Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that as of this week, a total of ten defendants out of Lexington County and surrounding areas have pled guilty in federal court for their roles in a meth distribution conspiracy.

The first seven defendants, (1) Rafael Redmond, a/k/a “Pockets,” 43; (2) Jennifer Logan, 42; (3) Andrew Michael Chamberlain, 31; (4) James Lloyd, 28; (5) Jeremy Davis, 31; (6) Robert Pendleton, a/k/a “Bobby,” 39; and (7) David Peeples, 36, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Another two, (8) Terri Moore, 40; and (9) Brian Lorick, 45, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

These nine defendants each face a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison, with a possibility of up to life imprisonment. Evidence offered during their guilty pleas included audio and video surveillance of several defendants involved in drug trafficking and firearm possession. Children were present during one of these drug exchanges.

Defendants (2) Jennifer Logan, (4) James Lloyd, (8) Terri Moore, and (9) Brian Lorick also pled guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. They face a mandatory sentence of at least 5 years in federal prison, in addition to any other sentence imposed on the drug charges.

A tenth Defendant, Kyndal Hancock, 25, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine.  He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs will sentence all ten defendants after reviewing presentencing reports prepared by the United States Probation Office.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. It is being prosecuted under the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001. Assistant United States Attorney Alyssa Leigh Richardson of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.

#####