United States Drug Enforcement Administration

FLORENCE, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Florence returned a four-count indictment against Jawan Rayel White, 37; Derrell Sherald, 38; Amon Rasheem Rutledge, 34; Alexis Nicole Loscar, 30; and Christian Vargas, 21, for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The indictment alleges that White, while incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections on a 25-year sentence for drug distribution, conspired with his co-defendants to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl into South Carolina and surrounding states.

White faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and is currently incarcerated in SCDC on an unrelated state conviction. Rutledge faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and is currently detained pending an initial appearance and detention hearing before the Honorable Kaymani D. West, United States Magistrate Judge. Sherald, Loscar, and Vargas each face penalties of 20 years in prison and are currently detained pending an initial appearance and detention hearing before the United States District Court. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Ellis is prosecuting the case.  

U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.