Three men from Sumter County were sentenced on July 16 to a combined 205 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and fentanyl. Zuri Laxenda Cokley, 23, Jashai Dyrell Mellette, 26, and Denetrick Devontae Holland, 24, all of Sumter, were involved in the operation.
According to facts presented in court, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating the men in 2023 after receiving a tip about a stash house containing large quantities of narcotics. Investigators determined that Cokley managed the drug operation while Mellette and Holland used the location to sell drugs. Agents used confidential informants for controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from the residence. During these transactions, each defendant sold narcotics directly to informants.
On Aug. 31, 2023, agents executed a search warrant at the property where they recovered fentanyl, crack cocaine, marijuana, digital scales, packaging materials, cash, a stolen pistol and a semiautomatic firearm. Cokley and Mellette were present during the search and arrested at that time.
Cokley was released on bond in October 2023 but continued distributing narcotics. In April 2024, he sold additional fentanyl while on bond before being arrested again in June for distribution of a controlled substance. All three defendants had prior criminal histories including convictions related to drugs or firearms as well as other offenses such as failure to stop for blue light or assault.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Cokley to 78 months’ imprisonment; Holland received a sentence of 70 months; Mellette was sentenced to 57 months. Each will serve three years of supervised release following their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by federal agents alongside local law enforcement officers with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina protects communities across South Carolina with a team managing criminal prosecutions and civil litigation for the federal government, according to its official website.