(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announces that 12 defendants in major drug conspiracies run out of South Carolina prisons have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to additional prison time. The cases are part of the “Prison Empire” and “Graceland” conspiracies indicted by the State Grand Jury. In both cases, inmates used contraband cell phones to coordinate drug trafficking with co-conspirators on the outside. “Prison Empire” is the largest narcotics conspiracy investigation ever indicted in South Carolina courts, with 100 people indicted on 487 charges.
“We’re happy with the message these long sentences send in our continuing efforts to fight organized crime and crimes that prison inmates are able to keep committing because of contraband cell phones,” Attorney General Wilson said.
South Carolina Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling said, “This is a prime example of why Congress needs to pass the Cellphone Jamming Reform Act, which was introduced by Sen. Tom Cotton, Sen. Lindsey Graham and others last week. “States need the ability to stop inmates from using illegal cellphones to commit crimes. This is crucial to keep our staff, inmates and the public safe.”
As part of the “Graceland” case:
- Michael Powell pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams (Conspiracy), (x2) Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 Grams, Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime, and Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
- Eric Goforth pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 10 Grams or More, but Less Than 28 Grams (Conspiracy), Trafficking Methamphetamine, 10 Grams or More, but Less Than 28 Grams, and Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
- Tony Whitfield pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams (Conspiracy) and (x2) 10 Grams or More, but Less Than 28 Grams. He was sentenced to 9 years in prison.
- Leslie Center pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams (Conspiracy) and Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams. She was sentenced to 7 years in prison.
- Gerri Blackwell pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 10 Grams or More, but Less Than 28 Grams. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison, which was suspended to 3 years in prison, followed by 5 years of probation.
As part of the “Prison Empire” case:
- Samantha Aiken pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams (Conspiracy), Trafficking Methamphetamine, 10 Grams or More, but Less Than 28 Grams, Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams, Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Person Convicted of a Violent Offense, and Failure to Stop for a Blue Light. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
- Steve Aiken pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams (Conspiracy) and Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 Grams. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
- Darrell Tabron pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams (Conspiracy), (x4) Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 Grams, Trafficking Heroin, 4 Grams or More, but Less Than 14 Grams, (x2) Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime, and Trafficking Heroin, 4 Grams or More, but Less Than 14 Grams (Conspiracy). He was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
- Kaitlin Davenport pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams (Conspiracy), (x2) Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 Grams, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Trafficking Heroin, 4 Grams or More, but Less than 14 Grams. She was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
- Kristen Lesley pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams (Conspiracy), (x4) Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 Grams, Trafficking Methamphetamine, 10 Grams or More, but Less than 28 Grams, Trafficking Heroin, 4 Grams or More, but Less Than 14 Grams, (x3) Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime and Possession with Intent to Distribute LSD. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
- Harvest Hendricks pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams (Conspiracy), (x2) Trafficking Methamphetamine, 10 Grams or More, but Less Than 28 Grams. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
- Barbara Goodman pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 grams (Conspiracy), (x2) Trafficking Methamphetamine, 28 Grams or More, but Less Than 100 Grams, Trafficking Methamphetamine, 10 Grams or More, but Less Than 28 Grams, and Distribution of Methamphetamine. She was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
In March of this year, the founders and main operators of the “Prison Empire” drug ring pleaded guilty. Nicanor Rodriguez, the founder, supplier, and leader of this drug trafficking organization, pleaded guilty to 8 kidnapping and drug trafficking charges and was sentenced to an additional 40 years in prison. He was already serving time until 2041 for prior drug convictions stemming from a previous State Grand Jury investigation.
Anthony Gracely, Rodriguez’s key co-conspirator within the prison system and primary contact for conspirators outside of the prison system, pleaded guilty to four counts of Trafficking Methamphetamine and one count of Trafficking Heroin. Gracely will be sentenced at a future date.
You can read the March 8, 2021 news release on additional indictments in the “Prison Empire” case here.
You can read the June 13, 2017 news release on the “Graceland” indictment here.
