3 Midlands Residents Sentenced in Drug Case

United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins stated that three defendants were sentenced in federal court for their roles in a Columbia-based drug distribution conspiracy. Jimmy Dean, age 28, of Columbia, led the conspiracy, which involved transporting cocaine from Atlanta and supplying it and marijuana to various drug dealers in the Midlands. Agents seized six firearms and several cars used by the defendants to further their drug dealing enterprise.

The following defendants were sentenced by the United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie:

Jimmy DEAN, of Columbia, was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison;

Michael LOGGINS, age 27, of Swansea, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison; and

Laura SURLES, age 26, of West Columbia, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison.

In addition to the prison sentences, the defendants forfeited cash, cars, firearms, and other assets used in the conspiracy or purchased with drug money.

The investigation was a joint effort of the Cayce Police Department, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Assistant United States Attorney James Leventis of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

June 26th is the UN International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

“Yes, there is a lot to do to stem the tide of drug experimentation by youth,” says Clark Carr, President of Narconon International, headquartered in Los Angeles. “Daily we are confronted with new, sometimes bizarre statistics, such as described in the LA Times article, relating that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other organizations are now drug screening municipal waste water and sewage systems to determine city-wide abuse of drugs – drug metabolites in the sewers!” London and Milan reported to show heroin use. Las Vegas, more methamphetamine. But Narconon staff and students, Carr says, know from talking with students face to face what drugs are being used right now, here. The kids always are in the know about the street and school scene.

In the U.S., in this last year Narconon reached 265,000 youth with drug education. In Southern California, Tony Bylsma, as an example, spearheaded delivery of 540 talks to 26,000 students in 173 schools. He knows from his students what “pharming” parties are – the new term for hanging out and downing assorted pharmaceuticals from parents’ medicine cabinets or pills scored on the net.

“However,” Bylsma says, “daily I do get good news, bright, thankful faces.” Narconon drug educators regularly survey their students. Bylsma showed a recent Los Angeles 7th-grader survey which cheerfully reports. “It was cool! Cause he wasn’t boring and we understood him … Before I thought drugs were cool, and I was so close to using them.”

Adults too need constantly to learn what’s what in the changing drug scene.

“The sun never sets on Narconon drug education,” says Carr. “We can’t afford to rest. Fortunately, we get more energy back from the kids than we ever give out. That’s the joy of doing this work.”

For more information on Narconon drug education or to ask for a presentation, please go to www.narconon.org and click on the Narconon center nearest you.