Drug Distributor and Member of Upstate Drug Conspiracy Sentenced to Twelve Years Imprisonment

Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Beth Drake announced today that Sergio Smith, age 31, was sentenced today in federal court to 12 years imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release.  Smith was a member of a drug trafficking organization that operated for approximately 13 years in multiple states, including South Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Texas.  During the course of the conspiracy, members of the conspiracy distributed millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana.

This prosecution was part of the US Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) efforts.  OCDETF is a program administered by the Department of Justice that targets large scale, multi-state drug trafficking organizations.

Smith worked for co-defendant Walter Lee, and distributed cocaine and crack cocaine in Anderson, South Carolina.  Moorman told the Court during proceedings that Smith’s prior criminal history, his participation in the conspiracy, and his conduct after his arrest warranted a lengthy prison sentence.

During the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized in excess of $1.5 million in U.S. Currency, over 5 kilograms of cocaine, quantities of marijuana and crack cocaine, and numerous firearms.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Anderson Police Department, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville Department of Public Safety, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Highway Patrol, the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Franklin County (GA) Sheriff’s Office, and the Douglas County (GA) Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant US Attorneys Andy Moorman, Bill Watkins, and Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

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