Detric McGowan, Drug Trafficking, South Carolina 2019
Upstate Drug Dealer Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison
Spartanburg, South Carolina - Detric McGowan, aka "Fat," 47, of Piedmont, has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to participating in a drug conspiracy involving cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and tramadol; possessing a kilogram or more of heroin with the intent to distribute; conspiring to launder money; obstruction of justice/witness tampering; and obstruction of justice/retaliation.
In July 2019, McGowan began to discuss with a person who was incarcerated with him having his prosecutor and at least one witness killed. This person alerted law enforcement to the threat and an immediate investigation began. The evidence showed McGowan had become frustrated with his legal position and desired to have his prosecutor and a witness killed. McGowan was recorded agreeing to pay the person $10,000 to kill the prosecutor and witness and providing information about how to find the targets.
Police seized in excess of 20 kilograms of heroin and approximately $1 million during the investigation. McGowan was indicted along with several co-conspirators in February 2019 and taken into custody.
The drug case was investigated by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. The threat was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the 7th Circuit Solicitor’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Jim May, Jason Peavy, Sloan Ellis, and Katie Stoughton prosecuted the case.
United States District Court Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr., of Spartanburg, sentenced McGowan to 420 months in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case marks a significant blow to the opioid epidemic in the Upstate, which has seen a rise in the number of opioid-abuse related cases, drug overdose deaths, and overdose non-fatalities attributed particularly to heroin and fentanyl toxicity.
The evidence presented at the change of plea hearing showed that beginning as early as 2016, law enforcement in Greenwood County began to see a rise in the number of opioid-abuse related cases, drug overdose deaths, and overdose non-fatalities attributed particularly to heroin and fentanyl toxicity.
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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