Grimy Times Exclusive: Upstate Man Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug Charges after Plotting to Kill a Cooperating Witness
In a brazen attempt to silence a cooperating witness, Lazarus Floyd, 44, of Taylors, South Carolina, was sentenced to 270 months imprisonment to be followed by 120 months of supervised release for multiple drug trafficking and firearm offenses.
The evidence presented in court showed that on January 29, 2019, law enforcement officers found a staggering 2,579 grams of methamphetamine, 1,197 grams of heroin, 1,600 grams of marijuana, and $15,255 in cash during a search warrant at Floyd’s residence in Woodruff, South Carolina.
Floyd was also found to be in possession of numerous items of drug trafficking paraphernalia, including a pill press, digital scales, cutting agents, and packaging material, as well as 12 pistols, seven rifles, and two shotguns.
The plot to kill the cooperating witness and their attorney was uncovered, and the quick action of the FBI, DEA, United States Marshals Service, and their local law enforcement partners prevented any harm from occurring.
“More often than not, drug trafficking, guns and violence are intertwined,” said Acting U.S. Attorney M. Rhett DeHart. “This sentence highlights our office’s commitment to ensuring our community is protected from violent criminals and the powerful work of our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies that not only thwarted a murder plot but also helped to ensure justice was served.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Sloan P. Ellis and Brandi B. Hinton prosecuted the case.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office.
Related Federal Cases
- Jamie Brown, Federal Drug Trafficking, South Carolina, 2023 · South Carolina
- Laclarence Anderson, Trafficking in Firearms and Narcotics, South Carolina 2023 · North Carolina
- Brandon Singleton, Cocaine Trafficking, South Carolina 2024 · Pennsylvania
- Beth Phillips, Human Trafficking, South Carolina 2024 · South Carolina
- Benjamin Marcel Wright, Possession of Firearm in Drug Trafficking, … · South Carolina
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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