COLUMBIA, SC (WBTW) – An inmate and four others have been convicted on drug trafficking charges.

The following people were convicted after an 8-day trial, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina:

  • Glenn Pernell, 41, of Marion County: convicted of “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin. He was attributed 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 1 kilogram or more of heroin. He was also convicted of four counts of use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.”
  • Whitney Pernell, 29, of Marion County: convicted of “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin.  She was attributed 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 1 kilogram or more of heroin.  She was also convicted of one count of use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.”
  • Fatima Ford, 33, of Marion County: convicted of ” conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin.  She was attributed 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 1 kilogram or more of heroin.”
  • Santerrio Smith, 31: convicted of “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin.  He was attributed 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of cocaine base, and 100 grams or more of heroin.  He was also convicted of two counts of use of a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin.”
  • Terrence Dunlap, 25, of Columbia: convicted of “conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin.  He was attributed 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin.  He was also convicted of one count of use of a communications facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base.”

Eleven others were charged in a “53-count Superseding Indictment alleging drug conspiracy and related charges.”

“According to the evidence, agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Columbia Violent Gang Task Force (CVGTF) began investigating Smith in 2016 for drug trafficking. Wiretaps on Smith’s phones revealed a network of individuals with whom Smith was heavily involved, including Terrence Dunlap, Smith’s ‘right-hand man,’ who stored cocaine and heroin for Smith and who cooked cocaine into crack cocaine for sale on the streets of Richland County,” the release said. “Agents discovered that one of Smith’s primary drug suppliers was Glenn Pernell, an inmate at Lieber Correctional Institution in Ridgeville. Pernell used contraband cell phones to communicate with Smith and arrange for deliveries of cocaine and heroin to Smith. Pernell relied on family members and close friends, including his sister Whitney Pernell and his cousin Fatima Ford, to store drugs and money for his drug trafficking organization.”

“Three other women testified that, while he was incarcerated, Glenn Pernell contacted them through Facebook. After he made a personal connection with the women, Pernell sent each of them gifts and money to help pay their bills,” the release also said. “Eventually, Pernell began asking for favors in return; the women began making drug and money runs for Pernell until July 3, 2017, when one of the women was stopped by law enforcement while on her way to deliver a large amount of cocaine to Smith.”

“As a result of the convictions, each of the defendants faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in federal prison,” added the release. “United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis of Columbia presided over the trial and will impose a sentence on each of the defendants after receiving and reviewing pre-sentence reports prepared by the United States Probation Office.”

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