36 indicted on federal drug charges in Sumter
Local and state authorities on Wednesday arrested 20 people in Sumter named in a federal indictment charging conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine and crack cocaine in the Midlands, US Attorney Bill Nettles said in a news release.
“The arrests today mark the next step in the Columbia Violent Gang Task Force’s efforts to combat violent crime linked to drug trafficking in Sumter and the Columbia areas of South Carolina,” Nettles stated.
The year-long investigation involving federal, state and local law enforcement resulted in the seizure of nearly 20 pounds of powder cocaine, almost $900,000 dollars, and 8 firearms, Nettles said.
This group, prosecutors said, was responsible for distributing more than $6 million worth of cocaine (more than 30 pounds) in Sumter and Richland counties.
Sumter Police Chief Russell Roark told The Item newspaper that his department began to believe several shootings on the southside of Sumter in 2014 were related.
There were nine shootings in a 10-block area between January and May 2014, he told The Item.
It was at this point that he reached out to state and federal anti-gang units for help.
As of Wednesday, 14 people had pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and/or money laundering, Nettles said.
They include the following:
- Juan Pablo Contreras (aka Juan David Montoya)
- Eduardo Esaid Contreras-Reyes
- Marco Antonio Castro (aka Chino)
- Javier Toscano-Serrano
- Patar Oneal Montgomery (aka Patrick Montgomery, Dink and Dinky)
- Andre Lewayner Brooks
- Jimmy Tony McDowell (aka Jimmy Fingers)
- Jermaine Terrell Hilton (aka Fifty)
- Michael Antonio Floyd (aka Tony, Tone, Fat Tony)
- Rayshon Jamaal Foster (aka Shon, Terry Brown)
- Donald ANtwon Dingle (aka Red, Flash)
- Corey Emanuel White (aka Chopper, Choppa, El Chop)
- Harold Matthew McFadden
- Bryant Christopher Ford
A court hearing will be held at the federal court house in Columbia Thursday at 10 a.m.
This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 10:05 PM.