COLUMBIA, SC – The streets of Florence, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach are a little less saturated with poison today as four members of the Billie East Side Bloods gang admitted their guilt in a federal drug conspiracy. Deshawn Earl Chestnut, 24, Matthew DeWitt, 27, Stacy Cambas, 30, and Timothy Singletary, 22, all pled guilty to charges stemming from a large-scale drug operation, according to U.S. Attorney Beth Drake.
The guilty pleas, entered on May 16th and May 4th, 2017, carry a hefty potential sentence: up to 20 years behind bars. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Moorman, the lead Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) attorney for the District of South Carolina, emphasized this case is part of a larger, coordinated effort to dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. This isn’t a local problem; it’s a multi-state network being systematically broken down.
During court proceedings, Moorman detailed how these defendants, working in concert with other co-defendants, peddled deadly substances – heroin, cocaine, and marijuana – to customers throughout Florence and Myrtle Beach. The operation wasn’t just about moving product; it was about flooding the streets with drugs and profiting from addiction. The Billie East Side Bloods, a set of the notorious United Blood Nation, were at the center of it all.
The investigation didn’t stop at drugs. Federal agents uncovered evidence that the gang was also involved in the illegal trafficking and possession of firearms, used to protect their operation and intimidate rivals. The conspiracy encompassed the distribution of not only heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, but also the highly dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl, adding another layer of risk to an already volatile situation.
A multi-agency task force brought the operation down, comprised of the FBI, DEA, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Horry County Police Department, Myrtle Beach Police Department, North Myrtle Beach Police Department, the 15th Circuit’s Drug Enforcement Unit, and the Georgetown Police Department. This wasn’t a solo act; it required a unified front to tackle a deeply entrenched criminal enterprise.
Assistant US Attorneys Andy Moorman and Lauren Hummel are prosecuting the case. While these four pleas are a step in the right direction, the Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on any further arrests or convictions as the OCDETF dismantles the Billie East Side Bloods and their network of illicit activity in South Carolina. Expect more heads to roll.
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Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: Official Source ↗
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