GREENWOOD – A McCormick drug dealer was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday afternoon following a three-day jury trial at the Greenwood County Courthouse, 8th Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced Thursday morning.
Rekeem Ledell Ware, 35, of McCormick, was found guilty by a Greenwood County jury Wednesday of driving under suspension, giving false information to law enforcement, possession of cocaine, and trafficking methamphetamine, 28 grams or more. Circuit Judge Frank Addy Jr. then sentenced Ware to 15 years in prison.
In November 2020, deputies with the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office observed a vehicle with a suspended license plate and initiated a traffic stop near the Eaton facility along Highway 72/221 East. The driver initially gave a name and date of birth of another individual. After seeing that the picture in Department of Motor Vehicle records did not match the driver, deputies asked the driver to step out of the vehicle. While frisking the driver for weapons, deputies located a wallet with an identification card bearing Ware’s name.
Deputies then searched the vehicle along with Ware’s person and located a bag containing about 8 grams of cocaine, more than 180 pills that later tested positive for methamphetamine, an open package of small ziplock bags, and a set of digital scales
Deputy Solicitor Yates Brown and Senior Assistant Solicitor Andrew Hodges handled the case for the state, with assistance from 8th Circuit Investigator Blake Moore. Ware was represented by Jamison Tinsley of the Greenwood County Bar.
Solicitor Stumbo praised the work of his staff, along with Deputy Michael Mejia and Capt. Ricky Madden of the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office in securing the conviction.
“We have seen time and time again the very wide and destructive ripple effects of methamphetamine use, and I am pleased to know that one more drug dealer will be unable to push his poison on our streets,” Solicitor Stumbo said. “Unfortunately, there will be more dealers waiting to fill the void, so we will continue to fight alongside our partners in law enforcement to fight the scourge of deadly narcotics in this community.”
