Officials say a Newberry “career criminal” to spend nearly two decades behind bars...
A Whitmire man pled guilty to trafficking methamphetamine in August of this year. Officials said 31 year old Tarakus Coleman sold methamphetamine, about 6 ounces, to an undercover SC Law Enforcement Division (SLED) agent during a multi-agency narcotics sting.
Phone calls between Coleman and undercover agents were recorded leading up to the drug buy according to Officials. Those recordings were preserved for evidence in the case.
Coleman has been convicted twice for strongarm robbery, twice for burglary, and other prior convictions for narcotics distribution in the past 12 years, garnering him a "career criminal" according to Officials.
On Monday, December 18, 2023, Coleman was sentenced to 18 years in prison and will not be eligible for early release until 85% of his sentence is served.