, age 41, and Shena J. Field, age 40, both of Mauldin, South Carolina, were found guilty of a conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.  A federal jury returned guilty verdicts late Friday evening after two hours of deliberation.  United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins of Spartanburg received the verdict and will sentence the Fields after receiving and reviewing a Presentence Investigation Report prepared by the United States Probation Office.   

Evidence presented at trial showed that the Fields owned and operated the business Reboot LLC, which purports to be a used electronics store.  Reboot, however, was an organized fencing operation where shoplifters, many of whom suffered from drug addiction, unloaded their new-in-the-box stolen items for a fraction of the items’ retail value.  The Fields posted the stolen items for sale on EBay and sold the items to honest purchasers who were uninformed as to the status of the items. 

The evidence showed that the Fields welcomed the shoplifters’ business by not requiring production of sales receipts and implementing a no-questions-asked policy at Reboot.  Store records entered into evidence showed that some shoplifters went to Reboot almost every day, and sometimes multiple times per day, to bring stolen goods.  The Fields and store employees would also meet the shoplifters after hours at gas stations and other spots to receive the stolen goods.  If Reboot oversold an item on EBay, the Fields would instruct selected shoplifters to obtain the item for Reboot so as to avoid bad feedback on the EBay website. 

Law enforcement estimates that during the conspiracy period the Fields received hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise.  Thirteen co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and admitted their involvement in the Reboot criminal enterprise. 

The maximum sentence the Fields face is 20 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and three years of court-ordered supervision. 

This case was investigated by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service.  Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew B. Moorman, Sr., and Bill Watkins of the Greenville office handled the case. 

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Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Michelle Bryant, age 47, of Mission Viejo, California, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to three counts of Intentionally Conveying False and Misleading Information.  The information concerned several false claims of explosive devices placed at the Myrtle Beach International Airport (MBIA).  Chief United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence sentenced Bryant to 24 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

Bryant was also ordered to pay the Horry County Airport Authority $12,822.40 in restitution to reimburse the MBIA for their purchase of a full-time bomb detection dog and a trained handler.  Law enforcement acquired these assets to deal with this case and to protect future visitors to MBIA.   

Evidence presented to the court established that from March through August 2017, Bryant placed five telephonic bomb threats to the MBIA.  Investigators obtained records from an international telecommunications company and interviewed a multitude of individuals to narrow the field of potential suspects.  In February 2018, the FBI identified Bryant as a potential suspect and interviewed her at her residence in California.  Once confronted, she admitted to placing the series of telephone calls, each one falsely claiming a different attack was about to occur. She told investigators the motive for the hoaxes was revenge for a failed relationship with an individual who had ties to the airport.      

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office.  Special Assistant United States Attorney and Chief Deputy Solicitor Scott Hixson of the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Jevon Chrzanowski, age 44, of Liberty, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.  United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain, of Anderson, sentenced Chrzanowski to 180 months in federal prison, to be followed by 5 years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented to the court established that the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant at Chrzanowski’s residence and located: a 16 gauge shotgun; a .380 caliber pistol; a 12 gauge shotgun; over 50 grams of methamphetamine; $2,400; and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

The case was investigated by Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, SLED, DEA, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases.  Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.  Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Michael James Young Jr., 32, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced to over 43 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to purchase a mail bomb from prison over the Dark Web.  Co-conspirator Tyrell Fears, 23, of Irmo, South Carolina, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.

Evidence presented to the court revealed that while incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections, Young obtained a contraband cellphone smuggled into the Broad River Correctional Institution.  Young used that contraband cellphone to run a drug business distributing marijuana he obtained from a California supplier and from the Dark Web.  Drugs purchased by Young were shipped to a conspirator’s residence before being picked up by co-defendant Vance Volious for re-distribution.

While this drug conspiracy among Young, Volious, and others was operating, the conspirators also plotted to kill Young’s ex-wife.  This was not the first time that Young had tried to kill her; he was serving a 50-year sentence after having been convicted of attempting to kill her and of murdering her father in 2007.

In February 2017, Young accessed the Dark Web from prison on his contraband cellphone and started a dialogue with an undercover FBI agent, whom he believed to be a foreign explosives dealer.  Young paid for a mail bomb to be sent to a conspirator’s residence in Irmo and for the re-shipment label addressed to his ex-wife to be sent to Volious’ house in Columbia.

Fears obtained the labels from Volious, armed the mail bomb, and was surveilled by the FBI delivering the inert explosives package to the Post Office in Irmo on June 6, 2017.  After a United States Postal Inspector recovered the mail bomb, Young, Volious, and Fears were arrested on federal charges.

Young and Volious were convicted by a federal jury in April 2018 for conspiracy, transport of an explosive with the intent to kill, mailing a non-mailable explosive with the intent to kill, and carrying an explosive during the commission of another felony.  United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs sentenced Young to 525 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of court-ordered supervision.  Judge Childs sentenced Fears—who pleaded guilty to carrying an explosive during the commission of a felony and conspiracy—to 120 months in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years of court-ordered supervision.  Volious will be sentenced at a later date.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Joint Terrorism Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, South Carolina Department of Corrections’ Division of Police Services, State Law Enforcement Division, South Carolina Information and Intelligence Center, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Lexington Country Sheriff’s Department, Irmo Police Department, USC Division of Law Enforcement and Safety, and Columbia Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Will Lewis of the Columbia office and former Assistant United States Attorney Jay Richardson, with assistance from Dan Goldberg of the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.

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Greenville, South Carolina – United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that eleven individuals have been charged in a multi-count federal indictment for their roles in a wide-ranging conspiracy to import and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl and other related offenses.  On February 19, 2019, a federal grand jury returned a twenty-two count sealed indictment alleging the defendants conspired to import the narcotics from Mexico and distribute them throughout the upstate of South Carolina, North Carolina, and elsewhere.  One count of the indictment charges that in October 2018, four of the defendants conspired to smuggle over 1 million dollars in cash from South Carolina to a place outside the United States in exchange for the narcotics.  According to the indictment, the defendants are also charged with maintaining a stash house located in Mountville, South Carolina, where they manufactured and stored controlled substances. 

“Today’s indictment is yet another example of the unwavering commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina to disrupting and dismantling the flow of illegal opioids and other narcotics into our state,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “As the opioid epidemic tightens its grip on families across America, we will continue to join with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute individuals who are peddling these dangerous and deadly drugs into our communities.”

While one defendant remains at large, the individuals arrested today are:

• Detric Lee McGowan, aka “Fat”, 46, of Piedmont, South Carolina
• Donald Nathaniel Thomas, Jr. a/k/a, “TJ”, 36, of Greenwood, South Carolina
• Christopher Jerome Cunningham, 38, of Greenwood, South Carolina
• Richard Lamond Longshore, 46, of Greenwood, South Carolina 
• Celest Henry Blocker, 67, of Fayetteville, North Carolina
• Eddie Lee Childs, 49, of Simpsonville, South Carolina
• Trevor Maurice Hull, 51, of Greenwood, South Carolina
• Danny Morales Lopez, 29, of Fayetteville, North Carolina

Each of the above defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison, a fine, plus a term of supervised release.  The following defendants face a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine, plus a term of supervised release:

• Shequita Latoya Holloway, 34, of Greenwood, South Carolina
• Lauren Brooke Poore, 35, of Piedmont, South Carolina

The indictment follows multi-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The OCDETF Program is a partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Its principal mission is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug-trafficking organizations primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.  This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (HIDTA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Greenwood Police Department, Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Department of Public Safety, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Leesa Washington and Sloan P. Ellis in the Greenville office.

The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA -- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that a Pre-Trial Conference has been scheduled in the case of United States v. Daniel Edward Johnson, Case No. 3:18-863.  A plea agreement has been filed.  Senior United States District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie will preside.

WHEN:      Tuesday, February 26, 2019, at 2 p.m.

WHERE:    Matthew J. Perry Courthouse

                     901 Richland Street, Courtroom # 1, Columbia, SC

       

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Jeffery Jermaine Joe, age 42, of Camden, South Carolina, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson accepted Joe’s guilty plea and will sentence him after receiving and reviewing a presentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

According to facts summarized by the Government at Joe’s guilty plea hearing, Joe was caught in a traffic stop with the illicit drugs and was subsequently captured on video selling pills laced with fentanyl. Joe was also charged for possession of a firearm that was discovered in the same room where he sold the fentanyl-laced pills. Federal law prohibits Joe from possessing a firearm based on prior convictions for distribution of crack cocaine; possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine 2nd; trafficking crack cocaine 2nd; distribution crack cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Alyssa Leigh Richardson of the Columbia office.

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Daniel Edward Johnson, age 48, former Fifth Circuit Solicitor and resident of Blythewood, South Carolina, pled guilty in federal court to Wire Fraud.  Senior United States District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie accepted the guilty plea and scheduled Johnson’s sentencing for June 4, 2019.

Facts presented in court established that Daniel Edward Johnson was the Fifth Circuit Solicitor from 2011 to 2018.  The Solicitor’s Office serves both Richland and Kershaw Counties and receives funding from both, as well as from the federal government.  Kershaw County pays the office-related credit card bills for select Solicitor’s Office employees. 

During his time as Solicitor, Johnson used Solicitor’s Office funds to cover personal and non-office-related expenses.  Johnson was issued Solicitor’s Office credit cards reading “DAN JOHNSON, Fifth Circuit Sol Office.”  Using these cards, Johnson made a series of personal and non-office-related purchases, starting no later than 2016.  In pleading guilty to the scheme, Johnson acknowledged that a November 2016 payment by Kershaw County covered personal expenses on the October 2016 credit card statement.  That statement contained the following fraudulent transactions:

• September 7, 2016, charge for $208.79, at the Elara by Hilton Grand Vacations in Las Vegas.
• September 7, 2016, charge for $911.48, at the Doubletree Magic Mile hotel in Chicago.
• October 1, 2016, charge for $685.07, to Copa Airlines, an airline based in Panama.
• October 5, 2016, charge for $137.22, at the Hilton Columbia Center in Columbia, SC.

The total loss amount attributable to Dan Johnson is approximately $44,317.57.  Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, with a potential fine up to $250,000. 

“Today’s plea will go a long way in restoring the public’s confidence in our justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “The law comes in one size, and one size fits all.  It fits the rich man and the poor man.  It fits the citizen and the elected official.  It fits the prosecuted and the prosecutor, and it certainly fits Dan Johnson.  To the fine men and women of the Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office and to Solicitor Gipson, we know you welcome this day, as you move forward, out from under the cloud of Dan Johnson’s conduct.  We look forward to continuing to partner with you to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice and to protect the citizens of South Carolina.  I would also like to express my appreciation to the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, with whom we worked closely to bring about justice today.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) investigated the case.  Assistant United States Attorneys Winston D. Holliday, Jr., Alyssa Leigh Richardson, and William C. Lewis of the Columbia office are prosecuting the case.

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Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Glendell Long, a/k/a “Okera Uzoma,” age 46, of Longs, South Carolina, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in October 2018 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence presented in court established that during the early morning hours of March 24, 2018, officers with the Horry County Police Department responded to a shooting incident at an unlicensed club in Longs.  Long lived at a residence on the property but also owned and operated the unlicensed club located at the address.  When police arrived, they observed several surveillance cameras around the property.  After receiving consent to review the video footage, law enforcement saw Long carrying an American Tactical Imports Omni Hybrid Assault Rifle into the residence.  The assault rifle was later found hidden in the wall of Long’s residence.  Law enforcement also observed Long remove what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and located a .22 caliber rifle with a sawed-off barrel in the office area of the liquor house.

Federal law prohibits Long from possessing a firearm, and this is not the first time Long has been convicted of unlawfully possessing a gun.  After being convicted in state court of assault and battery with intent to kill in 1992, Long was federally prosecuted and convicted in 2003 for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Long was later convicted in 2010 in state court for the unlawful carrying of a pistol.

United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell, of Florence, accepted Long’s guilty plea and sentenced him to 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Taylor and Justin Holloway prosecuted the case.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Horry County Police Department.  It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases.  Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally-based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

 

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Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Dustin Earl Odom, age 24, of Effingham, South Carolina, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in October 2018 to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and being a felon in possession of a firearm.   

Evidence presented in court established that on July 19, 2017, Odom committed a traffic infraction and was stopped as part of a routine traffic stop in Darlington County, South Carolina.  Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer smelled marijuana and asked Odom, the only occupant of the vehicle, to step outside.  The officer found approximately 110 grams of marijuana and a loaded Spring Armory XDM .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol in the vehicle.

Officers later found two additional firearms in his residence—a Ruger LCP .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Taurus Judge .45 caliber revolver.

Federal law prohibits Odom from possessing a firearm, and this is not the first time he has been convicted of unlawfully possessing a gun.  Odom was convicted in 2013 at the age of 18 for the unlawful carrying of a pistol in state court.  Odom also has previous state court felony convictions for burglary in the second degree and criminal conspiracy.

United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell, of Florence, accepted Odom’s guilty plea and sentenced him to 24 months in federal prison followed by three years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Taylor and Justin Holloway prosecuted the case.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, Darlington County Drug Enforcement Unit, Florence Police Department, and the Hartsville Police Department.  This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases.  Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally-based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Eric Hughes, age 37, of Bluffton, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy and money laundering.  Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten, of Columbia, sentenced Hughes to 168 months in federal prison.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented to the court established that Hughes and his co-defendants operated a counterfeit pill manufacturing operation in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The conspirators rented vacation houses at Fripp Island, Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms, Bluffton, and Tybee Island, Georgia, where they set up clandestine pharmaceutical laboratories for a month at time. Each month, the conspiracy produced approximately 500,000 counterfeit pills, which appeared to be legitimate pharmaceuticals.

Hughes ordered precursors—U-47700 (a synthetic opioid) and alprazolam—from China using the dark web. He then used formulas found on the internet to mix the active ingredients with binding agents and dye to make a powdery substance that was fed into the pill press. The press could produce 4,500 pills an hour.

The counterfeit pills were then sold to distributors on the dark web and provided to distributors in South Carolina. The pills sold on the dark web were purchased using bitcoins. The bitcoins were then laundered through various accounts to hide their locations. Over a million dollars in bitcoins was generated and hid by the conspiracy.

The conspiracy was ultimately captured when agents from the DEA executed multiple search warrants in August 2017, including on a beach house on Tybee Island, Georgia, where the conspiracy had a laboratory set up. Agents found the house to be covered in residue of U-47700 and alprazolam, which required the agents to enter with respirators and full containment clothing. The clean-up of the beach house cost $213,000, which the defendant was ordered to pay.

The case was investigated by agents of the DEA. Assistant United States Attorney Jim May of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Tony Shuler, a/k/a “T Rock,” age 47, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court after pleading guilty in September to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, and to Buying, Possessing, Transporting and Receiving an Animal for Participation in an Animal Fighting Venture.

Evidence presented in court showed that on April 11, 2018, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Columbia Violent Gang Task Force (CVGTF), with assistance from the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®), executed a search warrant at Shuler’s home in Columbia.  Agents seized 13 pit bull-type dogs, $11,300 in cash, and dog fighting paraphernalia, including a treadmill, anabolic steroids, and medications commonly used to treat wounds incurred during fights.  Agents also seized a loaded SAR 9mm pistol, two boxes of .22 caliber ammunition, a box of .45 caliber ammunition, and several shotgun shells.  Shuler, who has previously been convicted of numerous felony offenses including Assault and Battery with Intent to Kill, Burglary, and Aggravated Robbery, is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

Shuler’s attorney urged the judge to impose a probationary sentence.  However, after hearing from both parties, United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis rejected Shuler’s request and, instead, sentenced him to 21 months in federal prison, to be followed by a year of supervised release.  The Court ordered, as a condition of his supervised release, that Shuler be banned from owning or possessing any dog.  Shuler was also ordered to pay $10,465 in restitution, to cover costs associated with the care and disposition of the seized dogs.

Although dogfighting is a felony in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, it continues to occur in every part of the country and in every type of community. ASPCA experts estimate that there are tens of thousands of dog fighters across the country forcing hundreds of thousands of dogs to train, fight, and suffer for the entertainment and profit of spectators as part of this brutal “blood sport.” In the past nine years, the ASPCA has assisted with approximately 200 dogfighting cases in at least 24 states, and has impacted through rescue, consultations, and investigations nearly 5,000 victims of dogfighting.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s CVGTF, which is comprised of law enforcement officers from the FBI, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Columbia Police Department (CPD), Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD), Lexington County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD), Lexington Police Department (LPD), and the South Carolina National Guard. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jane B. Taylor of the Columbia office.

 

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Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that 13 Cuban Nationals have been sentenced in federal court for Conspiracy to Commit Wire and Mail Fraud. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis, of Columbia, sentenced the following defendants:

• Jose Livan Rodriguez Espinosa, age 27, of Miami, Florida, to 108 months in federal prison;
• Ricardo Daniel Ortega Guerra, age 29, of Miami, Florida, to 41 months in federal prison;
• Julio Santos Vargas, age 26, of Miami, Florida, to 33 months in federal prison;
• Humberto Merina Chamizo, age 29, of Roswell, New Mexico, to 33 months in federal prison;
• Julio Villavicencio Alvarez, age 43, of Miami, Florida, to 27 months in federal prison;
• Angel Dairan Martinez Delgado, age 31, of Miami, Florida, to 33 months in federal prison;
• Robert Farres Rodriguez, age 30, of Miami, Florida, to 70 months in federal prison;
• Reyes Garcia Perez, age 53, of Miami, Florida, to 38 months in federal prison;
• Leduan Reyes, age 28, of Miami, Florida, to 33 months in federal prison;
• Andres Conzales Acosta, age 40, of Jacksonville, Florida, to 33 months in federal prison; 
• Humberto Medina Chamizo, age 29, of Roswell, New Mexico, to 33 months in federal prison;
• Reinaldo Fabelo, age 29, of Houston, Texas, to 33 months in federal prison; and
• Jose Ramon Morales, age 28, of Ft. Myers, Florida, 12 months in federal prison.

Each defendant was also sentenced to between one and three years of court-ordered supervision to follow his prison term. Together, the defendants were ordered to pay $ 142,758.43 in restitution.

Evidence presented to the court showed that the investigation of this case began in June 2014, when two individuals were stopped by the South Carolina Highway Patrol on I-95 and found to be in possession of counterfeit credit cards. Further investigation by the United States Secret Service revealed that these men were part of a conspiracy that had manufactured, distributed, and negotiated counterfeit credit cards throughout the United States. 

Personal and financial information such as names, social security numbers, dates of birth, and bank account and credit card numbers (“victim track data”) was initially purchased from the dark web.  This information came directly from the Home Depot Breach, which had been unreported at the time (July 2014).  As arrests were made, the group became more sophisticated and began harvesting victim track data through skimming devices placed on gas pumps across the United States.  The group used the victim track data to secure counterfeit credit cards, which they used to purchase gift cards primarily at Sam’s Club and Walmarts.  They also used fake identification to open approximately 40 different Sam’s Club Accounts from early 2014 into late 2015, causing approximately $1 million in fraudulent transactions.

The group had significant bases of operations in Miami, Florida; Houston, Texas; and Omaha, Nebraska. From 2014 until mid-2017, the group utilized approximately 3,275 victim credit card numbers throughout the United States, affecting approximately 222 financial institutions and causing approximately $1.6 million in fraudulent transactions in South Carolina, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, California, Michigan, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and elsewhere.  Through assistance from state and local authorities, 21 conspirators have been convicted.

This case was investigated by agents of the Columbia office of the United States Secret Service, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, and state and local law enforcement throughout the United States.  Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II, of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.      

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COLUMBIA, South Carolina ---- The United States Attorney's Office is sponsoring its 16th Annual Project Sentry Logo/Meme Contest. The statewide contest welcomes students to illustrate how we can help prevent gun violence in our schools by designing a logo or meme for use on upcoming Project Sentry publications.

The contest is open to all South Carolina grade-school students and entries will be categorized into four grade divisions: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12 grades. A winner will be selected from each of the four divisions, and each division winner will receive $50. An overall winning logo or meme will be chosen from the four division winners and will receive an additional $50 for a total of $100.

The winning entries will be selected by “The Insiders,” a select group of students from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice, who travel throughout the state encouraging children and promoting community awareness of the consequences of juvenile crime. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Association Foundation will be providing the awards to the winners.

Entries should be consistent with the theme "Preventing Gun Violence in Our Schools." The deadline for submissions is March 29, 2019.  If your student is interested in participating, contact your local school as contest information has been sent to all South Carolina schools.  Applications and contest rules may also be found on our website https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/programs/ceasefire/project-sentry/contest-winners/contest-rules.

Project Sentry, which is part of the district's Project Safe Neighborhoods/Project CeaseFire initiative, is a vital step in strengthening our ability to prevent gun crimes among our young people and to ensure a safe learning atmosphere for our children.  For more information on the Project Sentry program and to view winning logos from previous years, please visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/sc/programs/logowinners.html.

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Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that the application period for Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) grants has opened. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of PSN, a nationwide initiative that awards grants to state agencies, local units of government, and non-profit agencies to fund innovative projects designed to reduce firearm and drug-related violence in our communities.  The District of South Carolina will award $547,945.00 in grant funding.  The South Carolina Department of Public Safety Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs (OHSJP) has been selected to administer this grant program on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to provide critically-needed resources to communities across our state who are working to protect South Carolinians from dangerous, repeat offenders,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “Through Project CeaseFire, we are locking arms with our federal, state, and local partners to reduce gun and gang-related violence.  Together, we will continue to work toward turning the tide of violent crime in South Carolina.”

More information concerning the PSN grant program may be found at https://scdps.sc.gov/ohsjp/cj-grants/safe-neighborhoods. The application deadline is Friday, April 19, 2019. Please contact OHSJP with questions or for technical assistance with an application.

PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  It is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally-based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The initiative promotes partnerships among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies; strategic planning incorporating such technologies as crime mapping, gun tracing, and ballistic analysis; training that brings together federal, state, and local officials to build effective teams; outreach to communities; and accountability for impact on community safety. 

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The Department of Justice announced today that the United States has filed suit against CB&I AREVA MOX Services LLC (MOX Services) and Wise Services Inc. under the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Act in connection with a contract between MOX Services and the National Nuclear Security Administration relating to the design and operation of the MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility (MFFF) at the NNSA Savannah River Site in Aiken, South Carolina.  MOX Services is a South Carolina Limited Liability Corporation with headquarters in Aiken, South Carolina.  Wise Services, which subcontracted with MOX Services, is an Ohio corporation with headquarters in Dayton, Ohio.  

Under the MOX Contract, MOX Services agreed to design, build, operate (and ultimately decommission) the MFFF. The MFFF is designed to transform weapons-grade plutonium into mixed oxide fuel rods that may be irradiated in commercial nuclear power plants.  In performing the MOX Contract, MOX Services entered into a series of subcontracts with Wise Services between 2008 and 2016. Each of these subcontracts provided for Wise Services to supply labor, materials, equipment, and supervision for unplanned construction activities (e.g. general labor, plumbing, electrical, carpentry) deemed necessary to support MOX Services’ efforts at the MFFF.   

The government’s complaint alleges that Wise Services falsely claimed reimbursement under its subcontracts with MOX Services for construction materials that did not exist, and that in turn MOX Services knowingly submitted $6.4 million in claims to NNSA for the fraudulent charges submitted by Wise Services.  The complaint further alleges that Wise Services’ Senior Site Representative Phillip Thompson paid kickbacks to MOX Services officials with responsibility for the subcontracts to improperly obtain favorable treatment from MOX Services.  On Feb. 27, 2017, Mr. Thompson entered a guilty plea on charges of conspiring to commit theft of government funds. 

“Government contractors who line their bank accounts by receiving kickbacks or submitting fraudulent claims undermine the public's trust in government programs and operations,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  “We will continue to vigorously pursue those who misuse taxpayer funds.” 

“Through rigorous enforcement of the False Claims Act, the Department of Justice protects taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina will continue to hold accountable government contractors who seek to fraudulently achieve profits at the expense of the American taxpayer.”

“The Department of Energy Office of Inspector General remains committed to ensuring the integrity of the Department’s contractors and subcontractors,” said Teri L. Donaldson, Department of Energy Inspector General. “We take allegations of false claims, overbilling, and kickbacks very seriously and will aggressively investigate these matters to protect the Department and the American taxpayers. We appreciate the efforts of the DOJ in pursuing these allegations and will continue our collaboration with the DOJ to investigate those who seek to defraud Department programs.”

This matter was investigated by the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, and the Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General. The claims asserted in this action are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

The lawsuit is captioned United States v. CB&I AREVA MOX Services, LLC, et al.(D.S.C).

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that India Tykeyah-Najee Cuyler, a/k/a “Lady Tank,” age 24, of Columbia, South Carolina, pled guilty in federal court to using a facility of interstate commerce (a cell phone) to entice a minor under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity.

Evidence presented in court established that on November 21, 2017, undercover officers with the Lexington Police Department encountered a minor advertising sex via a website. An undercover officer set up a time to meet with the minor at a local motel, wherein officers observed the minor being dropped off by Cuyler and Donnell Salethian Woodard. Officers placed Cuyler and Woodard under arrest. The investigation led to another nearby motel where a second minor, who was also involved in the illegal venture, was located. The investigation revealed Cuyler was using a cell phone to post advertisements for commercial sex with the minors on a website and taking a portion of the proceeds. Cuyler and Woodard were both charged federally.

Woodard’s case remains pending. All charges against Woodard are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Cuyler faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison with a maximum of life, mandatory registration as a sex offender, and at least 5 years and up to a lifetime of supervised release.

United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the United States Probation Office. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Lexington Police Department, and the West Columbia Police Department.  It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

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North Greenville University (NGU), based in Greenville, South Carolina, will pay $2.5 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act of submitting false claims to the U.S. Department of Education in violation of the federal ban on incentive-based compensation, the Justice Department announced today.   

Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) prohibits any institution of higher education that receives federal student aid from compensating student recruiters with a commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based on the recruiters’ success in securing student enrollment.  The incentive compensation ban protects students against aggressive admissions and recruitment practices that serve the financial interests of the recruiter, rather than the educational needs of the student.

“Offering unlawful financial incentives for recruiting undermines the integrity of our higher education system,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division.  “Prospective students are entitled to make enrollment decisions without the improper influence of recruiting companies who pursue their own financial gain at the expense of the students’ best interests.”

“This settlement will help ensure that schools and recruitment services put the educational interests of students and potential enrollees first,” said U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon for the District of South Carolina.  “It should serve as a warning to institutions that would attempt to maximize enrollments to line their own pockets, disregarding the best interests of students in the process.  Through False Claims Act cases like this one, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to help protect federal taxpayer dollars from waste, fraud, and abuse.”

The settlement resolves allegations that between 2014 and 2016, NGU hired Joined Inc., a company partially owned by NGU, to recruit students to NGU and compensated Joined based on the number of students who enrolled in NGU’s programs, in violation of the prohibition on incentive compensation. 

“The Office of Inspector General has a unique and special law enforcement mission – to protect public education funds for eligible students.  Today’s settlement is an example of our commitment to this mission,” said Neil Sanchez, Special Agent in Charge of the U S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Southern Regional Office.  “The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement colleagues and pursue allegations of violations of the False Claims Act in carrying out our important public service.” 

The allegations resolved by the settlement were brought in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by Maurice Shoe, the co-owner of Joined.  The Act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to receive a share of any recovery.  As part of today’s resolution, the whistleblower will receive $375,000.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina and the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch.  Investigative assistance was provided by the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Education.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.  The case is captioned United States ex rel. Shoe v. North Greenville University, No. 6:16-cv-01570 (D.S.C.).

Columbia, SC – United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Angela Breitweiser Keith, age 53, and Ann Davis Eldridge, age 58, both of Sumter, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of false statements to defraud Medicaid.

Evidence presented to the court showed that Keith and Eldridge were executives of the South Carolina Early Autism Project (SCEAP). SCEAP provided behavioral health and education solutions for children and young adults, particularly those diagnosed with autism. SCEAP began providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services for children with autism in 2003, becoming the number one biller in the country for ABA services by 2015. SCEAP overcharged Medicaid and TRICARE (military-affiliated insurance) millions of dollars by inflating billing records and charging the government for services it did not provide to clients.

SCEAP employees reported to the government that they were pressured to exaggerate the amount of time they spent delivering services to the clients. Company emails indicated that SCEAP encouraged employees to unlawfully bill for time while waiting in driveways, travelling to and from servicing the clients, and even while sitting in restaurants. The employees also indicated that they had required billing goals they had to meet to qualify for job benefits and/or bonuses. These bonuses included gift cards and company-expensed vacations.

Ann Eldridge was a co-founder of SCEAP and Angela Breitweiser Keith worked at the SCEAP since its inception. In December 2012, Eldridge and her partner sold SCEAP to a company called Chancelight for over $18 million. Eldridge and Keith remained with the company, continuing in leadership roles in South Carolina. Chancelight engaged Eldridge to promote the SCEAP system to other Chancelight franchises in the Southeast, and promoted Keith to Senior Vice President of Data Reporting and Analysis.

In 2018, SCEAP/Chancelight repaid the government nearly $9 million for overbilling Medicaid and TRICARE in a civil settlement. Sentencing in the case has not yet been scheduled, but in a plea agreement filed with the court, both Keith and Eldridge have agreed to serve a 12-month federal prison sentence for their role in the fraud.

“We are proud of the excellent work of all the agencies involved,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “We take seriously our mission to protect those that are the most vulnerable to this kind of fraud and abuse.  These prosecutions, combined with our civil recovery, should serve as a warning to those who seek to unlawfully enrich themselves by stealing from Medicaid or TRICARE and denying services to those with dire needs and those who have bravely served our nation.“

"These guilty pleas are the product of a thorough investigation and demonstrate the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our law enforcement partners to hold dishonest medical service providers accountable when they submit false bills and divert taxpayer funds," said Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr., DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office.  "DCIS will continue to protect the integrity of the Department of Defense by rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse that negatively impacts critical programs such as TRICARE."

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson stated, “The positive outcome of this case is an example of how valuable it can be for multiple agencies to pool their talents and resources in order to combat fraud.  These individuals pleading guilty took advantage of taxpayers’ dollars at the expense of our Medicaid population, some of our most vulnerable.  The people of South Carolina deserve better than this, and these convictions show that this behavior will not be tolerated in our state.”

The investigation was conducted by members of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General; and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson of the Columbia office.

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Charleston, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Demetrius Dwayne Swinton, a/k/a “Million Dolla Meat,” age 31, of Ridgeland, South Carolina, has entered a guilty plea in federal court in Charleston to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.  United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel of Charleston accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Swinton was the last of thirteen defendants to plead guilty to their involvement in the drug conspiracy. Those who previously pled guilty to their involvement include Liz Ashante Christopher, Christopher Johnson, Travis Wiggins, Derrick Edwards, Johnita Anderson, David Grober, Boston Brown, Samuel Jones, Ernest Tyrone Fields, Devin Swinton, Ryan Walters, and Terrance Wallace.  Defendants Demetrius Swinton, Christopher, Wiggins, Edwards, Anderson, Grober, Jones, Fields, and Walters each face up to life imprisonment in federal custody.  Demetrius Swinton also agreed to forfeit $500,000, two vehicles, and several pieces of jewelry.  Defendants Devin Swinton, Johnson, and Brown each face up to forty years in federal custody for their involvement in the conspiracy, while Wallace faces up to twenty years in federal custody for his involvement.  Defendants Wiggins and Edwards both also pled guilty to possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, which carries a minimum of five years in federal custody to be served consecutive to any other sentence received.  

Evidence presented to the court established that Demetrius Swinton was the leader of a cocaine trafficking organization that was responsible for bringing a large volume of cocaine into South Carolina, primarily into Beaufort and Jasper counties.  During the course of the investigation, agents established that Swinton was receiving multiple kilograms of cocaine at a time from a source of supply in Atlanta and that he used a number of associates to assist in both the distribution of drugs and the collection of drug proceeds.  During the course of the investigation, agents seized over 47 kilograms of cocaine, 782 grams of crack cocaine, 6 kilograms of marijuana, 97 grams of heroin, 10 firearms, 5 vehicles, over $50,000 worth of jewelry, and over $68,000 cash. 

United States Attorney Lydon stated, “With these convictions, we are able to bring a long-overdue sense of justice to the communities that have been so greatly affected by drug trafficking and violence.  We truly appreciate the efforts of our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in working together to hold so many people accountable for such serious crimes.” 

"Demetrius Swinton’s criminal activity had been an ongoing problem for the 14th Circuit," added Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone. "It's fortunate that we've had this tremendous partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office in place for a number of years now. It has been invaluable in our efforts to get dangerous people like Swinton off the streets." 

Robert J. Murphy, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division stated, "The Demetrius Swinton violent drug trafficking organization plagued communities in South Carolina for far too long.  This investigation clearly validates the correlation between drug trafficking and violent crime.  The guilty pleas of Swinton and his co-defendants underscore the seamless law enforcement collaboration between DEA, the Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper County Sheriff's Offices, the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office and the subsequent prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office."

“Drugs wreak havoc on communities, and this case is no different,” said John Eisert, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Charlotte. “With drugs comes violence, and I am happy to say several South Carolina cities are now safer due to the investigative efforts of HSI and its partners.”

The case was investigated by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, City of Charleston Police Department, Summerville Police Department, North Charleston Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, South Carolina Highway Patrol, and the South Carolina National Guard.  Assistant United States Attorney Nick Bianchi of the Charleston Office and Special Assistant United States Attorney Carra Henderson of the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office are prosecuting the case.

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Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Wesley Dallas Ayers, 27, of Anderson, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court for using, attempting to use, and threatening to use weapons of mass destruction; possession and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime; and use of an explosive device during the commission of a felony.  United States District Judge Henry M. Herlong, Jr., of Greenville sentenced Ayers to 361 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

Ayers had previously admitted that he constructed, and then placed, three explosive devices in various parts of Anderson County between January 24, 2018, and February 24, 2018.  A device placed by Ayers on January 30, 2018, at the intersection of Travis and Martin Roads in Anderson County, detonated and injured one individual.  The other two devices, which Ayers also placed in or near area roadways, were intercepted and rendered safe by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

In that same timeframe, Ayers placed three hoax devices, which resembled explosives but did not contain any blasting agent.  With some of those devices, the defendant left threatening messages that more, and more powerful, devices were to come.

Ayers was arrested after an exhaustive month-long investigation, with the combined efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives; Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, and numerous law enforcement agencies from around the State of South Carolina.  DNA and other forensic evidence associated Ayers with the various devices.  Additionally, a search of his property produced numerous items consistent with the manufacture of the same.

Judge Herlong found that the dangerous and lethal nature of the devices, weaponized with shrapnel, concealed in household items, and publicly placed in or near roadways justified the substantial sentence. He emphasized the length of Ayers’ campaign against the citizens of Anderson County for more than a month’s time and that only by the efforts of law enforcement and sheer good fortune were more individuals not seriously harmed or killed.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with numerous other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Assistant United States Attorney D. Josev Brewer of the Greenville office prosecuted the case. 

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today, “I am thrilled that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been able to return to full operations this week following the lapse in government funding.  I extend my heartfelt thanks to the entire team at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and to our federal law enforcement partners, the vast majority of whom worked without pay for the duration of the shutdown.  They exhibited dedication, determination, and perseverance throughout this difficult period as they worked to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice across our State.  I am particularly proud of ongoing efforts to aggressively prosecute the most violent offenders who continue to unlawfully possess firearms.  This office will never fail in its mission to protect the safety and security of the residents of South Carolina.” 

Below is a summary of some of the matters the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted during the lapse in government funding as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug Charges.  Trent Jerrod Daniels, age 31, of Columbia, South Carolina, pled guilty in federal court in Columbia to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and to possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Evidence presented in court established that on May 8, 2018 deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department attempted a traffic stop after observing what they believed to be drug deals between an individual in a vehicle and others in the roadway.  A high-speed chase ensued, during which the driver was observed throwing a bag out of the window of the vehicle.  Ultimately, the vehicle was stopped and the driver was determined to be Daniels. 

Deputies recovered the bag thrown from the vehicle and found it contained a loaded Hi-Point .380 caliber handgun, marijuana, and digital scales.  Deputies also found a small quantity of crack cocaine in the vehicle and counterfeit money in Daniels’ pocket.  Daniels admitted to making drug sales earlier and to throwing the bag containing the marijuana and loaded gun out of the car during the chase.  A ballistics examination found that the recovered firearm had been used in a shooting during a burglary in December 2017.

Daniels, who was on state parole at the time of the instant offense, is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon prior state convictions for burglary 2nd degree (two separate counts), use of a motor vehicle without owner’s permission, grand larceny over $1,000, but less than $5,000 (2 separate counts), strong arm robbery, and distribution of crack cocaine.

Daniels faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and three years of court-ordered supervision on the felon in possession charge.  Due to a prior felony drug offense, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and four years of court-ordered supervision on the possession with intent to distribute marijuana charge.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

Gaston Man Pleads to Federal Firearm Charge Following High-Speed Chase.   Jason C. Dix, age 41, of Gaston, South Carolina, pled guilty in federal court in Columbia to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. 

Evidence presented in court showed that on June 8, 2018, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD) deputies on patrol attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Dix for a traffic violation.  Dix led deputies on a high speed chase – clocking as high as 104 miles per hour – before Dix ran two red lights and crashed into an uninvolved vehicle, sending two to a nearby hospital.  LCSD deputies found a Ruger 9mm pistol and two firearm magazines loaded with ammunition in the vehicle driven by Dix.

Federal law prohibits Dix from possessing a firearm or ammunition based upon prior state convictions for Assault & Battery of a High & Aggravated Nature, Possession of Methamphetamine/Crack, three convictions for Breaking and Entering a Motor Vehicle, three convictions for Driving Under the Influence, Criminal Domestic Violence, Maintaining Drug Dwelling, Possession of Methamphetamine Precursors, Trafficking Methamphetamine, and two convictions for Manufacturing Methamphetamine, among others.

Dix faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and three years of court-ordered supervision.  The charge against Dix was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia office and Special Assistant United States Attorney Casey Rankin Smith of the Lexington County Solicitor’s Office are prosecuting the case.

Bennettsville Man Sentenced to Over Three Years in Federal Prison on Federal Gun Charge.  Tommie Brenda McLaurin, age 36, of Bennettsville, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Florence after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.  United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence sentenced McLaurin to 46 months in federal prison, with three years of court-ordered supervision to follow.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented to the court established that on November 17, 2016, members of various law enforcement agencies from South and North Carolina collaborated on executing a state search warrant at McLaurin’s residence in Bennettsville.  McLaurin was arrested on scene for an outstanding warrant out of North Carolina and admitted to possessing a loaded Zastava pistol that was recovered from the residence.  The firearm was listed as stolen.  Federal law prohibits McLaurin from possessing firearms or ammunition based on prior state convictions for trafficking in cocaine and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.

The charges against McLaurin were the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office (SC), the Rockingham Police Department (NC), the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office (NC), the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office (NC), and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office (SC).  Assistant United States Attorneys Everett McMillian and Lauren Hummel of the Florence office prosecuted the case. 

Two Defendants Plead Guilty to Federal Charges Following Myrtle Beach Armed Robberies.  Jeremy Lamar Hayes, age 29, and Kennedy Boggs, age 26, pled guilty in federal court in Florence to federal robbery and gun charges.  Hayes pled guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery (robbery affecting commerce) and two counts of Brandishing a Firearm during a Crime of Violence.  Boggs pled guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of Aiding and Abetting the Brandishing of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence. 

Evidence presented to the court showed that on January 29, 2018, officers from the Myrtle Beach Police Department (MBPD) responded to an armed robbery at a dry cleaner in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Hayes entered the location, presented a firearm, and demanded money from the register and the victim’s wallet.  Hayes took money from the register, the victim’s wallet and cell phone, and the store phone and then fled in a vehicle. 

The next day, MBPD officers responded to an armed robbery at a restaurant in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Hayes entered the location, presented a firearm, and demanded money from the register.  He took cash from the register and an employee’s cell phone.  Hayes then forced employees to lay on the ground and count while Hayes exited the store and fled in a vehicle. 

After the restaurant robbery, MBPD located a vehicle matching the description of the get-away vehicle.  The driver, Kennedy Boggs, failed to stop, and after a pursuit, both Boggs and Hayes were detained.  MBPD found in the vehicle clothing matching the description of clothing worn by Hayes during the robberies.  Hayes’ fingerprint was also located at the scene of the restaurant robbery.  Boggs admitted that she had driven Hayes to the robberies and that during the vehicle pursuit, the firearm was thrown out of the window.  Officers later recovered the firearm. 

Hayes and Boggs face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.  The charges against Hayes and Boggs were the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the Surfside Beach Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office (NC), and the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office (NC).  Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office is prosecuting the case. 

West Columbia Illegal Alien Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm.  Felix Martinez-Melquisdes, age 35, of West Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Columbia after pleading guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm.  Chief United States District Judge Terry L. Wooten sentenced Martinez to 20 months in prison, to be followed by two years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented to the court established that Martinez was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a Mexican citizen who had entered and was living in the United States illegally.  The investigation of Martinez began as the result of email and telephone conversations Martinez had with a girl in Kentucky.  The girl was about to graduate from high school and Martinez wanted to pick her up and take her to South Carolina, but she did not want to go. Martinez responded on May 12, 2018, by threatening to attend her graduation and shoot everyone there. This resulted in an arrest warrant for Terrorist Threats being issued in Kentucky. Graduation was scheduled for May 19, 2018, and agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) arrested Martinez at his job on May 16. At the time of his arrest, Martinez was carrying a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol. 

The case was investigated by agents of SLED, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II, of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

Longs Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison on Firearm Charge.  Quinn Hakeem McCray, age 29, of Longs, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Florence after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced McCray to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented in court established that on June 28, 2018, officers with the Horry County Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force attempting to locate McCray in reference to an outstanding arrest warrant spotted him riding as a passenger in a vehicle and conducted a traffic stop.  When the vehicle came to a stop, McCray fled on foot, and police noted that he was carrying a pistol with a high-capacity magazine in his hand.  After a brief foot chase, police caught up to McCray and arrested him.  Federal law prohibits McCray from possessing firearms or ammunition based on his prior state convictions for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, pointing and presenting a firearm, and strong arm robbery.   

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Horry County Police Department.  Special Assistant United States Attorney David P. Caraker, Jr. of the 15th Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecuted the case. 

Florence Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Federal Prison on Gun and Drug Charges.  Chadrick Letran James, age 29, of Florence, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Florence after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced James to 63 months in federal prison with five years of court-ordered supervision to follow.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on September 1, 2017, a corporal with the Florence Police Department conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle James was driving.  The corporal could smell an odor of marijuana coming from both James and the vehicle.  James admitted to smoking marijuana and having marijuana in the vehicle’s cup holder.  A search of the vehicle also revealed a plastic bag in the driver’s side door believed to be used to package narcotics and a book bag that contained several bags of marijuana, a bottle of crack cocaine, a bag of cocaine, a set of digital scales, and a Smith and Wesson, model SW40VE, .40 caliber pistol loaded with 14 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.

The charges against James were the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Florence Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office prosecuted the case. 

North Charleston Man Faces Federal Charges in Tavern & Table Robbery and Shooting.  Brandon Lloyd Daniels of North Charleston, South Carolina, was charged in a five-count indictment arising out of the April 4, 2018, robbery of Tavern & Table, a Mt. Pleasant restaurant located on Shem Creek. The superseding indictment alleges that Daniels and another man robbed the restaurant at gunpoint and shot an employee in the back. Daniels, who was previously indicted for possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun and being a felon in possession of a firearm, now faces additional charges including robbery affecting interstate commerce and the discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted, Daniels faces a maximum penalty of up to life in federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Schoen, Matt Austin, and Jim May are prosecuting the case.

All charges in this indictment are merely accusations, and Daniels is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Jeremy David Grove, 30, of Greenville, South Carolina, and Jaspal Singh Grewall, 40, of Anaheim, California, have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracy operating between the East Coast and California.  On December 12, 2017, the men were charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to launder drug proceeds, and conspiracy to structure financial transactions.

Grove pled guilty to the marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracies, and Grewall pled guilty to conspiracy to structure financial transactions.  United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Grove to 5 years in federal prison and 4 years of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.  For his role in the offense, Grewall received a 3-year probationary sentence.  A third man charged, Tyler James Durney, 36, also of Greenville, awaits sentencing.

According to U.S. Attorney Lydon, Grove and Durney devised multiple schemes to pay for and to transport, via the United States Postal Service and commercial carriers, hundreds of pounds of California-sourced high-grade marijuana to South Carolina.  Beginning in November 2014, the defendants deposited and caused to be deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds into “funnel” or “pass through” bank accounts held by Grewall, in amounts at or under $10,000.00 to circumvent the reporting requirement regarding cash transactions over $10,000.00.

During the guilty plea hearing, the defendants admitted using multiple bank accounts in a coordinated manner to funnel the illicit currency from South Carolina for immediate withdrawal in California. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Grewall has forfeited over $780,574.00 in cash and real property to the government.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspector, and the Greenville City Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Leesa Washington of the Greenville office.

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Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Leonard Franklin Clark, 31, of North Charleston, South Carolina, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in three Mt. Pleasant robberies.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

Evidence presented by the Government established that on May 9, 2017, Leonard Clark and his codefendants robbed a grocery store located on SC Highway 41 in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.  Kalee Lynn-Bishop entered the store hours before the robbery to surveil the robbery location.  During the robbery, three masked men, including Leonard Clark and Cortlyn Brown, entered the grocery store while Kamal Backman remained in a vehicle to serve as the lookout and getaway driver.  The men that entered the grocery store carried firearms, brandishing the firearms in furtherance of the robbery.  The gunmen ordered the employees to lay face down on the floor while pointing the weapons to their heads.  The men stole $9,109.00 from the store.  

On May 12, 2017, Leonard Clark, Cortlyn Brown, and Kamal Backman robbed a bank located on Park West Boulevard, Ace Area 6 in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.  Kalee Lynn-Bishop entered the bank prior to the robbery to surveil the location.  At approximately 3:56 p.m., four masked men entered the bank armed with firearms and demanded money.  The men pointed their guns at the employees, brandishing the firearms in furtherance of the robbery.  The defendants stole $21,238.00 and an employee’s cell phone and purse.

On July 11, 2017, at approximately 9:00 a.m., Leonard Clark and a second man robbed a bank on Anna Knapp Blvd. in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.  Both men carried firearms and pointed the weapons at the bank tellers in furtherance of the robbery.  The men stole $13,227.00 from the bank, but a bank teller was able to insert a dye pack into the stolen money. 

The next day, Leonard Clark deposited $1,440.00 in dye-stained money into his bank account through an ATM in West Ashley.  That same day, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office performed a traffic stop on the defendant’s registered vehicle while he was the sole occupant and driver of the vehicle.  During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers located a Springfield 9mm firearm with an extended magazine containing 19 rounds and one in the chamber.  The firearm was reported stolen from Coastal Firearms in Cainhoy, South Carolina.  Officers also located $2,735.00 in cash on Leonard Clark’s person.

On July 21, 2017, investigators obtained a search warrant for Leonard Clark’s North Charleston residence.  The sink in the master bathroom was covered in red dye, and investigators recovered dye-stained cash from numerous areas in the master bedroom.  Investigators also located an empty Smith & Wesson box, black gloves, a black and camo mask, and bank documents for Leonard Clark in the master bedroom.

Shortly thereafter, officers initiated a traffic stop on Leonard Clark’s vehicle.  A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed items consistent with Clark’s involvement in the robberies:  a white and black bandana and a black ski mask in the back seat, black gloves with blue trim, a loaded Smith & Wesson magazine, and a silver and black Smith & Wesson handgun stained with red dye.  The handgun had the same serial number as the empty Smith & Wesson box located in Clark’s bedroom at the North Charleston residence. 

The Honorable Richard M. Gergel, who sentenced Clark, previously sentenced Clark’s three codefendants, Cortlyn DaQuan Brown, 23; Kamal De’Andrea Backman, 21; and Kalee Lynn-Bishop, 25, all of Mt. Pleasant, for their roles in the grocery store and bank robberies.  Cortlyn Brown received a 10-year federal prison sentence on November 6, 2018.  Kamal Backman received a 108-month sentence on January 25, 2019.  Kalee Lynn-Bishop received a 44-month sentence on November 6, 2018.

The convictions are the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mt. Pleasant Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Limehouse of the Charleston office and JD Rowell of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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Florence, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that James Latron Sumter, a/k/a “T”, age 35, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has pled guilty in federal court to conspiring to distribute a quantity of cocaine and heroin, the use of which resulted in serious bodily injury or death.  This charge potentially carries a mandatory sentence of 20 years to life in federal prison. 

Assistant United States Attorney Everett McMillian presented evidence that reflects Sumter was contacted on December 29, 2017, by co-conspirator Charles Rayford Hunt, Jr., who was seeking to purchase what is commonly called a “speedball”—a potent combination of cocaine and heroin—for $100 for a female acquaintance of Hunt’s.  Hunt met the female while working as an Uber driver and had a short-lived romantic relationship with her for two days prior to this incident.  As reflected in text messages between Hunt and Sumter and statements from witnesses, Hunt drove the female victim to an apartment where Sumter provided the drugs sometime after 9:00 pm.  The victim later used the drugs and immediately thereafter showed signs of an overdose. 

Upon seeing her reaction, Hunt contacted Sumter and returned to pick him up.  Not wanting to take the overdosing victim home to her father with whom she lived, Hunt and Sumter drove around and eventually stopped at Magoo’s Sports & Spirits to play pool sometime after midnight—leaving the overdosing victim passed out in the back seat of the car.   After playing pool, Hunt took Sumter back to the apartment complex and drove around the Myrtle Beach area with the victim still passed out in the back seat of his car.  Eventually, Hunt realized the victim had quit breathing at which time he “panicked” and dumped her body in a wooded area just across the North Carolina border during the early morning hours of December 30.  Hunt then drove back to Myrtle Beach, throwing the victim’s cell phone into the intercostal waterway on the way back.  He took the victim’s purse and belongings to another conspirator, Jose Anthony Ortiz, Jr., who destroyed many of the victim’s personal items in a burn pit at Hunt’s request. 

On December 31, Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration learned of the incident.  Working together, the FBI and DEA quickly collaborated with detectives from the Horry County Police Department and Columbus County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina to unravel the scheme.  Hunt was located, promptly confessed his role in the event, and led officials to the victim’s body.  An autopsy and toxicology report later confirmed the victim died as a result of a heroin and cocaine overdose.  Further investigation uncovered that Sumter had conspired with several other individuals in the Myrtle Beach area during 2017 to distribute cocaine and heroin on other occasions. 

Hunt and Ortiz were prosecuted for their roles in covering up the overdose.  Both men pled guilty and were sentenced to 21 and 27 months in federal prison, respectively. 

This case is part of a concentrated effort to disrupt and dismantle the flow of illegal opioids and other narcotics in the Myrtle Beach area.  By joining with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, the United States Attorney’s Office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who deal in illegal narcotics, especially those individuals who distribute opioids that cause serious bodily injury or death to others.

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Florence, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that John Henry Johnson, age 68, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was convicted by a federal jury after three days of trial during the lapse in government appropriations.  The jury found Johnson guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and two counts of the attempted distribution of heroin in January and February of 2017.  Johnson faces up to 30 years in federal prison as a result of these convictions. 

The evidence presented at trial revealed that the DEA and the FBI, working in conjunction with state and local law enforcement, began investigating a drug trafficking organization whose members operated in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Florence, South Carolina, and in southern North Carolina.  Some members of this organization were members of a national criminal gang that sells drugs and firearms, and commits violence to generate illegal revenue.  These gang members worked with other non-gang members of the drug trafficking organization, including Johnson, to enhance profits they made from the sale of heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana.

Targeting drug distribution activity and related violent crime in the Myrtle Beach area, federal and state law enforcement agencies engaged in an investigation lasting over two years and used wire and electronic intercepts and other investigative techniques to identify members of this organization, including Johnson.

The evidence showed that Johnson was a mid-level heroin distributor who purchased heroin and fentanyl from the organization’s main source of supply for drugs.  During his participation in the organization, Johnson sold thousands of dollars’ worth of heroin and fentanyl to his customers, sometimes meeting his supplier in the parking lot of drug rehabilitation facilities to buy heroin and fentanyl to sell to his customers. 

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the DEA, the Horry County Sheriff’s Office, the Horry County Police Department, the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the North Myrtle Beach Police Department, and the Georgetown Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Holloway from the Florence office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Moorman from the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

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Charleston, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Horace Edmond Wright, age 52, of Charleston, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Charleston after pleading guilty to distribution of heroin. United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks of Charleston sentenced Wright to eight years in federal prison, to be followed by 15 years of court-ordered supervision.  Evidence presented to the court established that Wright had distributed heroin on two occasions in 2017.  He has prior convictions for Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana in 1994, Distribution of Crack in 1998, and Possession with Intent to Distribute of Heroin in 2008.

The case was investigated by agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Charleston City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen of the Charleston office prosecuted the case.

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Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Harold Dewayne Ennis, Jr., 48, of Allendale, South Carolina, pled guilty in federal court to theft of federal funds.

The Information to which Ennis pled guilty states that Ennis has held the position of Allendale Town Administrator since around the year 2000. In his role as Town Administrator, Dewayne Ennis had authority to manage and use Town funds. In 2015, he began siphoning funds from the Town of Allendale for personal and unofficial uses, including vehicle purchases, automobile repairs, home repairs, and receiving payment from the Town of Allendale for hours worked elsewhere.

Ennis faces of maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. Senior United States District Judge Cameron Currie will sentence him after receiving and reviewing a presentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

The charges against Ennis were the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant United States Attorney Alyssa Leigh Richardson of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

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Florence, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that 10 of 12 defendants who were indicted for their roles in a Myrtle Beach-area retail drug distribution organization have pled guilty to federal firearms and narcotics charges.   

The evidence presented by Assistant United States Attorney Everett McMillian reflects that each of these defendants were participants in a Myrtle Beach-based drug distribution network known by the name “24/7 Boyz.”  The organization operated as a dispatch service, wherein drug customers placed telephone calls to a dispatch number and a dispatcher then directed the customer to a specific location in the Myrtle Beach area to purchase user quantities of crack cocaine and/or heroin.  A delivery driver would then meet the customer at the location, where the drug sale was completed.  As the name implies, this organization made illegal drugs available to customers at any time and on any day of the week.  The organization operated for years in the Myrtle Beach area, beginning in or around June 2003 and continuing in various forms until the federal indictment was handed down in July 2018. 

During the height of the investigation, officials used confidential sources to conduct more than 30 controlled purchases of illegal narcotics from the organization using the dispatch service described above.  The covert purchase operations resulted in the recovery of various quantities of illegal controlled substances from multiple locations and, toward the latter end of the investigation, fentanyl that was packaged and sold as heroin.  Several search warrants and traffic stops were also conducted on members of the organization, which resulted in the combined seizure of kilogram quantities of heroin and cocaine and significant quantities of other illegal drugs.  Additionally, nine firearms were seized from the group along with tens of thousands of dollars in suspected drug proceeds. 

The investigation involved significant coordination between a number of local, state, and federal agencies, primarily including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Horry County Police Department, Myrtle Beach Police Department, and South Carolina 15th Judicial Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit.  The investigation was also supported by counter-drug intelligence analysts assigned to the South Carolina and Alabama National Guards.

The following defendants have pled guilty in federal court: Michael Alfonso Hatten; Joseph Luis White; Byron Allen Gidney; Ivan Kedric Chatman; Devinee Kathryn Boyle; Dominique Leconte House, Jr.; Domain Wilbert Johnson; Santhony Marzine Thigpen; Eleanor Jane Carter; and Kristin Joan Milby.  U.S. Attorney Lydon stated that Hatten was the leader of the organization, and he was assisted by mid-level participants White, Gidney, and Chatman.  For their roles in the conspiracy, each of these four lead defendants faces a possible sentence ranging from 10 years to life in federal custody.  House, Johnson, Boyle, Thigpen, Carter, and Milby played lesser roles, such as delivering drugs to retail customers and renting vehicles and storage locations for the organization.  They potentially face up to 20 or 30 years in prison, depending on their prior criminal histories. 

United States District Court Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing presentence reports prepared by the United States Probation Office.

This case was selected for federal prosecution in coordination with the 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office, which had pending state charges on many of the participants, as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everett McMillian of the Florence office and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Caraker of the 15th Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office.   

 

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Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Alfred Wayne Cash, Jr., age 57, of Piedmont, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. United States District Court Judge Bruce H. Hendricks of Greenville accepted Cash’s guilty plea and imposed a sentence of 97 months in federal prison, followed by court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Evidence presented to the court established that on November 20, 2015, a shooting occurred at Cash’s residence and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation. A search of the residence revealed multiple firearms and ammunition.

Federal law prohibits Cash from possessing firearms and ammunition due to prior convictions for various offenses to include housebreaking and a prior felon in possession of a firearm conviction.

The case was investigated by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Randy Quinn, age 31, of Westminster, was sentenced in federal court in Greenville for possession of child pornography. United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia sentenced Quinn to 68 months in federal prison, followed by lifetime court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. 

Evidence presented to the court established that law enforcement conducted a proactive investigation involving a file-sharing network used by individuals with an interest in child pornography. An undercover officer downloaded child pornography that Quinn was sharing.

Based on the downloads, search warrants were obtained and executed at Quinn’s house. During the search, a Samsung tablet was discovered and a manual search of it by investigators revealed large quantities of videos and still images of child pornography. Additional images were discovered on Quinn’s cell phone. In total, over 10,000 images of child pornography were recovered from Quinn’s devices. 

The case was investigated by agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Bill Watkins of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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