Timario Gayton, 33, and Quonzy Hope, 36, residents of Rock Hill, have each been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to involvement in a scheme to distribute fentanyl. The charges concern conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.
In August 2022, Hope sold approximately 5,000 pills to a confidential informant, leading to an investigation focusing on a York County property suspected of manufacturing illegal fentanyl pills. A search warrant executed on October 19, 2022, led authorities to discover Gayton, Hope, and two codefendants inside a trailer used as a secret lab. Agents found over 160,000 pills, totaling more than 29 kilograms of fentanyl, alongside other drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. The search also revealed pill press machines, a significant amount of cash, and various drug-related paraphernalia.
Both individuals were sentenced by United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon to 180 months of imprisonment each, followed by court-ordered supervision, as federal sentences do not allow for parole.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, aimed at identifying and dismantling high-level drug and criminal networks. This initiative integrates the efforts of diverse law enforcement bodies using a comprehensive approach.
The investigation was carried out 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 handling the prosecution.
