South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced the release of a Grand Jury Report that highlights ongoing organized crime activities within state prisons, often facilitated by contraband cellphones. A recent trial in Pickens County resulted in life sentences for two inmates involved in narcotics trafficking, underscoring the issue’s severity.
“Locking someone up doesn’t make us safer if they’re still running criminal empires from behind bars,” said Attorney General Wilson. He urged Congress and the FCC to allow states to jam illegal communications. Joel E. Anderson, Interim Director of the S.C. Department of Corrections, added that contraband phones pose dangers not only to the public but also to prison staff and other inmates.
In a notable case, a jury found three individuals guilty of methamphetamine trafficking as part of an investigation named “Las Señoritas.” Two of them were already inmates at the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) when they committed these crimes using contraband phones. Both received life sentences without parole, while a third defendant was sentenced to 25 years.
Attorney General Wilson commented on their conviction: “The McCoys were so proud…they got tattoos that say, ‘Family Tradition.’ Well, they have a new family tradition: being in prison for life without parole.”
Other cases mentioned include Abbygale El-Dier’s guilty plea in a child abuse case related to the Clean Sweep State Grand Jury investigation and indictments against Wayne A. Hollinshead under the Paper Route investigation for various offenses including marijuana trafficking and money laundering.
The Grand Jury Reports call for federal support in jamming contraband cellphone signals within state prisons, stating: “Gang leaders continue to run their criminal organizations once sentenced to prison…with [c]ontraband cell phones illegally smuggled inside.” The reports emphasize the necessity of immediate solutions like targeted jamming over current managed access programs.
Law enforcement agencies collaborated extensively on these investigations, demonstrating significant partnerships between various divisions and local sheriff offices.
Attorney General Wilson reiterated that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
