Greenwood Man to Serve 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun Offenses

GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA — Jeremy John Smith, 35, of Greenwood, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, methamphetamine, and cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

Evidence presented to the court showed that on August 11, 2022, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and officers from the Greenwood Police Department and Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Smith’s home on Sumpter Street in Greenwood.  Law enforcement seized fentanyl, cocaine base, methamphetamine, and cocaine as well as digital scales and a large amount of cash.  Additionally, officers recovered a shotgun and two pistols in the same room where they found narcotics.   

Federal law prohibits Smith from possessing firearms or ammunition due to his prior convictions for assault and battery first degree, burglary second degree, and common law robbery. 

United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain accepted Smith’s guilty plea, which contained a stipulation by the parties that Smith should be sentenced to 15 years in prison on both the drug charge and gun charge, with the sentences to run concurrently.  Smith will be sentenced in a separate hearing after the preparation of a presentence report by the U.S. Probation Office.

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 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Greenwood Police Department, and the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Major, Max Cauthen, and Everett McMillian are prosecuting the case.

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