Massachusetts Man Sentenced on Drug Conspiracy Charge

Contact Person: Lance Crick (864) 282-2105

Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Julio Santiago, age 23, from Holyoke, Massachusetts was sentenced in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute and to Distribute a Quantity of Heroin and Fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846.  United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell of Florence sentenced Burgess to 84 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised released.

Evidence presented at the change of plea on November 29, 2016 and sentencing hearing established that in early 2016, members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Florence, South Carolina, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Fifteenth Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) Conway, South Carolina were investigating a heroin distribution organization in the Horry County, South Carolina area. As part of that investigation, agents arranged a controlled buy of a quantity of heroin from Santiago in March 2016. On May 20, 2016, a second controlled purchase of heroin was made from Santiago, who was arrested shortly thereafter. Several thousand dollars were seized from Santiago at the time of his arrest. Agents executed a search warrant at an apartment where Santiago lived. Agents seized a quantity of heroin and a firearm in the apartment.

The case was investigated by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Florence, South Carolina, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Fifteenth Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) Conway, South Carolina. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher D. Taylor of the Florence office prosecuted the case.

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