Kershaw County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Van Lydell Starling, 48, of Kershaw, has pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on July 20, 2023, investigators with the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a home on Green Hill Road in Lugoff, which was the known residence of Starling.  

During the search, investigators found multiple guns, a box of sandwich bags with a razor blade, several digital scales with white residue on them, a clear container containing crack cocaine residue, a black notebook that appeared to be a drug ledger, Starling’s identification card, and crack cocaine located under the mattress in Starling’s bedroom. Based upon the amounts of drugs, the multiple digital scales, the sandwich bags, and the drug ledger, the police determined that the crack cocaine was intended to be distributed. 

Starling faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Starling after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. 

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case. 

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