Abbeville trafficker catches two decades in prison for half-kilo of meth
ABBEVILLE – An Abbeville County man with a lengthy criminal record is headed to prison for 20 years after changing his plea to guilty Tuesday just before a jury was to be selected for his trial, 8th Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced Friday.
Kenneth Dewayne McGaha, 56, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking methamphetamine on Monday afternoon and was scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday morning. McGaha absconded from the area, but was apprehended on Tuesday evening near Clayton, Georgia.
Circuit Judge Frank Addy Jr. sentenced McGaha on Thursday to 20 years in prison after he was brought back to court in Abbeville. The offense is considered violent under South Carolina law and McGaha must serve a minimum of 85 percent of the prison sentence before being considered for parole.
In December 2021, investigators with the Abbeville County Sheriff’s Office used a confidential informant to purchase 28 grams of methamphetamine from McGaha. Based on this buy, investigators were able to obtain a search warrant for McGaha’s residence in the Honea Path area where McGaha was found with more than 450 grams of methamphetamine ready for distribution.
Deputy Solicitor Wade Dowtin and Assistant Solicitor Madison Hoffman prepared the case for trial for the state, with assistance from 8th Circuit investigators Chris Wilkie and Blake Moore. McGaha was represented by Hunter Blouin of the Greenville County Bar.
Solicitor Stumbo praised the work of his staff along with Abbeville County investigators Jeffrey Hines and Mack Gladden in securing the conviction and lengthy prison sentence. The Solicitor also recognized the work of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and Rabun County (Ga.) Sheriff’s Office in assisting in the apprehension of McGaha after he absconded from the area prior to his scheduled sentencing hearing in Abbeville on Tuesday.
“Illegal narcotics—particularly meth and fentanyl—continue to rip through the fabric of our communities and I am pleased that another career drug dealer is headed to prison for a long time courtesy of Sheriff (Ray) Watson’s crew in Abbeville,” Solicitor Stumbo said following the sentencing. “We will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our law enforcement officers to proactively seek out and prosecute these poison pushers to the fullest extent of the law.”
