20 people were arrested as the result of an undercover operation aimed at curbing a recent uptick in violent crime in West Columbia.

The effort, which started last year, found the local police department working with multiple local, state and federal agencies, using a piece of repurposed city property to help them in the undercover operation.

“We recently came across an old abandoned tow yard that we purchased as a city for an expansion of some city services and office buildings and parking,” Boyce said at a Dec. 14 press conference, noting that when they began looking at the problems they were having crime wise and how the property could be leveraged to help, they put those plans on hold.

“They turned that city on property over to the ATF and we've been successfully running a year-long undercover operation out of that property.”

Boyce said that the city began seeing an increase in gun violence and gun crime two or three years ago, spurring the operation that also looped in the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Homeland Security Investigations. 

“We started an evidence-based, data-driven approach to law enforcement and how we were responding to some of these shooting incidents that we were experiencing,” Boyce said of their response to the escalation in gun crime, noting the installation of new technology, including the ShotSpotter system to quickly identify the location of shots fired and camera at various locations.

This approach, the chief said, led them to each out to the ATF about going after targeted individuals. 

The resulting operation, the first of its kind for West Columbia, was intended to curb the illegal use and sale of narcotics and firearms.

“Federal agents purchased or seized 210 firearms, including several machine gun conversion devices or ‘switches’ designed to convert a firearm to a fully automatic weapon, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Additionally, law enforcement purchased or seized approximately 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, 500 grams of powder cocaine, 500 grams of powder fentanyl, 280 grams of crack cocaine, 2,826 fentanyl pills, and over 2,100 polydrug pills,” a release states.

Adair Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, praised the commitment of time, resources and manpower that the participating agencies made to the effort.

“Our communities are safer today because of the work of these agencies up here before you. We are very excited to announce the results of a significant violent crime reduction effort in West Columbia,” she said.

Brian Mein, assistant special agent for the ATF’s Charlotte Field Division, said they kicked off the operation in October 2022, though discussion started in September, adding that the bulk of the operation lasted until August of this year. Mein added that the brunt of the arrests happened within the last 30 days, with a portion occurring in June.

“We identified who we are investigating, scientifically and intelligence based, everything is objective,” Mein said. “We're not targeting anyone based on a particular gang that they're in. We're not targeting any one particular neighborhood that they’re in. We're targeting them based on intelligence that we have and science behind what we're doing. And that's exactly what we did with this investigation.”

According to the release, some of the defendants were charged together. The release states that defendants include members of the Bloods, Crips and Gangster Disciple street gangs. 

The following defendants were charged in U.S. District Court as a result of the operation:

• Christopher Huntington, AKA “Crazy,” 32, of Lugoff, was charged with multiple counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm.  

• Tyrek Carroway, AKA “Everything,” 24, of Columbia was charged with multiple counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

• Marcelleus Robinson, AKA “Drawdown,” 31, of Columbia and Howard Parker, 31, of West Columbia were charged with unlawful possession of firearms and unlawful possession of machine guns.

• Joseph Wadsworth, AKA “J-Roc,” 39, of Gaston, and Curtis Hill, III, 33, of Lexington, were charged with multiple counts of distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearms.  

• Sean Smith, AKA “D,” 40, of Cayce, was charged with multiple counts of distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm.

• Lamark Gill, AKA “Lamont,” 47, of Lexington, was charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm.

• Ricky Bell, Jr., 35, of Columbia, was charged with distribution of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of firearms. 

• Dequincy Marquez Jordan, 37, of Florence, was charged with two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. 

• Jordan Deshawn Waden a/k/a “Yayo,” 24, of Columbia, was charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

• Joel Jeremiah Williams, 35, of Columbia, was charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

• Angela Peterson Black, 51, of Lexington, was charged with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

• Michael Wright, 45, of Greenville, was charged with conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, as well as six counts of distributing methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

• Terrance Myers, AKA “Terrance Toomer,” 47, of Orangeburg, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

• Kendolius Jones, AKA “Duke Brim,” 30, of West Columbia, was charged with felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, as well as possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle.

• Reginald Pearson, 40, of Columbia, was charged with three counts possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine, as well as felon in possession and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• Everette Wanamaker, 36, of Columbia, was charged with two counts possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, as well as six counts of felon in possession.

• Sean Dunagan, 44, of Marietta, Georgia, was charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, with possession with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and destruction of evidence. 

• Gregory Huggins, AKA “B-Lo,” 30, of Lexington was charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine.

• Davarious Keith, 30, of West Columbia, was charged with dealing in firearms without a license, distribution of crack cocaine, as well as felon in possession and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

• David Smith, 36, of West Columbia, was charged with distribution of crack cocaine.

“The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office is handling the prosecution of additional defendants facing state charges related to this investigation,” the release states. “The federal cases stemming from this investigation are being prosecuted by a team of Assistant United States Attorneys in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Assistant United States Attorney Elle E. Klein.”