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York County Men Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison in Massive Fentanyl Conspiracy

By James Seidel | CC News Network

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Two Rock Hill men have been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for their roles in a major fentanyl drug trafficking operation that authorities say could have produced tens of thousands of deadly doses.

In October 2022, the York County Sheriff’s Office and federal drug agents seized more than 30,000 grams, or 65 pounds, of fentanyl from a mobile home near Lake Wylie. Federal indictments said the home, on Golden Pond Drive in Clover, was a secret drug lab.

Timario Gayton, 33, and Quonzy Hope, 36, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The investigation, part of a larger Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, began in August 2022 when Hope allegedly sold approximately 5,000 pills to a confidential informant. The sale led investigators to a property in York County suspected of housing a clandestine drug lab.

On October 19, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant on a trailer located on the property. Inside, they found Gayton, Hope, and two additional individuals. The trailer was immediately identified as an operational pill lab, and once safely cleared, agents discovered a massive haul of illicit substances and equipment.

According to court records, agents recovered:

Approximately 160,000 pills containing more than 29 kilograms of fentanyl,
1,890 grams of cocaine,
690 grams of methamphetamine,
1,500 grams of heroin,
Multiple pill press machines,
Drug paraphernalia,
And large amounts of cash.

U.S. District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced both men to 180 months in federal prison, followed by a term of court-ordered supervision. As with all federal convictions, there is no possibility of parole.

“This was a significant bust that dismantled an extremely dangerous drug operation capable of producing lethal quantities of fentanyl,” said officials involved in the investigation. The bigger question that appears to not have been answered, is where did the drug dealers get the fentanyl from?

Fentanyl has rapidly become the drug of choice for traffickers because it is far more potent and easier to smuggle than traditional narcotics like marijuana or cocaine. Just a few kilograms of fentanyl—equivalent in size to a small backpack—can deliver hundreds of thousands of doses, making it incredibly efficient to transport across borders or conceal within domestic shipments. Its compact size and high potency allow traffickers to move more product with less risk, fewer resources, and significantly higher profit margins compared to bulkier drugs like marijuana or cocaine, which require larger shipments and are easier to detect.

In February, Chester County deputies arrested a couple on drug trafficking charges after uncovering 3.7 pounds of fentanyl, $91,000 in cash, 17 firearms, 87 grams of crack cocaine, and two pounds of marijuana during a raid at a home on Berryhill Road in rural Edgemoor.

These arrests are not isolated incidents. In Beaufort County, a traffic stop near Parris Island revealed a duffel bag packed with fentanyl pills, powder cocaine, marijuana, and meth. Police arrested two men: a 33-year-old from Yemassee and a 58-year-old from Beaufort. One suspect attempted to flee on foot, another was carrying enough fentanyl to kill thousands.

Jerry Rivers, a former tow truck driver previously linked to Alex Murdaugh, told CC News that tow trucks are routinely used to haul drug-filled vehicles across the Lowcountry. “You can move a car from one end of the state to another,” Rivers said. “If you don’t know what’s in it, you’re just doing your job. But that trunk could be loaded.”

The Epidemic by the Numbers

In Florence County, six pounds of fentanyl worth over $3 million were seized from a North Carolina man on I-95 this February.
In 2023, over 2,000 South Carolinians died from opioid-related overdoses. Fentanyl was involved in more than 75% of them.
In Chester County, deputies seized $91,000, seventeen guns, and nearly four pounds of fentanyl in a rural drug raid.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Major prosecuted the case.

Authorities emphasized the importance of public education in the fight against synthetic opioids. For more information on the dangers of fentanyl and resources for families, the DEA encourages visiting dea.gov/onepill.

James Seidel reports for CC News Network. Follow @ccnewsnetwork for updates on federal crime and justice throughout the Carolinas.