“Mr. JT.” Faces Life Behind Bars in Coke Conspiracy

COLUMBIA, SC – John Timothy Cannon, 63, known on the streets as “Mr. JT,” is staring down the barrel of a life sentence after a federal jury found him guilty Monday of running a large-scale cocaine operation out of Batesburg-Leesville. The conviction comes after years of investigation and damning evidence presented in federal court.

According to United States Attorney Beth Drake, Cannon was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, a violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1). He also faces penalties for four counts of using a telephone to facilitate drug deals, a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 843(b). Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. will determine his fate after a presentence report is completed by the U.S. Probation Office.

The investigation began in 2011 when the FBI targeted a violent street gang operating in Columbia. Wiretaps revealed the gang’s cocaine sources, leading investigators up the supply chain to a major distributor in Batesburg, SC. That distributor, eventually arrested and sentenced in 2012, had been supplying Cannon with cocaine since 2008. But Cannon didn’t quit when his first source dried up. He simply found another, continuing to flood Batesburg-Leesville, Columbia, and surrounding areas with the drug.

The evidence was overwhelming. Prosecutors presented wiretap recordings of Cannon ordering three ounces of cocaine multiple times a week over a sixty-day period. Beyond the phone calls, witnesses testified they had personally purchased cocaine directly from Cannon, solidifying the case against him. The feds weren’t messing around; this wasn’t some small-time operation.

Drake stated the potential penalty is severe: Life imprisonment and a staggering $8,000,000 fine. This isn’t just about drugs; it’s about the destruction and violence that follow in its wake. Cannon’s actions fueled addiction and lined the pockets of criminals, and now he’ll answer for it.

The Columbia Violent Gang Task Force, a collaborative effort between the FBI, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Columbia Police Department, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department, led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys William K. Witherspoon and Jane B. Taylor of the Columbia office successfully prosecuted the case, bringing another drug kingpin to justice. Contact William K. Witherspoon at (803) 929-3000 for further information.