A Rock Hill man, Jacquese Traveon Underwood, 40, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a drug conspiracy involving methamphetamine and fentanyl. At the time of the offenses, Underwood was already serving a sentence for drug trafficking in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Federal investigators discovered that Underwood arranged for the purchase and distribution of narcotics while incarcerated. The drugs included cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl-based pills that resembled Oxycodone. These pills were produced by Darryl Hemphill and other members of his organization at locations around Rock Hill and Charlotte. Hemphill supplied these drugs to Underwood inside the state prison system.
Authorities identified Underwood through monitored phone calls with Hemphill and statements from others involved. Investigators learned that Underwood helped teach Hemphill how to order, ship, and receive narcotics from Southern California. Associates outside the prison obtained drugs from Hemphill on behalf of Underwood, who then coordinated their distribution.
While in prison, Underwood received at least 1,000 fentanyl-based pills, more than 700 grams of methamphetamine, and about 312 grams of cocaine from Hemphill.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Underwood to 121 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF uses a multi-agency approach to target high-level drug traffickers and criminal organizations across the United States. More information about OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The investigation involved several agencies: the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit; South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; Richland County Sheriff’s Department; and South Carolina Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case.
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