Raid leads to largest meth bust in SC county and a homicide arrest, sheriff says
A stakeout and the search for a person believed to be involved in a homicide led to what the Lancaster County sheriff called “the largest seizure of methamphetamine in the county” that he knew of.
“We seized seven different types of drugs which are now out of circulation in Lancaster County and got three handguns off the street,” Sheriff Barry Faile said. “The operation was pulled together quickly and involved officers from five agencies but was conducted seamlessly and with no complications.”
Just before 6 a.m. Thursday, the Lancaster County SWAT team, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office investigators, state police, and federal agents raided a home on Doby’s Bridge Road in the town of Indian Land.
Inside the home and in a trailer in the backyard of the property authorities found almost 2 pounds of meth and nearly 2 ounces of heroin, according to a statement by Lancaster sheriff’s office. On the street the drugs are worth almost $100,000.
Authorities also found cocaine, hallucinogenic mushrooms, marijuana and other controlled substances, the sheriff’s office said. They seized three handguns, one with an obliterated serial number, drug paraphernalia and more than $4,000 in cash.
Meth, heroin, cocaine, marijuana and “shrooms” are on the list of Schedule 1 drugs, the illegal substances considered the most addictive with no currently accepted medical use that have the harshest criminal penalties for possessing or selling.
During the raid five people were in the home and all were arrested without incident:
- Erica Nicole Floyd, age 35, of Clover
- Sherri Christian Hunter, age 46, of Fort Mill
- Teresa Leann Price, age 32, of Leesville
- Shawn Harrison Wiland, age 46, of Indian Land
- Shannon Layne Myers, age 47, of Fort Mill
The stakeout that led to the raid began when Kershaw County investigators asked the Lancaster sheriff’s office for assistance locating Myers. Investigators had a warrant for Myers’ arrest, charging him with being an accessory to a September homicide in Kershaw County.
On Sept. 18, a woman going home from work found a body on the road about 16 miles north of Camden, according to Kershaw County Coroner David West. West identified the victim as 44-year-old Cletis Edward Baker, Jr. of Camden. His death was ruled a homicide.
Kershaw deputies have arrested six people, including Myers, in connection with Baker’s death.
After the raid, Myers and the other four people arrested were jailed at Lancaster County Detention Center and charged with trafficking meth and heroin, possession to distribute cocaine, marijuana and other drugs, weapon possession for a violent crime and selling drugs near a school.
A judge denied each bond and they are still jailed, the sheriff’s office said.
The home that was the base of the drug operation is near Indian Land Elementary School, police said. A high school and middle school are also nearby.
Lancaster County school officials were notified by police before and during the raid that an increased police presence would be nearby, said Bryan Vaughn, safety director for the school district.
To make parents aware of what was happening, school officials sent out a text message to parents advising that students were not in any danger and the campuses were safe, Vaughn said. The schools were not under a lockdown but officials were aware of the activity.
“The students and staff at all times were not in any danger,” Vaughn said.
Depending on prior criminal convictions, any of the suspects could go to prison for more than 30 years if convicted for any of the Schedule 1 drug offenses.
This story was originally published November 23, 2019 at 12:25 PM with the headline "Raid leads to largest meth bust in SC county and a homicide arrest, sheriff says."