Greenwood, S.C.; April 11, 2018 – Eighth Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced Wednesday that a Greenwood drug dealer was sentenced to 25 years in prison following a trial at the Greenwood County Courthouse.
Dazzelle Demarcus Smith, 33, was found guilty of trafficking cocaine, third offense, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, third offense, and possession with intent to distribute marijuana following a trial that began on Monday and ended Tuesday morning.
Circuit Judge Frank Addy Jr. then sentenced Smith to 25 years on the trafficking cocaine charge, 20 years on the possession with intent to distribute crack charge, and 10 years on the possession with intent to distribute marijuana charge, with all sentences running concurrently. Trafficking cocaine is a serious and violent offense under state law and Smith must serve a minimum of 85 percent of the sentence before being considered for parole.
Smith has two prior convictions for trafficking crack cocaine.
In November 2016, officers were patrolling the area of Tanyard Avenue on foot when they observed Smith sitting alone in a vehicle that was illegally parked. As they approached the vehicle, officers could smell the odor of marijuana. The odor got stronger as they got closer to the vehicle.
Officers located Smith in the vehicle and could see marijuana in the driver side door handle. Officers asked Smith to exit the vehicle and began to search the vehicle. Officers located multiple plastic bags of marijuana totaling more 228 grams, multiple plastic bags of crack cocaine totaling more than five grams, and multiple baggies of cocaine totaling more than 40 grams.
Deputy Solicitor Yates Brown and Assistant Solicitor Anna Sumner prosecuted the case for the state with assistance from 8th Circuit Investigator Courtney Smith. Smith was represented by Bill Yarborough of the Greenville County Bar.
Solicitor Stumbo praised the work of his staff along with Sgt. Martin Harrelson, Sgt. Kenya Griffin, Senior Master Patrolman Cory Boyter, Private First Class Johnathan Vaughn of the Greenwood Police Department and Det. Whit Brooks of the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office in securing the conviction and lengthy prison sentence.
Smith’s sentence comes less than a week after another crack dealer was convicted of trafficking illegal drugs in the 8th Circuit and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Reginald Scurry was convicted last week in Newberry County on a charge of trafficking crack cocaine, third offense.
“We are seeing more death and misery than ever before from addiction to dangerous narcotics, and men like Dazzelle Smith have preyed upon those folks for profit,” Solicitor Stumbo said. “It is good to see a career drug dealer like Smith put behind bars where he belongs. My office will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder on the thin blue line with our brothers and sisters in law enforcement to keep our streets safe from thugs like Dazzelle Smith.”