Five individuals, including one already incarcerated, are now facing the prospect of spending several decades in prison. Their charges stem from a conspiracy to distribute drugs throughout South Carolina and various other states.
The U.S. Department of Justice made an announcement on Thursday, stating that a federal grand jury had issued a four-count indictment against all five individuals.
Jawan White, a 37-year-old resident of Georgetown, was already serving a 25-year sentence on unrelated drug charges at the South Carolina Department of Corrections. His current incarceration has taken a new turn as he now faces the possibility of a life sentence.
The remaining defendants consist of Derrell Sherald, aged 38, Alexis Loscar, aged 30, Amon Rutledge, aged 34, and Christian Vargas, aged 21.
White and his co-defendants have been accused of conspiring to distribute substantial quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in South Carolina, even while incarcerated.
Rutledge could potentially receive a life sentence, while Sherald, Loscar, and Vargas may face a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Loscar and Rutledge are currently in custody at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center.
Sherald remains in custody at the Florence County Detention Center, while Christian Vargas was previously held by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General.