Bowman Man Sentenced for Importing "Molly" from China

Contact Person: Jane B. Taylor (803) 929-3000

Columbia, South Carolina ---- Acting United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Bradley Lewis Felder, 27, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Terry L. Wooten to a term of imprisonment of 144 months, or 12 years.  Felder pled guilty in June of this year to his involvement in a Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Quantity of 3,4-Methylenedioxyethylcathinone Hydrochloride (commonly known as "Molly") and 50 kilograms of more of Marijuana, a violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C) and 846. 

At Felder’s guilty plea hearing, an attorney for the Government told Judge Wooten that, in the summer of 2013, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Bradley Felder who they learned was involved in the importation and distribution of both high-grade marijuana and “molly” in and around Richland and Lexington Counties.  As the investigation progressed, agents established that Felder was importing high-grade marijuana from northern California, and “molly” from an unknown source of supply in China.   Agents discovered that Felder rented various houses and apartments in and around Richland and Lexington Counties for the primary purpose of using the addresses to receive shipments of “molly.”  Felder paid friends to accept the delivery of the drug packages; sometimes he paid in cash, other times he paid with marijuana.

During the investigation that led to Felder’s arrest, agents intercepted approximately 9 packages of “molly,” each containing kilogram quantities, being shipped to South Carolina from China, and seized approximately $150,000 in cash from Felder.  On August 31, 2015, Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the Midlands HIDTA group arrested Felder, in the parking garage of the Gates of Williams Brice apartments.  Following Felder’s arrest, agents seized an additional $47,837.90 cash, a loaded .45 caliber pistol, and two watches valued at approximately $64,000.00.  Agents also seized several cell phones from Felder; one of those phones held photographs of huge amounts of money.  One picture, taken in Felder’s apartment a month prior to his arrest, showed money stacked on the kitchen counter.  The money had been heat-sealed in plastic, and stacked in large bundles.  Another photograph showed a small closet and on the shelves of the closet were large Tupperware-like containers full of cash. 

Agents confronted Felder about the money that was pictured on his phone.  On February 2, 2016, Felder led agents to a location where he had buried a large bag of money in Bowman, SC.  Agents seized the bag which contained over $1.7 million dollars. [Photograph attached.]

At sentencing, Judge Wooten ordered Felder to forfeit the money that had been seized from him; Judge Wooten’s order included a money judgment against the defendant in the amount of $11 million dollars.

The case was investigated by agents of the Midlands HIDTA Task Force, comprised of agents from South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, Orangeburg Public Safety, the Columbia Police Department, the 5^th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Office and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, and with assistance from the United States Postal Service and Homeland Security Investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Jane B. Taylor of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

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