‘Devastation and death’ avoided after discovery made in car, SC prosecutor says
A South Carolina man is going to prison following a search of his property where drugs and a gun were discovered, according to the 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
On May 29, 35-year-old Greenwood resident Demario D. Crawford pleaded guilty to trafficking fentanyl, the solicitor’s office said in a news release. The guilty plea happened before Crawford was scheduled to stand trial in Greenwood County General Sessions Court beginning June 15, according to the release.
Circuit Judge William McMaster sentenced Crawford to 18 years in a South Carolina Department of Corrections prison, the solicitor’s office said. Because of the violent nature of the charge, Crawford will have to serve at least 85 percent of the sentence, according to the release.
The charge stemmed from a 2024 search of Crawford’s Greenwood home, the solicitor’s office said.
On June 28, 2024, members of the DEA and the Greenwood Police Department searched the home at 109 Montgomery Ave., according to the release. The search included Crawford’s vehicle, where 931 fentanyl pills and a pistol were discovered in the trunk, the solicitor’s office said.
Deputy Solicitor Yates Brown, Senior Assistant Solicitor Andrew Hodges and Assistant Solicitor Abigail Lodge led the prosecution for the solicitor’s office. Information about Crawford’s attorney was not available.
“Fentanyl continues to destroy lives and devastate families throughout our community,” Solicitor David Stumbo said in the release. “The amount of fentanyl recovered in this case had the potential to cause devastation and death in Greenwood County. I commend the DEA and Greenwood Police Department for their outstanding investigative work and unwavering commitment to removing these deadly drugs from our streets.”
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