26 indicted on federal charges in multi-agency Lowcountry operation

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Federal, county and local authorities announced more than two dozen arrests Wednesday in a three-part multi-county crime investigation involving drugs, firearms and wire fraud.

The investigation was a partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester County Sheriff’s Offices; the Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Summerville Police Departments; and the Charleston Fire Department.

U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs says because of the several local law enforcement agencies that helped, the over two dozen arrests made in the last 36 hours were possible.

“The mission statements of the organizations up here vary somewhat, but all of us have a core part of our mission to keep communities safe,” Boroughs said. “In today’s day and age, that is no small undertaking.”

One portion of the investigation focused on a drug trafficking organization based primarily out of North Charleston, U.S. Attorney Adair Boroughs said. That investigation, led by the FBI, was part of an investigation designed to identify, disrupt and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says.

These 13 people were arrested in this part of the organization:

• Monta Peatro Harley, 34, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Cocaine Base, Cocaine, and Marijuana; Possessing Cocaine Base with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking;
• Xzayvier Vanyon Harley, 25, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Cocaine Base, Cocaine and Marijuana;
• Trevion Swansea Wigfall, 25, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Heroin; Possessing Fentanyl and Heroin with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking;
• Ariana Donnise Hamilton, 26, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;
• Luther Antonio Smith, 22, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;
• DeAndre Malik Horry, 25, of Mount Pleasant, charged with Fentanyl; Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking;
• Davonte Durrell Reid, 28, of Ladson, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;
• Damon Christopher Heyward, 25, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;
• Davion LaPrince Anderson, 23, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;
• Eurie Gerard Richardson, 30, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl;
• Scotty Orlando Simmons, 25, of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Cocaine Base;
• Zavie London Jefferson, 28, of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine; and
• Dexter Deandre Ferguson-Fuller, 24, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Cocaine Base; Possessing Cocaine and Cocaine Base with Intent to Distribute; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking.

The City of Charleston’s Mayor John Tecklenburg commends the agencies who came together to make these arrests possible.

He applauds the entire collaboration effort, but he’s extra thankful to the U.S. Attorney for the federal indictments.

“That can really stick a lot better than the state and local charges, it has more teeth, more accountability to really make a lasting difference of taking these criminals off the street and keeping our community safe,” Tecklenburg said.

The second part of the investigation focused on people in the Charleston area who were allegedly conspiring to illegally obtain firearms through the use of “straw purchasers.” A straw purchaser is someone who purchases a firearm for another person, often when the people for whom the purchase is made cannot legally purchase a firearm themselves.

It was led by the ATF and is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.

These five people were charged in this portion of the operation:

• Bernard Freeman Scott, Jr., 24, of Ladson, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms; Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms; and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon;
• Andre Moore, 24, of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon;
• Nykobie Bryant Fleming, 26, of Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms;
• Jedarius Tyewon Haynes Dessausure, 26, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms; and
• Jasmine Lasha Smalls, 27, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Make False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms and Making False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms.

Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano says the individuals arrested Tuesday were “pouring poison into our community and committing very violent acts.”

“They were the worst of the worst, and they’re off the streets now,” Graziano said. “What the community needs to know and understand is that we are still in this fight, and we’re in it together, you can see that here. This is not going to stop, and we will continue to work together until these cancers are removed from our streets and our neighborhoods.”

The third part of the operation focused on people in Summerville and North Charleston who allegedly conspired to commit wire fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. One person was also charged with money laundering. This portion of the investigation was led by the FBI, Secret Service, IRS and SBA:

• Staci Harley, 41, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;
• Roberta Harley, 61, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Wire Fraud; and Money Laundering;
• Anthony Harley, 40, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;
• Zyaisha Blue, 22, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;
• Benjamin Blue, 42, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;
• Antanasia Harley, 20, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;
• Anthony Pinckney, 40, of Summerville, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud;
• Sheniqua Mitchell, 37, of North Charleston, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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