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‘Triple Crown’ Drug Kingpin Sentenced to 25 Years as South Carolina’s Drug Trafficking Pipeline Exposed

By James Seidel

Crime and Cask News Network

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A key player in one of South Carolina’s largest drug trafficking conspiracies will spend the next 25 years behind bars, but the case reveals a deeper, more troubling truth about how drugs flow into the Palmetto State — a pipeline that stretches from California to South Carolina’s hidden waterways, and one that’s left a trail of violence, death, and unsolved murders in its wake.

Jonathan Wesley Cole, also known as “Buckshot,” pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy to traffic cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana across South Carolina, according to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson. Cole, prosecutors say, was a primary supplier in a network spanning Kershaw, Sumter, and Richland counties — part of the larger ‘Triple Crown’ investigation, which has implicated more than 50 co-conspirators.

Cole is currently being detained at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland, County, S.C.

A Direct Pipeline from California to South Carolina

Cole regularly flew to California, where he obtained large quantities of drugs, then smuggled them back to South Carolina in his luggage on commercial flights, prosecutors said. Once back home, Cole’s operation would distribute cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana to high-level dealers across the state.

The investigation gained momentum on April 30, 2022, when authorities intercepted one of Cole’s couriers returning from California with 12 pounds of marijuana in his suitcase. The bust led to searches of properties tied to Cole, uncovering:

Two vacuum-sealed bags buried near a wooded area containing 635 grams of cocaine and 1,437 grams of fentanyl — enough fentanyl to kill 500,000 people.
An assault rifle and body armor-piercing ammunition.
Over $27,000 in cash believed to be drug proceeds.
Approximately 16 pounds of marijuana.

Investigators also discovered that Cole had laundered drug money through a vacant barber shop, masking illicit profits behind a legitimate front business.

A Tale as Old as Operation Jackpot

If Cole’s operation sounds familiar, it’s because South Carolina has long been a preferred drug trafficking corridor, dating back to Operation Jackpot in the late 1970s and early 1980s — a massive federal crackdown that exposed how shrimp boats, fishing vessels, and hidden islands along the state’s remote coastline were used to smuggle marijuana and cocaine into the Southeast.

One of the most infamous figures connected to Operation Jackpot was Barrett T. Boulware, a commercial fisherman from Allendale and a close associate of Alex Murdaugh. Boulware and his father were charged in 1983 after federal agents seized 17 tons of marijuana from a shrimp boat near the Bahamas. The case fell apart after a key government witness died under suspicious circumstances.

Boulware went on to co-own several properties with Murdaugh, including the Moselle estate, where Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were murdered in 2021.

The Island Connection — Drug Trafficking by Boat

Investigators have long suspected that Murdaugh and Boulware’s island properties, including a remote spot known locally as “Murdaugh Island”, were used for drug trafficking drops from shrimp boats, which only require 4 to 8 feet of water depth to unload their cargo. From there, drugs could be quickly moved to the mainland using tow trucks, a method former alleged Murdaugh supplier Jerry Rivers admitted to Crime and Cask News Network during an exclusive interview.

Rivers said drug-laden vehicles could be towed directly from secluded docks to highways like U.S. 21 and onto I-95, the spine of the East Coast drug trade, making South Carolina a perfect hub for traffickers like Buckshot.

The Bodies Left Behind — Unsolved Murders in Beaufort County

The same corridors that drugs travel have also been home to a chilling pattern of unsolved murders in Beaufort County, particularly on St. Helena Island — many with direct ties to the drug trade.

Among them:

Raymundo Lopez (2011), a known marijuana and cocaine dealer found shot to death inside his home.
Julius Chaplin (2011), gunned down in his driveway, followed by the murder of Joe Washington — a man linked to Chaplin’s case — the very next day.
Antonio Brewer (2015), shot in front of his girlfriend and child — allegedly to prevent him from testifying in court.

Investigators believe many of these murders stemmed from retaliation killings and drug disputes, further evidence that South Carolina’s drug trade doesn’t just move product — it leaves a trail of blood.

From Operation Jackpot to Triple Crown — Same Tactics, New Players

What makes Cole’s Triple Crown operation so alarming is how closely it mirrors the drug pipelines of the past. Whether through shrimp boats docking at Murdaugh Island, suitcases on commercial flights, or cash washed through fake barber shops, the flow of drugs into South Carolina never stopped — it only evolved.

The Sentence — and What’s Next

For his role in the conspiracy, Cole pleaded guilty to:

Conspiracy to traffic 400 grams or more of cocaine
Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl
Trafficking between 10 and 100 pounds of marijuana
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
Possession of a weapon during a violent crime

Judge Paul Burch sentenced Cole to 25 years in prison, but the case is far from over. The ‘Triple Crown’ investigation continues, with over 50 co-conspirators still facing charges.

CC News Network’s Commitment

At Crime and Cask News Network, our investigations don’t end with a press release or a sentencing. We are committed to following the flow of drugs, money, and violence that runs through South Carolina’s backroads, waterways, and courtrooms — no matter how many well-connected names appear in the margins.

From the unsolved murders on St. Helena Island to the money laundering in fake barber shops, the story of drugs in South Carolina is more than just a crime story — it’s a story of power, corruption, and families left searching for justice.

James Seidel’s investigative reporting has been featured on Fox News, Law & Crime, Court TV, Newsweek, and The Daily Mail. Crime and Cask News Network remains committed to fearless, fact-first reporting in South Carolina and beyond.

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