Demetrius Stepp, Crack Cocaine, Fentanyl, and Heroin Trafficking, South Carolina 2022

FLORENCE, S.C., April 25, 2022 – Demetrius Stepp, 45, of Atlanta, Georgia, has been sentenced to over five years in federal prison for his role in a large-scale trafficking operation that distributed crack cocaine and fentanyl in Horry County, South Carolina.

According to court documents, Stepp pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine. Prosecutors presented evidence that Stepp had been selling these substances to a confidential informant working with the Myrtle Beach Police Department on three occasions in April and May 2022.

Lab testing revealed that the substances sold by Stepp were not heroin and crack cocaine, as claimed, but rather crack cocaine and fentanyl. An investigation showed that Stepp had been involved in trafficking crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin throughout Horry County for years, making multiple sales per day.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Stepp to 70 months imprisonment, to be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Flynn and Matthew Ellis are prosecuting the case.

Stepp’s involvement in the trafficking operation had a significant impact on the community, with the sale of these substances leading to addiction and overdose in Horry County. This case serves as a reminder of the dangers of drug trafficking and the importance of law enforcement efforts to combat it.

Demetrius Stepp, 45, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 70 months imprisonment and six years of court-ordered supervision for his role in distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine in Horry County. The defendant pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing fentanyl and crack cocaine. The charges were made public on April 25, 2022.

The investigation into Stepp’s activities was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Myrtle Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Flynn and Matthew Ellis are prosecuting the case.