Rock Hill Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Sean Demetrius Goins, 54, of Rock Hill, has been sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the defendant sold fentanyl or possessed with the intent to sell it on eight occasions. Goins was the leader of a drug trafficking organization that spanned from Rock Hill to Columbia. After his arrest in May 2023, federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration located four firearms, miscellaneous rounds of ammunition, two kilogram presses, 1,365 grams of fentanyl, and 494 grams of cocaine. Two of the firearms had previously been reported as stolen. The defendant was ultimately held responsible for 11,475 grams of fentanyl, 495 grams of cocaine, and 29 grams of fentanyl analogue.

The defendant had previously been convicted in the Middle District of Pennsylvania for conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, for which he received a 20-year sentence. The defendant also had a prior felony conviction from 2020 for assault with a dangerous weapon, felon in possession of a firearm, and habitual offender.

United States District Judge Sherri Lydon sentenced Goins to 245 months imprisonment, to be followed by an eight-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and the Richland County Sheriff's Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case.

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