We decided to figure out who they were and catch them at home. With this new approach, the task force leveled the playing field. 'F****** AMATEUR HOUR': Furious Democrats lash out at Biden for announcement on radical DC crime law, Gun-toting road-rage motorist shot dead after armed man warns him to stop approaching him and his wife; cops say it looks like self-defense, Railroad union: Workers getting sick at site of Norfolk Southern's catastrophic hazmat spill in East Palestine, Teen bragged in rap song about killing another rapper, sheriff says, but cried 'like a baby that lost his pacifier' when charged with murder, Florida man allegedly told roommate, 'Im going to go over there and kill them all' before murdering his daughter and 3 others, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Forsbergs death in a Facebook post several days later. In the 1970s, kingpins and Columbia natives Les Riley and Barry Foy smuggled an astounding amount of marijuana and hashish into South Carolina, equating $1.8 billion in todays dollars. YORK COUNTY, S.C. (WBTV) - The York County sheriff provided more information Monday on a huge drug bust. This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://bluelivesmatter.blue and its author. We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. Large drug bust in Hampton County (for those of you who believe drugs played a role in the murders). Or an issue youd like to address proactively? Reflecting back, Governor McMaster says, It was virtually impossible to catch them in the act. That is apparently the maximum for the possession with intent to distribute fentanyl drug charges. According to authorities, six of the . Les and Barry considered marijuana a nearly legal product. Im thinking serious cartel and/ or gang bosses who are higher up. So they are applauding the work, knowing much more work needs done. Published: Oct. 24, 2022 at 3:06 AM PDT | Updated: Oct. 24, 2022 at 6:55 AM PDT YORK COUNTY, S.C. (WBTV) - The York County sheriff provided more information Monday on a huge drug bust. . The longest sentence went to Lee Harvey, who received 40 years for drug smuggling, possession of machine guns and silencers, intimidation of a grand jury witness, and racketeering, among other charges. According to the release, the investigation in total from both locations seized large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine including some mixed with fentanyl, marijuana, xanax, multiple firearms, and $63,000. Both suspects were released from the Florence County Detention Center on April 2, 2022, on a $50,000 surety bond each. Also Hampton county had 388 overdoses and 15 deaths in one year that seems really high for a county of 19,000 people. Yet our response to the opioid and fentanyl crisis is underwhelming, Tolson said. Simpson Says Hes Not Qualified To Say If Alex Murdaugh Did It. Typical agency turf wars were not allowed; anyone who refused to play nice was excused from the team. Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor Walt Wilkins said in thestatement, This was a very large scale organized drug operation that allegedly was trafficking kilograms of drugs every week into Greenville County,, The hard work and dedication of the Greenville Drug Enforcement Unit, SLED, and the South Carolina State Grand Jury has significantly decreased the availability of drugs in the Greenville Community and arrested some of its worst drug dealers., Aristocrat Constance Marten and Sex-Offender Mark Gordon's Missing Baby Found Dead in Countryside, Cops Say, GOP Legislator Introduces Bill That Would Eliminate Florida's Democratic Party, Florida Student, 17, Who Attacked Teacher to Be Tried as Adult, Woman Convicted in Connection to Lady Gaga Dognapping Sues Singer for $500,000 Reward Money, 5 Ballet Dancers Seriously Injured in California Hit-and-Run Car Crash Strive to Heal to Return to the Stage, 17-Year-Old Michigan Boy Slain by 13-Year-Old and 14-Year-Old Who He Offered Ride Home on Cold Night: Police. Large drug bust in Hampton County (for those of you who believe drugs played a role in the murders). 'This has been the most aggressive, high-tech, team-oriented operation in the history of South Carolina,' Daniel said. So far, law enforcement has only publicly said that a large amount of marijuana was discovered at a residence on Canal Street drive in Columbia, S.C. along with cash and a firearm. The case is referred to as "Prison Empire," one of the state's largest narcotics conspiracy investigations ever indicted. 'We smashed an international drug smuggling operation,' said Frederick B. Verinder, the FBI agent in charge of the investigation. A fundraising campaign established to help Sgt. All rights reserved. Investigators believe the alleged drug traffickers were responsible for moving more than 1,000 kilograms (more than one ton) of methamphetamine, 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of cocaine, and 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of heroin in the state. Some even volunteered to come along, enticed by the idea of cruising the Caribbean and returning on mattresses of marijuana bales. Defendant Marcy Dawn Vickers allegedly fled in 2022. At this point, it is not immediately clear how either Jonathan or Geoffrey Sears would be connected to such an investigation but hopefully our FOIA request will yield additional information as to the nature (and the status) of this inquiry. RAPID CITY, S.D. In a case reaching both sides of the Rio Grande, 43 Upstate drug trafficking defendants now face a total of 170 charges after being indicted by the South Carolina statewide grand jury. COLUMBIA, S.C. State prosecutors have charged 100 people in what they said Monday was the largest number of defendants ever indicted in one drug operation in South Carolina courts. Conventional thinking was that major smuggling originated in big cities like New York, Atlanta, or Chicago; however, David Forbes with the IRS and Claude McDonald with Customs received enough tips and rumors over the years to believe the culprits were closer to home. 'In layman's terms, this is enough cocaine for every man, woman, and child in South Carolina to get high at least one time,' he said. Forty-three co-conspirators are charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years. Forsbergs family in the wake of their loss has raised more than $34,000 so far. Hero Down: Broward Sheriffs Office Sergeant Kevin Forsberg Dies Unexpectedly. Tolson said the amount of fentanyl recovered in the bust was enough to kill every person in York County. This would totally explain why LE is keeping such a tight, tight lid on everything. Still, they had the added challenge of crossing oceans and, in the case of Lebanon, interrupting a civil war that had been raging for five years. A wall in the back of the room filled with pictures of young people in the same situation. The man, now-identified as Detric McGowan, was arrested Tuesday morning in a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) drug bust, reports CBS South Carolina affiliate WSPA-TV. Both brothers have been incarcerated at SCDC since 2015 and have allegedly continued trafficking methamphetamine from prison using contraband cell phones. South Carolina partnered with Georgia and federal authorities to make the drug bust. In college at the University of South Carolina, Les was known to take his dates to the roof of. Reflecting back, Governor McMaster says, It was virtually impossible to catch them in the act. Specifically, date rape druggings which are alleged to have occurred at Sears establishments. Curiously, though, police did not immediately say what type of drug Jonathan Sears allegedly possessed/ intended to distribute. McGowan is accused. For those who want the full story of this local legend. Just after the first trial, a man did just that. SLED agents began arresting suspects in the case on January 3, 2023 assisted by local law enforcement agencies. Eight people suspected of importing the drug from Colombia and distributing it throughout the East Coast were arrested as they arrived at a Sea Pines Plantation Home to pick up the cocaine. Assistant United States Attorneys Cam Currie, Bob Jendron, Cam Littlejohn, and Bart Daniel assisted in the effort both by helping with asset identification and seizure and with prying criminals out of the countries where they were hiding. "A well-known, very violent cartel thats operated for many years in Mexico.. The task force, in concert with the U.S. Attorneys Office, worked to bring the Gentlemen Smugglers and their associates to justice. As native South Carolinians, they did not take long to settle on the lush Carolina coast, with its virtually endless waterways and, in the 1970s, undeveloped seclusion. Other choices included an abandoned oyster shelling company on Hilton Head and West Bank Plantation on Edisto Island, owned by Ella Seabrook, grandmother of Barry and Les friend, Skip Sanders. The investigation and prosecution is known as Operation Jackpot, which was chronicled in a book called Jackpot: High Times, High Seas, and the Sting That Launched the War on Drugs by Jason Ryan. His loved ones and his BSO family will forever carry on his legacy.. He said, Hi Bart, my names Christy Campbell, and Im here to turn myself in, says Bart. Deputies say that the drug bust happened on Tuesday on Southers. He eagerly implemented it in South Carolina. Cape Fear Bust: 20 arrests, 50 weapons, 10,000 grams of narcotics. They were arraigned late Wednesday in Charleston before U.S. District Judge Sol Blatt Jr. While law enforcement had tried to catch the smugglers in the past and, in a few instances, succeeded, they were hampered in the 1970s by unsophisticated or nonexistent equipment, insufficient support, and the miles and miles of South Carolina shoreline. The five Colombians in custody are Jorge Samuel Cruz, Luis F. Taboada-Garcia, Felipe Janer and Juan Carlos Perez. , Four more suspects in operation pentagon https://www.augustachronicle.com/story/news/local/hampton-county-guardian/2021/07/27/two-more-suspects-custody-operation-pentagon-arrest-tally-now-20/5385106001/. He counted playwright Tennessee Williams as a client and musician Jimmy Buffett as a friend. I believe the drug smuggling is discussed in Podcast Episodes 31 and 32. Dubbed "Operation Pentagon," the investigation targeted the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and crack cocaine that has "plagued" the county, Smalls said. And what about all the rumors you preach as gospel. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu. The cartel we believe is primarily involved in this is La Familia," Homeland Security Deputy Special Agent Mike Prado said. "When you look at the I-85 corridor from Charlotte to Atlanta, obviously its an artery for this type of illicit activity.. Operation Jackpot was also one of the first federal task forces to combine investigators from a variety of federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Customs, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Customs Patrol. 2022 Blaze Media LLC. according to the press release from the South Carolina attorney general. A major drug bust in upstate South Carolina resulted in 124 charges against 34 defendants allegedly involved with a Mexican cartel trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine in the southeast. He has friends that have died. ", Woman wins $100,000 lottery prize 11 hours after $11,000 casino jackpot. With that, Barrys career as a drug smuggler launched, and he enjoyed legendary status among Columbias marijuana enthusiasts. Carolina Panthers founder, former owner Jerry Richardson dies at . One of the defendants, a paralegal, is accused of sending drugs and phones into prison through hollowed out court transcripts, ABC News 4 reports. The defendants, mostly from South Carolina, were traced to alleged narcotics operations through a 'paper trail' of bank drafts, passports and other documents. In this article we take a look at the 18 biggest drug busts in US history. All rights reserved. But where are the principals in this drama now? It might surprise people that cartel drug trafficking happens in South Carolina, but it does and were fighting to stop it, Wilson said. During the search, agents found suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana, buprenorphine, and alprazolam along with digital scales and smoking pipes in the home and in Glover's purse in a car on the property. North Carolina. Theyre dealing death, Tolson said. According to a news. Will Folksis the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Folks, if this was a bag full of terrorists, if this was anthrax, our response would be overwhelming. Sergeant Forsberg was a great father, family man, great person, great friend to those who knew him, and a great law enforcement officer, the tribute read. U.S Attorney E. Bart Daniel said the half-ton of uncut cocaine valued at $10 million was the largest confiscation of drugs in South Carolina history. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. The Florida Police Benevolent Association (FPBA) also released a statement in the wake of the longtime sergeants death. South Carolina prosecutors have announced its biggest drug bust in state history, with 100 defendants facing nearly 500 charges. Organized by U.S. Attorney Henry McMaster, Operation Jackpot was one of the first federal drug task forces to use newly enacted federal civil forfeiture laws to combat drug smugglers by seizing the gentlemen smugglers' assets, including homes, cars, money and boats. While law enforcement had tried to catch the smugglers in the past and, in a few instances, succeeded, they were hampered in the 1970s by unsophisticated or nonexistent equipment, insufficient support, and the miles and miles of South Carolina shoreline. COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)- Officials with the FBI Columbia field office and Columbia Violent Gang Task Force say nine individuals face drug trafficking charges. The investigation and prosecution is known as Operation Jackpot, which was chronicled in a book called, Les Riley grew up just a few miles from downtown Columbia. South Carolina prosecutors have announced its biggest drug bust in state history, with 100 defendants facing nearly 500 charges. Illegal drugs,. An eight-month investigation at a South Carolina prison has resulted in the confiscation of more than 100 pounds of contraband and 20 arrests, the state's department of corrections announced . More than 40 people have been charged in the Upstate of South Carolina as part of a drug-trafficking case known as "Las Seoritas," according to Attorney General Alan Wilson. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. One of the hottest rumors in Hampton county, South Carolina at the moment is that a massive drug bust orchestrated last month by sheriff Thomas "T.C." Smalls is somehow tied to a brutal double homicide that took place in early June at a hunting compound owned by one of the Palmetto State's most prominent families. The next big adventure came through importing hashish from faraway locales like Lebanon and Singapore. They dont want you to see this Big Tech does its best to limit what news you see. Her son, Adam, fell victim to the drug. York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson gathered with some S.C. lawmakers Monday, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, to talk about the lack of laws to combat fentanyl in the state. Wild as it seems, the story is true. with 100 defendants facing nearly 500 charges, sending drugs and phones into prison through hollowed out court transcripts, Do not sell or share my personal information. |, All of these experiences relate to the astounding volume of marijuana and hashish smuggled into South Carolina by the so-called Gentlemen Smugglers with a street value, in todays dollars, of $1.8 billion.

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