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Press Release

Lancaster County Man sentenced to more than 15 years for dealing cocaine

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina

Contact Person: William K. Witherspoon (803) 929-3000

Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that Mitchell Narada Kelly, a/k/a "Duncey", age 36, of Lancaster County, South Carolina was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, for possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of a quantity of cocaine, a violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C) and 851.  United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis of Columbia sentenced Kelly to 188 months (15 years and 8 months) in prison, followed by 6 years of supervised release and a special assessment of $100.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that members of the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit, FBI and ATF developed informants that agreed to make a controlled purchase of cocaine from Kelly.  The officers sent the individuals to Kelly’s residence where they purchased cocaine from Kelly on April 9, 2015, June 3, 2015 and June 24, 2015.  The cocaine purchased in each controlled buy weighed between one and three ounces. Based upon these controlled buys, the officers obtained a search warrant to search Kelly’s house where they found digital scales, a small amount of cocaine, various types of ammunition and a .40 caliber Ruger model SR40C pistol. During his guilty plea hearing, Kelly admitted to having five (5) prior felony drug convictions before these purchases.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Lancaster County Sheriff's Department.  Assistant United States Attorney William K. Witherspoon of the Columbia, South Carolina office prosecuted the case.

This case was a part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases.

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Updated April 15, 2016

Topic
Drug Trafficking