Nineteen Arrested in Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney William N. Nettles and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge David Thomas stated today that 19 men were arrested today in relation to their participation in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy. The arrests follow two sealed indictments handed down by a federal grand jury in August charging the defendants with conspiracy to traffic cocaine and crack.

Agents also executed eight search warrants on various locations in addition to making the aforementioned arrests. During one of the arrests, a subject fired upon FBI agents attempting to serve an arrest warrant; however the suspect was apprehended without law enforcement shots being fired.

Participating in the arrest operation were agents and officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Columbia Police Department, the South Carolina National Guard, and the United States Marshals Service.

Initial appearances for the defendants are scheduled to be held at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 before the Honorable Paige J. Gossett, United States Magistrate Judge for the District of South Carolina. These hearings will be held at the Matthew Perry Federal Courthouse, located at 901 Richland Street in Columbia.

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.