COLUMBIA, S.C. — Federal prosecutors have arrested 17 people as part of a meth drug trafficking ring operating in the Midlands.
U.S. Attorney Peter McCoy announced the arrests Tuesday morning, saying they had come following a two-year long investigation. The probe involved federal, state, and local law enforcement into a methamphetamine distribution ring in the Lexington area.
The case began in July 2017 into the sale of meth and firearms. According to the criminal complaint, the investigation identified several people as key methamphetamine suppliers for major distributors in the Lexington area.
McCoy said the investigation ultimately identified 36-year-old Matthew Ward as a leader of the drug trafficking organization, which would move drugs across state lines and which also participated in the unlicensed dealing of firearms. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers used controlled purchases, confidential informants, and other means to identify, arrest, and charge the other alleged members of the drug trafficking organization.
The investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately 35 kilograms of methamphetamine, 116 firearms, and various quantities of heroin and fentanyl.
“The people of South Carolina deserve safe places to call home,” said U.S. Attorney McCoy. “When we work deliberatively with our federal, state, and local partners, we are able to dismantle entire drug-dealing organizations and make communities safer. These charges speak to those efforts.”
“Collaborative public safety efforts such as this investigation have an immediate and long-lasting impact on our communities,” said Vincent Pallozzi, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge. “The work we do in partnership with our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies has made significant and ongoing progress in creating safer neighborhoods.”
“This operation shows how local and federal agencies can work together to make communities safer,” said Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon. “In operations like these, deputies and agents teamed up to get sources of drugs and weapons off the street. We’re thankful for the relationships we have with our counterparts at the federal level. When we have a united front against crime that really makes a difference in the lives of those we serve.”
