Conway Man and Texas Man Sentenced to Multi-Year Terms in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Related Activity

FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Martine Garcia, 32, of Conway, was sentenced to more than 3 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine.  Ulisses Jair Perez Guillen, 20, of Forth Worth, Texas, was sentenced to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

Evidence presented to the court showed that, on July 7, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a home in Conway from which Garcia had previously sold methamphetamine.  Garcia and Perez Guillen were located inside the home, where law enforcement found approximately 450 grams of methamphetamine and 700 grams of cocaine.  Inside a car Perez Guillen had driven to the home, law enforcement found nearly a kilogram of cocaine and a 9mm SCCY handgun.  Further investigation revealed a hidden compartment in the car, which contained approximately 3.5 kilograms of additional suspected cocaine. 

United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, II, sentenced Garcia to 41 months in prison, with 4 years of court-ordered supervision to follow.  Judge Dawson sentenced Perez Guillen to 120 months in prison, with 5 years of court-ordered supervision to follow.  There is no parole in the federal system.  

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.

This case was investigated by Horry County Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case.

###