Date: May 10, 2023 Contact: newsroom@ci.irs.gov Charleston, SC — United States Attorney Adair F. Boroughs announced today that 26 individuals, many of them associates of a significant narcotics trafficking organization, have been indicted on a wide variety of charges—including conspiracy, drug trafficking, illegal use and possession of firearms, wire fraud, and money laundering—after a series of investigations in South Carolina. The investigation and arrests were announced in a joint press conference held at the North Charleston City Hall by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Secret Service (USSS), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), and nine state and local law enforcement agency partners. A portion of the investigation focused on a drug trafficking organization based primarily out of North Charleston. It was led by the FBI and 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. The 13 defendants charged in that portion of the investigation are: Monta Peatro Harley of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Cocaine Base, Cocaine, and Marijuana; Possessing Cocaine Base with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking; Xzayvier Vanyon Harley of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Cocaine Base, Cocaine and Marijuana; Trevion Swansea Wigfall of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Heroin; Possessing Fentanyl and Heroin with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking; Ariana Donnise Hamilton of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl; Luther Antonio Smith of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl; DeAndre Malik Horry of Mount Pleasant, charged with Fentanyl; Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking; Davonte Durrell Reid of Ladson, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl; Damon Christopher Heyward of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl; Davion LaPrince Anderson of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl; Eurie Gerard Richardson of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl; Scotty Orlando Simmons of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Cocaine Base; Zavie London Jefferson of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; and Dexter Deandre Ferguson-Fuller of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base; Possessing Cocaine and Cocaine Base with Intent to Distribute; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking. Another portion of the investigation focused on individuals in the Charleston area conspiring to illegally obtain firearms through the use of straw purchasers. It was led by the ATF and is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was also made possible in part by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. The five individuals charged in this portion of the case are: Bernard Freeman Scott, Jr. of Ladson, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms; Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms; and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; Andre Moore of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; Nykobie Bryant Fleming of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms; Jedarius Tyewon Haynes Dessausure of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms; and Jasmine Lasha Smalls of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms. The third portion of the investigation focused on individuals in Summerville and North Charleston conspiring to commit wire fraud. One individual was also charged with money laundering. This portion of the investigation was led by the IRS-CI, FBI, Secret Service, and SBA. The eight individuals charged in this portion of the case are: Staci Harley of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud; Roberta Harley of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Wire Fraud; and Money Laundering; Anthony Harley of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud; Zyaisha Blue of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud; Benjamin Blue of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud; Antanasia Harley of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud; Anthony Pinckney of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud; Sheniqua Mitchell of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud. In addition to the FBI, ATF, Secret Service, IRS, and SBA, these cases were investigated by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Charleston Police Department, North Charleston Police Department, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Summerville Police Department, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, and Charleston Fire Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Whit Sowards and Amy Bower are prosecuting the cases with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. U.S. Attorney Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictments are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
