Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake announced the arrests of Glenn Quanta Pernell, 39, Donald Lee Robinson, 51, Antonio Debor Gowans, 42, Danielle Johnnie Sarvis, 40, Whitney Sad’e Pernell, 27, Hattie F. Pernell, 55, Fatima Flesinears Ford, 32, Myra L. Dixon, 25, Cynthia Jantoria Williams, 39, Kevin Gerard Mullins, 36, Kevin Barry Myers, 52, and Elijah Tyrone Davis, 39.   The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with their participation in a conspiracy to traffic heroin, cocaine, and “crack” cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 846.

The defendants were arrested on Wednesday, and appeared in court today where they all entered not guilty pleas.  Four others, Santerrio Montinez Smith, 29, Dantrell Markeis Smith, 32, Terrence Vernon Dunlap, 23, and Stacey Vallario Fuller, 50, were also named in the Indictment but have not yet been arrested.

The government requested that six of the defendants—Glenn Pernell, Robinson, Gowans, Mullins, Myers, and Davis—be held without bail pending trial. The Honorable Paige J. Gossett, United States Magistrate Judge, will conduct a hearing on Wednesday, September 27 at 2:30 p.m. and will decide whether to grant the government’s request.

These arrests were the result of an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Columbia Violent Gang Task Force (CVGTF), working in conjunction with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia Police Department, the Horry County Police Department, the Conway Police Department, the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the South Carolina Department of Corrections, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with assistance from the United States Marshal’s Service and the ASPCA® (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®). Assistant United States Attorney Jane B. Taylor of the Columbia office will prosecute the case.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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