24 Arrested on Federal Drug Conspiracy Charges in Myrtle Beach and Horry County – FBI Seeks Information on 3 Remaining Fugitives

Conway, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today during a press conference at the Horry County Police Department that a 46-count federal indictment has been unsealed that charges 27 defendants with federal drug conspiracy charges.  On Wednesday morning, 22 defendants were arrested in an early morning operation in Horry County that was conducted by more than 125 officers and agents from 12 law enforcement agencies.  These defendants were arraigned in federal court in Florence on Wednesday afternoon, and two defendants who were already in state custody will make their first appearance this Friday.  Three defendants have not yet been arrested, and the FBI is seeking information leading to their capture.

Beginning in 2017, the FBI Myrtle Beach Resident Agency, working alongside several other federal and local law enforcement partners, began a covert investigation of a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating in the Myrtle Beach and Horry County areas of South Carolina.  The defendants named in the indictment are members and/or associates of this drug trafficking organization, known by the name “G-Shine” and formerly known as “Gangster Killer Bloods.”  G-Shine is a Bloods Gang set that evolved from the United Blood Nation in the late 1990s.  G-Shine originated in the New York/New Jersey area and migrated along the east coast and now has sets, or sub-groups, in multiple states including New York, New Jersey, North Carolina and South Carolina.  Shine Money Gang is a sub-set of G-Shine that is based in the Longs, South Carolina, area.  The investigation revealed that G-Shine’s gang members and criminal associates engage in the sale of narcotics and use firearms to defend themselves and their criminal enterprise. 

The indictment charges the defendants with forming an agreement to distribute heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana in South Carolina.  Additionally, the indictment charges several defendants with the actual distribution of these drugs and the use of wireless communications devices to further the organization’s drug trafficking activity.  During the course of the investigation, agents used undercover surveillance, confidential source information, and other techniques to establish the agreement between coconspirators to sell these drugs.

“Drugs and violence are what we are talking about today,” said U.S. Attorney Lydon.  “I could not be more proud to lend my voice, and more importantly our resources, to help sound the alarm in this community.  There is a serious violent crime problem, and a serious opioid problem, in the Myrtle Beach area.  We are targeting groups that are directly destroying communities.  We will spare no resources.  We are here in full force, with a passion for making Myrtle Beach safe.  We are locking arms with our law enforcement partners to dismantle criminal enterprises right here at home. We applaud the great work done by our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, and we consider it a great privilege to join forces with them.”

The following defendants are in custody:

1. Aaron Delond Stanley, a/k/a “Heat Santana,” of Myrtle Beach
2. Richard Earl Hemingway, Jr., a/k/a “Jeezy,” of Myrtle Beach
3. Rashea Omar Jenerette, a/k/a “Dog,” of Poplar
4. Thurston Jay Hardiman, a/k/a “Thirst,” of Longs
5. Christopher Lamont Pino, a/k/a “Pine,” of Little River
6. Trey Levert Cox, aka “Cheese” a/k/a “Sosa,” of Poplar
7. Terrance Damon Richardson, Jr., a/k/a “Juicy,” of Longs
8. Kennis Lorenzo Willard, a/k/a “Kilo,” of Longs
9. Terrice Bayshawn Livingston, a/k/a “Biz,” of Longs
10. Crystal Nicole Dickey, of Little River
11. Cory Antwan Pertell, of Loris
12. Jada Teal Abril Pyatt, of Myrtle Beach
13. Wendy Elaine Blue, of Longs
14. Michelle Denise McFee, of Little River
15. Kalaera Marie Gee, of Marion
16. Javarius Albert Grant Murray, of Myrtle Beach
17. Eddie Mario Jones, a/k/a “Coco,” of Myrtle Beach
18. Marcus Antonio Hemingway, a/k/a “Mark,” of Longs
19. Donte Raquan Xavier Livingston, a/k/a “Bootsie,” of Myrtle Beach
20. Xavier Jermaine Horne, a/k/a “Rush,” of Myrtle Beach
21. Montea Daryel Myers, of Myrtle Beach
22. Glen Garrick Holley, of Myrtle Beach
23. Michelle Lindsey Singleton, of Myrtle Beach
24. Blake Lashay Evans, a/k/a “Breezy,” of Longs

The FBI is actively looking for three additional defendants: Christopher Kayvon Giddens, a/k/a “Brisk,” of Longs; Rondric Tykeme Smith, of Conway; and Katelyn Anne Stetler, of Little River.  Any person having information as to the whereabouts of one of these fugitives should contact the FBI Columbia Tip Line at 803-551-4200.     

The investigation and arrests were a combined law enforcement effort between the following agencies: Horry County Police Department, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, 15th Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit and Solicitor’s Office, Myrtle Beach Police Department, Conway Police Department, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Marshals Service, and United States Postal Inspection Service. 

The investigation has been quarterbacked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is South Carolina’s implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.  Assistant United States Attorneys Everett McMillian and Justin Holloway of the Florence office are prosecuting the case.

U.S. Attorney Lydon stated that all charges in this indictment are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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