24 month undercover drug buy operation lands dozen in jail

SUMTER CO., S.C. (WOLO) — The Sumter County Sheriff’s office spend the last two years working on an undercover sting operation they say put 12 drug dealers behind bars.

According to Sumter deputies, with the help of Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office they were able to make several under cover buys from a dozen men which led them get a search warrant.

Authorities say one of the suspects, Thornwell Jones, Jr., 69, is a retired Sergeant from the Sumter County Detention Center.

During the process of executing those warrants, deputies seized more than $250 thousand dollars worth of drugs.

Officials say the massive amounts of narcotics included Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Methamphetamine, and 36 pounds of Marijuana.

That wasn’t all deputies say they found. They were also able to take 21 guns from all of the searches and a total of more than $66 thousand dollars in cash.

Sumter county Sheriff Anthony Dennis says he hopes these arrests send a message to residents that “they will continue to do whatever is necessary to to make Sumter county safe, by removing drug dealers and illegal weapons off the street”

Authorities say the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are expected. Stay with ABC Columbia News for updates.