Midlands men face severe punishment after guilty pleas to multiple gun, drug charges
Two Midlands men pleaded guilty to various gun and drug charges.
Sumter men Brandon Leroid Cummings, 27, and Brandon Christopher Craft, 30, pleaded guilty in federal court, according to U.S. Attorney Beth Drake.
Cummings pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin and crack cocaine, and conspiracy to use/carry/possess a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, according to Drake’s office. Cummings faces an enhanced penalty on the drug charge because of prior state convictions for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of crack cocaine (2 counts), and possession schedule I/schedule II controlled substance 2nd offense.
Craft pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and conspiracy to use/carry/possess a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, Drake’s office reported. Craft is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm based upon his prior state convictions for burglary 2nd degree (3 counts), possession of crack cocaine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, assault and battery 2nd degree, and forgery.
Cummings and Craft each face a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years on the conspiracy to use/carry/possess a firearm during a drug trafficking crime charge, according to Drake’s office.
Cummings also faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a fine of $2,000,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 6 years on the drug charge, Drake’s office said.
Additionally, Craft faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and not more than 3 years of supervised release on the felon in possession charge, according to Drake’s office.
Evidence presented in court during the guilty plea established that May 17, 2017, Cummings distributed crack cocaine and four baggies of heroin to a confidential informant and undercover officer in exchange for $400. On May 25, Cummings made arrangements to sell a firearm and heroin to the confidential informant in exchange for $800.
When Cummings arrived to meet the confidential informant and the undercover officer, he was accompanied by Craft.
Cummings provided the confidential informant what he said was heroin. Craft produced a Taurus .38 caliber revolver from a bag hidden in his waistband and gave it to the confidential informant.
The investigation revealed that the firearm had been reported as stolen. Additionally, the heroin sold by Cummings on this occasion, while packaged like the previously sold heroin, was found to be cocaine during a laboratory analysis.