Judge Sentences 10 Members of Lexington County Drug Conspiracy

A federal judge sentenced 10 members of a large drug conspiracy to a combined 160 years in prison for their roles in distributing cocaine and crack cocaine in Lexington County, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Prosecutors said Antonio Dupree Williams, also known as Dollar Bill or Pree, ran the operation in the Batesburg-Leesville area.

Williams bought the cocaine from Hispanic distributors and stored it at the homes of his co-conspirators until customers placed orders, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Other co-conspirators made the deliveries.

The drug conspiracy involved an estimated 100 kg of cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Williams and his co-conspirators were convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, money laundering, possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of  firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. 

A judge sentenced Williams to 292 months in prison. 

The other defendants, who are all from Batesburg-Leesville or Columbia, were sentenced as follows: 

• Charles Henry Gantt, also known as Charles Jr. - 235 months 
• James Lewis Williams, also known as Lump - mandatory life
• Eric Fredrick Williams, also known as Sweet - 188 months 
• Anthony Walker Alphonso Thompson, also known as Tony - 210 months 
• William Jacoby Holloway, also known as Coby - 87 months 
• Lindsay Tyrone Leaphart, also known as Tyrone or Sleepy - 120 months
• Walter Leon Williams, also known as Scoop Dog - 135 months 
• Joseph Junior Nelson, also known as Bone - 121 months 
• Darrell T. Washington, also known as D-Black - 300 months  

The case was investigated by agents of the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, State Law Enforcement Division, Batesburg Police Department and the Newberry Police Department.   Assistant United States Attorneys William K. Witherspoon, Mark C. Moore and J.D. Rowell of the Columbia office handled the case.