Rock Hill man second to plead guilty in largest-ever York SC fentanyl bust
A second South Carolina man has pleaded guilty in the biggest fentanyl bust in York County history after prosecutors say a secret drug lab was found near Lake Wylie close to the Charlotte border, court records show.
Thomas Anthony Perry, of Rock Hill, faces 10 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, according to a plea agreement from the U.S. District Court in Columbia.
Perry, his lawyer, and federal prosecutors all signed the plea deal that was released publicly late Friday, records show.
A plea hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in front of federal judge Sherri Lydon, court records show.
Two defendants arrested in the case have now pleaded guilty, while two more still face charges days after a judge denied an attempt by one of the remaining defendants to suppress the drug seizure.
In October, Javaris Latrey Johnson of Clover pleaded guilty to the same charge as Perry.
Quonzy Lanard Hope and Timario Martez Gayton, both of Rock Hill, each have pleaded not guilty.
Drugs seized near Charlotte
Police and federal agents seized 60-plus pounds of fentanyl from a Lake Wylie area mobile home that included 160,000 pills, according to federal documents and court testimony.
Police also found pill presses, guns, money, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, court documents show.
What is fentanyl?
At a news conference after the Lake Wylie seizure, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman and Sen. Lindsey Graham and local officials said the fentanyl taken from the trailer was enough to kill the entire population of South Carolina.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA says fentanyl is inexpensive, widely available, highly addictive, and lethal.
What happens next?
All four defendants, including Johnson and Perry who have pleaded guilty, remain in federal custody.
Sentencing dates have not been set for Johnson and Perry.
A federal trial for Gayton and Hope could begin as early as January.
The four defendants also face South Carolina state charges from the same incident.
This story was originally published December 18, 2023 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Rock Hill man second to plead guilty in largest-ever York SC fentanyl bust."
