Arrested Charles Edward Smith, 32, after a reverse purchase of drugs at a hotel

Arrested Charles Edward Smith, 32, after a reverse purchase of drugs at a hotel and brief foot pursuit in July 2008. Prosecutors said deputies found more than 100 grams of cocaine in Smith's possession.Smith admitted to buying about four ounces of the substance for $3,780 at the hotel.Smith's attorney told Hayes that his client, who has a vision problem that made it difficult to keep a job, got swept into dealing drugs because the money was too good and too quick.Prosecutors agreed to charge Smith with trafficking between 28 and 100 grams of cocaine provided that he serve 15 years and pay a $50,000 fine. Had Smith been convicted by trial, he would have faced a sentence of seven to 25 years.

Arrested Charles Edward Smith, 32, after a reverse purchase of drugs at a hotel

Arrested Charles Edward Smith, 32, after a reverse purchase of drugs at a hotel and brief foot pursuit in July 2008. Prosecutors said deputi...

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Travis M. Smith,fled on foot after stepping out of a vehicle in a hotel parking lot on South Blackstock Road

Travis M. Smith, 30, must serve 85 percent of the sentence issued by Judge J. Derham Cole before he is eligible for parole.Spartanburg County sheriff's deputies arrested Smith and Joey Wood, 29, of Moore during a Feb. 12, 2008, traffic stop. Deputies said Smith fled on foot after stepping out of a vehicle in a hotel parking lot on South Blackstock Road, but he was captured after a brief pursuit.Deputies said they saw Smith throw a plastic bag that contained cocaine while he was trying to flee. Charges against Wood are pending.Smith's criminal record includes prior convictions for possession of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and distribution of cocaine.

Travis M. Smith,fled on foot after stepping out of a vehicle in a hotel parking lot on South Blackstock Road

Travis M. Smith, 30, must serve 85 percent of the sentence issued by Judge J. Derham Cole before he is eligible for parole.Spartanburg Count...

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Pierre Gentry

Pierre Gentry, 25, of Spartanburg and involved distribution of almost 2,000 pounds of cocaine between 2000 and 2006, said Spartanburg Public Safety Director Tony Fisher. In an effort dubbed "Operation Kandy Rapper," investigators learned Gentry had drug connections in Atlanta and was a supplier of cocaine to mid-level dealers in the Converse Street area.<br />In all, that group received drugs from dealers with ties to California, Texas, Georgia and North Carolina and were responsible for shootings and other violent crimes, Fisher said.<br />"To some, it may be, 'OK another drug bust,' but for us, not only is this significant but hopefully next week, or the week after that, whatever we're able to do will also be significant," he said. "We have worked with social scientists and others, trying to reduce the demand. We have not had the effect at the demand level that we wanted, so we're going to have to continue to work from the law enforcement side in dealing with the profitability of the trade."<br />The operation was a multi-agency effort with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office. Sheriff Chuck Wright said Friday that crime fell in the area after the drug ring was taken down, indicating they were involved in various crimes.<br />"Anytime you take a drug dealer and a supplier and you knock a hole in his operation, the ripple effect is big," Wright said. "It makes them scurry around and make mistakes, which is good for us."<br />A federal jury found Gentry and two co-defendants, Kenneth Howard, 43, and Anthony Wilkins, 32, guilty last week of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 5 kilograms of cocaine and at least 50 grams of crack cocaine. The trio will be sentenced at a later date.<br />The investigation identified 20 people involved in the conspiracy. Twelve people have entered guilty pleas, and the remainder await trial, Fisher said.<br />Narcotics officers said they faced numerous obstacles during the investigation, including the difficulty in tracking down out-of-state suspects and determining the identifies of dealers known only by their street names. Spartanburg narcotics officer Sgt. Doug Harwell said the case entailed multiple interviews with co-defendants and cooperating sources who gave information that had to be verified.

Pierre Gentry

Pierre Gentry, 25, of Spartanburg and involved distribution of almost 2,000 pounds of cocaine between 2000 and 2006, said Spartanburg Public...

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