Jury Finds Three Rock Hill Men Guilty of Large Multi-State Drug Operation

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA —A federal jury in Columbia convicted Gabriel L’Ambiance Ingram, a/k/a “Big Shot”, a/k/a “Big Shot Rock”, a/k/a “Rock”, 33, Darrell Larod Crockett, a/k/a “Unc”, a/k/a “Croc”, 50, and Carl Michael Mann, II, a/k/a “Pike”, 39, all of Rock Hill for multiple drug and gun charges relating to a multi-state drug operation out of the Rock Hill and Charlotte, North Carolina area.

Evidence presented during the seven-day trial  showed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) began to investigate a group of defendants who were obtaining large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana from a distributor in Southern California.  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.   After the drugs were shipped back to South Carolina, the group distributed the drugs to local dealers.  This group shipped more than 255 packages containing the drugs from California during a one-year time 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 a 1000 grams of marijuana. 

Testimony at the trial showed that the group used the fentanyl to make more than 1 million counterfeit Roxicodone pills, which were sold to users in Rock Hill, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, and Atlanta, Ga. Nineteen  defendants were charged in this case.  Sixteen defendants pled guilty to their involvement. 

More than 250 exhibits were entered into evidence during the trial, and more than two dozen witnesses travelled from California, Charlotte, New York, Georgia, and South Carolina to testify.

The jury ultimately convicted all of the defendants on all charges.  Ingram was convicted of being involved in the conspiracy with the others.  He was also convicted of possession with the intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine and heroin, possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and three counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  Crockett was convicted of being a member of the conspiracy along with possession with the intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base.  Mann was also convicted of being a member of the conspiracy along with possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.  All of the defendants are facing a maximum of life imprisonment for their involvement. 

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis will sentence the defendants after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.   There is no parole in the federal system.   

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case was investigated by the FBI, York County DEU, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriff’s Office, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William K. Witherspoon, Elliott B. Daniels, Elle E. Klein, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar Fyall prosecuted the case.

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