GREENVILLE, SC – Norman W. Jefferson, 51, of Greenville, and Roshaundra A. Griffin, 46, of Anderson, are facing the consequences after a 2016 bust exposed their crack cocaine operation. The pair were sentenced in federal court today, capping a case that laid bare a small-time drug ring operating out of a residential property.
According to United States Attorney Beth Drake, Jefferson and Griffin were convicted of Conspiracy to Possess With Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, a violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841. Jefferson also faced the more serious charge of Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). The evidence, presented during the change of plea hearing, painted a clear picture of a drug operation actively peddling crack cocaine.
The timeline of the crime points to January and February of 2016, when Griffin and Jefferson allegedly conducted multiple sales of crack cocaine directly from their residence. The operation caught the attention of the Greenville Police Department, who obtained a search warrant for the property in March 2016. What they found was more than just drugs.
During the raid, officers discovered Jefferson in possession of a loaded Ruger .380 caliber pistol. Both Jefferson and Griffin were found in close proximity to crack cocaine, and drug paraphernalia was scattered throughout the house. The scene confirmed suspicions and provided concrete evidence of their illegal activity. The presence of the firearm significantly escalated the charges against Jefferson.
United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks of Charleston handed down the sentences. Jefferson received a surprisingly lenient one day imprisonment for the drug conspiracy charge, but also sixty months – five years – for the firearm offense. Griffin, meanwhile, received five years’ probation on the drug conspiracy charge. The disparity in sentencing likely reflects Jefferson’s possession of a weapon during the commission of the crime.
The investigation was a joint effort between agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Greenville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen, of the Greenville office, successfully prosecuted the case. Contact Jamie L. Schoen at (864) 282-2100 for further inquiries. This case serves as a reminder that even smaller-scale drug operations will be met with federal prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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