South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced Wednesday that a statewide grand jury has indicted eight individuals tied to an alleged fentanyl manufacturing operation centered in Greenwood and Abbeville counties. The indictment is the latest result of the “Pressed for Time” investigation, a multi‑jurisdictional effort that has involved law‑enforcement agencies across Aiken, McCormick, Anderson, Greenville and Richland counties.
Scope of the alleged operation
According to the attorney general’s office, the defendants used illegal pill presses to produce blue tablets laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that can be lethal in doses as low as two milligrams. Investigators say the network also trafficked substantial quantities of methamphetamine.
Law‑enforcement seizures to date include approximately 4,119.14 grams of fentanyl and 3,781.62 grams of methamphetamine. The seized fentanyl alone represents enough of the drug to cause thousands of fatal overdoses if distributed.
Indicted individuals and charges
The eight defendants face a range of charges, including conspiracy to traffic 28 grams or more of fentanyl, conspiracy to traffic 400 grams or more of methamphetamine, multiple counts of distribution, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and, in one case, unlawful conduct toward a child. The individuals are:
- Daveon Antonio Butler – conspiracy to traffic fentanyl and methamphetamine, weapon possession.
- Omarion Lamar Williams – multiple fentanyl trafficking counts, weapon possession.
- Khalil Hikeem Abney – fentanyl conspiracy and distribution, resisting arrest.
- E’Zavius Malik Tydrea Fuller – fentanyl and methamphetamine conspiracy, weapon possession, unlawful conduct toward a child.
- Darrell Shornrecon Phillips – fentanyl and methamphetamine conspiracy, weapon possession, failure to stop for blue lights.
- Jerell Donta Williams – fentanyl and methamphetamine conspiracy, weapon possession, failure to stop for blue lights.
- Kentayvis Markeese Goode – fentanyl and methamphetamine conspiracy.
- Zeterius Rayshun Jones – fentanyl and methamphetamine conspiracy, failure to stop for blue lights.
Law‑enforcement partnership
Attorney General Wilson praised the “multi‑jurisdictional partnership” that enabled the grand jury to target the organization on an “organizational scale.” Eighth Circuit Solicitor David Stumbo, the Republican nominee for attorney general, echoed the sentiment, noting years of effort to dismantle fentanyl pill‑press operations in his circuit.
“We have been working diligently for several years now in the eighth circuit to attack and eliminate the scourge of deadly fentanyl pill presses,” Stumbo said. “This is yet another example of seamless partnership of law‑enforcement agencies working across jurisdictional lines, utilizing the statewide grand jury, to remove dangerous narcotics from our streets in South Carolina.”
Next steps
The cases will be prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Savanna Goude and Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Creighton Waters. As with all criminal matters, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The investigation underscores the ongoing threat that illicit synthetic opioids and methamphetamine pose to South Carolina communities and highlights the state’s commitment to protecting families from these deadly substances.
Original reporting: FITSNews — read the source article.
