Federal Judge Hands Down Stiff Sentences In South Carolina Fentanyl Ring

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Five South Carolina men were sentenced to lengthy federal prison sentences for their roles in a massive, multi-state drug operation run out of Rock Hill.

According to a news release from the office of U.S. attorney Adair Ford Boroughs, here are the five Rock Hill residents who received sentences from U.S. district court judge Mary Geiger Lewis:

• Darryl Hemphill, 35, was sentenced to 16 years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release;
• Mikie Marcell Caldwell, 41, was sentenced to 17 years to be followed by 10 years of supervised release;
• Drece Larod McMullen, 41, was sentenced to 11 years to be followed by 10 years of supervised release;
• Odarrius Breonte Adams, 39, was sentenced to 14 years and 3 months to be followed by 6 years of supervised release; and
• Dontavius Devar Jordan, 35, was sentenced to 11 years to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.

That’s a lot of time, people. And as the release noted, “there is no parole in the federal system.”

According to the release, the five men obtained “large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana from a distributor in Southern California.” Hemphill and Adams “were leaders of the group” and helped facilitate the distribution network.

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“Based upon the investigation, law enforcement was able to determine that members of the group were flying to California and having the drugs shipped back to the Rock Hill and Charlotte area,” the release noted. “After the drugs were shipped back, the group distributed the drugs to local dealers. This group shipped more than 255 packages containing the drugs from California during a one-year period and distributed more than five kilograms of cocaine, 280 grams or more of crack cocaine, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, one kilogram or more of heroin, and more than 1,000 grams of marijuana.”

The fentanyl was used to manufacture more than a million counterfeit Roxicodone pills, which “were sold to users in Rock Hill, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, and Atlanta,” according to prosecutors.

A total of nineteen individuals were charged in connection with this operation. Sixteen – including the five names contained in the release – pleaded guilty. Three others were convicted at trial last August and are currently awaiting sentencing.

Assistant U.S. attorneys William K. Witherspoon and Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.

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