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Twelve Members of Midlands Drug Conspiracy Sentenced to Federal Prison

Federal sentences handed down in a Homeland Security Task Force investigation into a fentanyl, meth, cocaine, and crack cocaine trafficking ring.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 27, 2026, 3:22 p.m. ET
Developing · checked 52 min ago

This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.

We last searched for new coverage of this at Aug 27, 2026, 3:38 p.m. ET — checked 52 min ago.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Twelve members of a Midlands drug conspiracy have been to federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina. The sentences were announced on August 27, 2026, following a Homeland Security Task Force investigation. In total, over 15 kilograms of fentanyl, 16 kilograms of cocaine, 1.5 kilograms of crystal meth, 1 kilogram of crack cocaine, and 500 grams of meth were attributed to the conspiracy. Among those , Devin Terell Faulk, 36, of West Columbia, received 275 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Winner Cheerbinson Cherisol, 65, of Columbia, received 85 months. Other sentences ranged from 21 months to 120 months, with several defendants receiving time served or shorter terms. A final codefendant, Donat Telcy, has not yet been . Evidence presented to the court showed that Faulk, while incarcerated, directed a drug operation using contraband phones, coordinating purchases from Cherisol and deliveries through his sister Dasia Reed and her boyfriend Willie Geiger. Investigators conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and crystal meth from Reed and Geiger. Cherisol, a Haitian national previously deported for a federal drug trafficking conviction, was living in the U.S. unlawfully under a false identity. U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said, "Faulk and Cherisol continued to fuel dangerous drugs into our community." FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Anish Shukla stated, "These significant sentences send a clear message to anyone flooding our communities with dangerous drugs." Michael J. Connolly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, noted the operation's complexity and the collaboration of the Homeland Security Task Force. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon presided over the case. There is no parole in the federal system.

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  1. Version 127 Aug 2026, 19:22current

    First published.

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