West Columbia man gets 25 years in prison in heroin case

A West Columbia man is set to spend a quarter century in jail following a drug conviction.

Jerome Smith, 57, of West Columbia, was convicted of trafficking heroin, distribution of heroin, and possession with intent to distribute heroin, the 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Office said in a Friday release. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison following a bench trial before Judge Walton McLeod IV.

Smith had been charged with selling heroin in the parking lot of a West Columbia Walmart in October 2019. After arresting him at the scene, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division officers searched Smith’s home and found a stash of heroin, along with $1,800 in cash and a set of digital scales.

The investigation was led by the SLED narcotics division. Smith has been taken into the custody of the South Carolina Department of Corrections.

This story was originally published July 24, 2021 at 9:20 AM.

Chris Trainor

The State

Chris Trainor is a retail reporter for The State and has been working for newspapers in South Carolina for more than 21 years, including previous stops at the (Greenwood) Index-Journal and the (Columbia) Free Times. He is the winner of a host of South Carolina Press Association awards, including honors in column writing, government beat reporting, profile writing, food writing, business beat reporting, election coverage, social media and more.