United States Drug Enforcement Administration

FLORENCE, S.C.— Kayla Tisdale, 37, of Little River, has pleaded guilty to misprision of felony based on her concealment of a scheme to launder assets purchased with funds that she knew were derived from drug trafficking. 

Evidence presented during her change of plea hearing demonstrated that Tisdale was formerly in a relationship with a large-scale drug trafficker who distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine, among other drugs.  She admitted to assisting her paramour in laundering at least $750,000 in assets that were illegally obtained using the proceeds from the drug trafficking business.  She did so by depositing funds across different banks, trading cryptocurrency, and even purchasing gold bullion, all in an attempt to obscure the source of the funds.  Much of this evidence was uncovered after Tisdale’s accomplice was arrested on drug trafficking charges. Agents obtained recorded jail calls during which the drug trafficker instructed Tisdale to hide certain assets to conceal them from authorities. Rather than notify authorities of the ongoing illegal conduct, she took steps to conceal the crimes. 

Tisdale faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, potential restitution orders, and a year of court supervision to follow her term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Joseph Dawson accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Tisdale after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report that will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian is prosecuting the case. 

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MEDIA CONTACT:   Veronica Wheeler, Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Attorney’s Office, veronica.wheeler@usdoj.gov, (803) 929-3000