South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced guilty pleas in the largest drug conspiracy in the state. Wilson says The leaders of the drug trafficking ring called the shots from inside a state prison on illegal cell phones. Nicanor Rodriguez and Anthony Gracely both entered guilty please after being indicted.
The Director Of South Carolina's Dept. Of Corrections Bryan Stirling said " I hope one day we will have the necessary legislation to allow state prisons to jam illegal cell phones.
The State Grand Jury has issued indictments in two separate investigations into the drug ring. The indictments total over 100 defendants, 500 charges and span multiple South Carolina counties. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to a long list of drug charges, kidnapping and criminal conspiracy.
The investigation discovered that Rodriguez ordered the kidnapping of the 18 year old, pregnant daughter of an alleged conspirator who owed him a drug debt. Rodriguez entered guilty pleas to four counts of trafficking meth to three different counties in the state. Also, one count each of trafficking cocaine and heroin in Greenville County. The conspiracy and kidnapping charges are from Edgefield County. Rodriguez was given an additional 40 years on his exisiting sentence.
Gracely is the lead co-conspirator in the indictment. He pleaded guilty to four counts of trafficking meth and one count of trafficking heroin. His sentencing is set for a later date. The Attorney General's Office says the drug empire accounted for the distribution of over 1,000 kilos of meth and heroin statewide.
