Goose Creek Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Manufacturing Methamphetamine in Apartment Where Fire Killed Three Residents

Contact Person: Peter Phillips (843) 727-4381

Columbia, South Carolina -----United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today thatShonni Abernathy, age 41, of Berkeley County, South Carolina, was sentenced by the Honorable Richard M. Gergel to 30 years imprisonment for (1) conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine; and (2) manufacturing methamphetamine where children reside.  Abernathy had previously pled guilty on April 29, 2013.

The investigation began on May 31, 2012, after a suspicious fire occurred at the Pine Harbour Apartments in Goose Creek, South Carolina, which resulted in three deaths and the displacement of numerous residents.  The investigation revealed a used, one-pot methamphetamine lab in the apartment where the fire began, as well as other chemicals and tools used for the manufacture of methamphetamine.  The investigation further revealed that Shonni Abernathy and his codefendant, Jerald McCabe, manufactured methamphetamine in that apartment on numerous, previous occasions.

Mr. Nettles stated that the case was investigated by the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).  Assistant United States Attorney Peter T. Phillips of the Charleston Office handled the prosecution.