Source: Office of United States Attorneys
FLORENCE, S.C. — Zuri Jaheem Stephens, 23, of Horry County, has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in October and November 2022, law enforcement conducted a series of controlled buys of fentanyl from Stephens. Following those buys, law enforcement obtained search warrants for addresses in Little River that were associated with Stephens. During the search of one of these addresses, law enforcement found fentanyl and methamphetamine, pills, a pill press, and assorted firearm magazines. During the search of another address, law enforcement found fentanyl, methamphetamine, and two firearms.
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III sentenced Stephens to 105 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Horry County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Flynn and Lauren Hummel are prosecuting the case.
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