Goose Creek Men Plead Guilty To Manufacturing Methamphetamine In Apartment Where Fire Killed Three Residents
COLUMBIA, S.C. - United States Attorney William N. Nettles stated today that Jerald McCabe, age 34, of Berkeley County, SC, was sentenced by the Honorable Richard M. Gergel to 25 years imprisonment (1) conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine; (2) manufacturing methamphetamine where children reside. McCabe had previously pled guilty on April 29, 2013.
The investigation began on May 31, 2012, after a suspicious fire occurred at the Pine Harbour Apartments in Goose Creek, SC, which resulted in three deaths and the displacement of numerous residents. The investigation revealed a used, one-pot methamphetamine lab in the apartment where the fire began, as well as other chemicals and tools used for the manufacture of methamphetamine. The investigation further revealed that McCABE and his co-defendant, Shonni ABERNATHY, manufactured methamphetamine in that apartment on numerous, previous occasions.
Mr. Nettles stated that the case was investigated by Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, State Law Enforcement (SLED), the Drug Enforcement (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorney Peter Phillips of the Charleston office handled the prosecution. The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.justthinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov.
