Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Tyrez Lavor Johnson, age 31, of Hartsville, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Florence to possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base, a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846, and felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g). United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell, of Florence, accepted the plea and will impose sentence after a pre-sentence report is prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was part of an investigation conducted by state and federal agents into the sale of illegal drugs in the Hartsville, South Carolina area. In October 2017, investigators made a controlled purchase of a quantity of cocaine base from Johnson. Johnson was later found in possession of a.357 caliber revolver during his arrest on the drug distribution charge. Johnson was prohibited from possessing the firearm due to a prior conviction for a controlled substance offense.
Ms. Drake stated the defendant faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years and a fine of $1,000,000.
The case was investigated by agents of the Hartsville Police Department, the Darlington County Sherriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher D. Taylor of the Florence office handled the case. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
