COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – In a major blow to the city’s narcotics trade, four Columbia men have been sentenced to federal prison for selling drugs and guns to an undercover law enforcement officer. The sting operation, which took place between January and March 2020, resulted in the arrest and conviction of Thomas Lee Thompson Jr., Gaylon Mareese Greene, Calvin Lionell Thomas, and Quinton Deshawn Howell.
The evidence presented in court showed that the four co-defendants conducted 13 controlled buys of drugs and guns from the group, with the undercover officer purchasing over 120 grams of crack cocaine, 66 grams of fentanyl, a small quantity of heroin, and 12 firearms. Thomas Lee Thompson Jr., 29, was a source of supply for some of the heroin and fentanyl sold, and was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison, with a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision to follow.
Gaylon Mareese Greene, 51, was the hand-to-hand distributor in all 13 sales, and was sentenced to 180 months in prison, with 8 years of court-ordered supervision to follow. Calvin Lionell Thomas, 40, of Columbia, was the source of supply for more than 80 grams of crack cocaine and a firearm sold to the undercover officer, and was sentenced to 120 months in prison, with 5 years of court-ordered supervision to follow.
Quinton Deshawn Howell, 35, of Columbia, was Green’s source of supply for heroin during one controlled buy, negotiating the prices and terms of a future sale, and was sentenced to 30 months in prison, with 6 years of supervised release to follow. The men were sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis.
The case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms.
The case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the government’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
Defendant Information:
Thomas Lee Thompson Jr.
Exact criminal charges: Possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin and fentanyl
City and state: Columbia, South Carolina
Exact date: 2020
Sentence or outcome: 92 months in federal prison, with a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision to follow
Defendant Information:
Gaylon Mareese Greene
Exact criminal charges: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
City and state: Columbia, South Carolina
Exact date: 2020
Sentence or outcome: 180 months in prison, with 8 years of court-ordered supervision to follow
Defendant Information:
Calvin Lionell Thomas
Exact criminal charges: Possession with intent to distribute and distribution of crack cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking
City and state: Columbia, South Carolina
Exact date: 2020
Sentence or outcome: 120 months in prison, with 5 years of court-ordered supervision to follow
Defendant Information:
Quinton Deshawn Howell
Exact criminal charges: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and fentanyl
City and state: Columbia, South Carolina
Exact date: 2020
Sentence or outcome: 30 months in prison, with 6 years of supervised release to follow
Related Federal Cases
- Harold Broome Jr., Bulk Cocaine Trafficking, North Carolina 2023 · New York
- Lazarus Floyd, Multiple Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses, South Carolina 2023 · South Carolina
- Thomas Lashort Bullock, Gun and Drug Crimes, South Carolina 2021 · South Carolina
- Christopher M. Liscio, Oxycodone and Cocaine Trafficking, Connecticut 2020 · Connecticut
- CiGi Potter, Meth Trafficking, North Carolina 2022 · South Carolina
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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