SPARTANBURG COUNTY, SC (WSPA) - Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright announced Thursday charges for 53 suspects during their Operation Repeat Offender drug operation. Daniel said the cocaine could have been sold for about $100 million if processed into crack. 'This has been the most aggressive, high-tech, team-oriented operation in the history of South Carolina,' Daniel said. Given their standards and their college educations, the two men were nicknamed the Gentlemen Smugglers.. But where are the principals in this drama now? SEE IT: Bidens message to Zelenskyy written in Ukraine Royal Palace guest book, Twitter 2023 USSA News, The Tea Party's Front Page. And what about all the rumors you preach as gospel. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. We decided to figure out who they were and catch them at home. With this new approach, the task force leveled the playing field. He spent his free time between classes his senior year burning up the road between Columbia and Key West, Florida, where he worked as a doorman. All rights reserved. South Carolina partnered with Georgia and federal authorities to make the drug bust. The first of three trials began in Charleston before U.S. District Court Judge Falcon B. Hawkins, Jr., even while asset seizures, indictments, and arrest efforts continued with the other smugglers. Attorney general Alan Wilson announced the indictments on Thursday. He was an assistant United States attorney at the time. He was joined at a news conference in Columbia by S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) chief Mark Keel and other authorities. Taylor Lynnette Glover (Lancaster County Sheriff's Office) All theories are just as valid for the time being. Pastor shoved out door, knocked flat on his back after protesting library's drag queen event for children. Bob Jendron retired after a long career as a federal prosecutor, while his former coworker, Bart Daniel, served as U.S. attorney from 1989-1992 and is now a partner in a Charleston law firm. Dubbed "Operation Pentagon," the investigation targeted the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and crack cocaine that has "plagued" the county, Smalls said. Also important were the right boats: some were made for blue water (long term, open sea) sailing; some were not. Now it's closing after donors sent school a big message. Thanks to a corrupt jailer, Bob later escaped from a Charleston County jail and disappeared. HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- A yacht loaded with 1,100 pounds of cocaine was seized by federal agents on luxurious Hilton Head Island in a raid that federal officials said Thursday smashed an international drug smuggling ring. According to my law enforcement sources, this ongoing investigation has less to do with marijuana a drug which most people in the Palmetto State (including me) believe should be legalized and more to do with a rash of recent date rape druggings that allegedly occurred in the Five Points region of Columbia. We have an open microphone policy here at FITSNews! Mandy does an amazing job with her investigative journalism. The Coast Guard monitored the vessel's trip from Colombia to the dock at the rented home in the exclusive Sea Pines Plantation development, but authorities waited for six days until the distributors, known as 'Mr. Thousands of grams of cocaine, and hundreds of grams of meth and marijuana were also found, along with four firearms. State Attorney General Alan Wilson announced grand jury indictments Wednesday against the owners of the Los Primos restaurant in Greenville, S.C. The investigation, asset seizures, defendant arrests, and trials were full of extraordinary tales and consumed the lives of task force members for four years. He was really fun to be with. March 3 (UPI) -- A New Brunswick couple who initially thought a burglar had broken into their home discovered the invader was actually a panicked deer. 2023 Blaze Media LLC. An eight-month investigation at a South Carolina prison has resulted in the confiscation of more than 100 pounds of contraband and 20 arrests, the state's department of corrections announced . document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); South Carolina Grand Jury Indicts 43 In Las Senoritas Drug Ring, Senate Panel Advances Certificate Of Need Repeal, Murdaugh Murders Media Coverage: Access Issues Debated, Child Sexual Assault Allegations Rock Midlands South Carolina Murder Case, Greg Leon Murder Case: Perjury Charge Filed, SLED Agent Incapacitated On Witness Stand After Reported Drug Exposure, LIVE FEED Murdaugh Murders Trial: Alex Murdaugh Sentencing Hearing, Murdaugh Murders Trial: Alex Murdaugh Guilty On All Counts, O.J. The man, now-identified as Detric McGowan, was arrested Tuesday morning in a U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) drug bust, reports CBS South Carolina affiliate WSPA-TV. National Park Service: 'Never push a slower friend down' in a bear encounter, March 2 (UPI) -- The National Park Service offered some sage advice for park visitors who encounter bears: "Never push a slower friend down. We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. In college at the University of South Carolina, Les was known to take his dates to the roof of Cornell Arms to smoke marijuana and enjoy the sunset. The investigation and prosecution is known as Operation Jackpot, which was chronicled in a book called, Les Riley grew up just a few miles from downtown Columbia. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - Lexington County deputies have arrested a 26-year-old man after investigators found more than 90 pounds of marijuana in his home. David and Chuck fed questions to her for the kingpin and used the information to set a trap. We are forever indebted to his brave service and pray that he will Rest In Peace. Barry Foy and Les were making so much money it was hard to figure out what to do with it all. One of the hottest rumors in Hampton county, South Carolina at the moment is that a massive drug bust orchestrated last month by sheriff Thomas "T.C." Smalls is somehow tied to a brutal double homicide that took place in early June at a hunting compound owned by one of the Palmetto State's most prominent families. Unbeknownst to his grandmother, Skip charged the smugglers a fee to offload their product there. On the other side are the avengers the scores of investigators and prosecutors that read like a whos who of South Carolina legal minds. We are forever indebted to his brave service and pray that he will Rest In Peace.. Just like him being a CI . One of the defendants, a paralegal, is accused of sending drugs and phones into prison through hollowed out court transcripts, ABC News 4 reports. Federal drug unit targets South Surrey home in bust spanning Lower Mainland. The McCoys were served with notice of the states intention to seek life without the possibility of parole at their bond hearings last week. Military Digest Charleston man saved. March 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman earned a Guinness World Record when she completed 23 ultra-marathon runs -- 31.1 miles -- in a 23-day period. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Does anybody else think its just an amazing coincidence that LE rounded up all these local Hampton/ Colleton county drug knuckleheads about a month after the Murdaugh murders? Methinks a killer(s) may be among those photos?! When that happened, the task force only had to call on Henry, who bulldozed through any problem using the considerable political power at his disposal. Many of the drugs were allegedly trafficked out of the restaurant, and also out of taco trucks owned by the restaurant, officials said. All of these experiences relate to the astounding volume of marijuana and hashish smuggled into South Carolina by the so-called Gentlemen Smugglers with a street value, in todays dollars, of $1.8 billion. He spent his free time his senior year burning up the road between Columbia and Key West, where he worked as a doorman and eventually met his partner in crime, Barry Foy, in 1973. The Seoritas allegedly coordinated with inmates at the S.C. Department of Corrections (SCDC) via contraband cell phones to deliver drugs primarily methamphetamine to co-conspirators in the South Carolina Upstate. Soldiers would sometimes even help load drugs onto the boats and then, once they were clear of land, fighting resumed. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Get the news that matters most delivered directly to your inbox. Published: May. They stored it in monetary safe havens around the world but also spent it on homes, cars, and nice vacations. The task force, in concert with the U.S. Attorneys Office, worked to bring the Gentlemen Smugglers and their associates to justice. I think Paul being a CI is a bit far fetched because there was only casual mention of him smoking weed a handful of times and ONE mention of doing cocaine months prior to the boating accident. Unfortunately, Columbia police did not immediately respond to these inquiries and news of the arrests broke Sunday afternoon in The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier. According to a news. Forsberg oversaw a unit of dedicated men and women, who all collectively work tirelessly to protect the community from some of societys most dangerous individuals, his obituary read. J. What if someone not affiliated with drugs at all wanted Paul taken out and hired somebody local on the fringes of society? Heres the link to the podcast on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MurdaughMurders?si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE, IMO This seems way more relevant knowing what we know now! We use cookies to better understand website visitors, for advertising, and to offer you a better experience. These are just the highlights of this incredible, true tale. We invite thought provoking exchanges while sharing facts from reliable sources and discussing distinguished theories and speculation while showing the utmost consideration and respect for the victims and being mindful of due process. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu. Theres no way theyd have the gumption to kill Maggie and Paul. Politics. Les Riley lives on Seabrook Island. Overdue book returned to Massachusetts library after 56 years. Attorney General Wilson said that drugs in the southeast are typically trafficked across the southern border and sent to Atlanta, where they are then distributed to neighboring states. They would of been BUSTED. Cartels dont play games. The upstate has become a hub," Wilson said at a press conference. McClellanvilles creeks were popular, too. Firefighters hoist horse stranded in backyard swimming pool.