York County Men Sentenced to 30 Years in Fentanyl Distribution Scheme

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Timario Gayton, 33 and Quonzy Hope, 36, both of Rock Hill, were each sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Evidence presented to the court showed that in August 2022, Hope sold approximately 5,000 pills to a confidential informant. Following the purchase and further investigation, agents focused on a property in York County, which they suspected was being used to manufacture illicit fentanyl pills.  On Oct. 19, 2022, agents executed a search warrant at a trailer on the property and found Gayton, Hope and two codefendants inside the trailer. Law enforcement immediately determined the trailer was being used as a clandestine lab. After clearing the trailer and rendering it safe to search, agents found multiple bags of powder and multiple containers containing approximately 160,000 pills, totaling over 29 kilograms of fentanyl, approximately 1,890 grams of cocaine, 690 grams of methamphetamine, and 1,500 grams of heroin.  In addition to the drugs, agents found several pill press machines, a large amount of cash, various drug paraphernalia.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Gayton and Hope to 180 months imprisonment each to be followed by a term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Major is prosecuting the case.

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