Jury Convicts Walterboro Man of Federal Narcotic and Firearms Offenses

Charleston, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Marion Katrell Campbell, 38, of Walterboro, South Carolina, was convicted in federal court of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. 

Evidence presented at the trial established that on July 8, 2017, Campbell was the driver and sole occupant of a car stopped by officers with the Walterboro Police Department for a defective headlight.  Campbell was placed under arrested for driving with a suspended license and failure to pay multiple traffic citations, and a K9 search was conducted on his vehicle.  After the K9 alerted, officers searched the vehicle and discovered a loaded .38 caliber Charter Arms revolver under the driver’s seat, extra ammunition on the driver’s side floorboard and in the driver’s door, plastic bags containing methamphetamine in the driver’s door and center console, and additional plastic baggies used for packaging drugs for distribution on the front passenger seat and in the passenger door.  In total, five plastic bags containing 42 prepackaged smaller bags of methamphetamine were found in the car.  The total net weight of the methamphetamine was a little less than 37 grams. 

After Campbell was arrested, he placed numerous phone calls to his friends and family from jail trying to convince other people to claim the firearm found in the vehicle that night.  He also openly discussed how much he was paying for his drugs and boasted about the quality.  The Government’s expert in drug trafficking was able to explain to the jury how the prices he quoted and the terms he used showed the conversations were about methamphetamine.

Campbell faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.

United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks of Charleston presided over the trial and will sentence Campbell after receiving and reviewing a presentence report prepared by the United States Probation Office.

The case was investigated by the Walterboro Police Department and agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  The case was prosecuted pursuant to 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone’s longstanding partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office to target career criminals in Beaufort, Jasper, Hampton, Colleton, and Allendale Counties in federal court.  Solicitor Stone stated, “The partnership between our office and the United States Attorney’s Office has been tremendously successful and continues to make the 14^th Circuit a safer place to live.”

This case was also prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.  Special Assistant United States Attorney Carra Henderson of the 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office and Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Schoen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charleston prosecuted the case.

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