Charleston area man given lengthy sentence on federal drug charges
CHARLESTON, S.C. – United States Attorney Sherri Lydon announced today that Brian Dale Lee, 40, was sentenced in federal court in Charleston after pleading guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and methamphetamine. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel, of Charleston, sentenced Lee to 293 month in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
Evidence presented in the case established that Lee was arrested along with two co-defendants at a hotel in Orangeburg on Jan. 16, 2018, after returning from a trip to Atlanta to purchase methamphetamine and heroin. During a search of Lee’s room, agents found 1,345 grams of methamphetamine and 150 grams of heroin, over $15,000, and five cell phones. Further investigation showed that Lee had previously made multiple trips to Atlanta to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin for distribution in the Charleston area.
Evidence in the case also showed that approximately four months prior to his arrest, Lee sold fentanyl to Lisa Cohen, who was previously sentenced in a separate federal case. Cohen’s 17-year-old son died from a fentanyl overdose after using the drugs provided by Lee.
The case was investigated by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, South Carolina Highway Patrol, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, North Charleston Police Department and Charleston County Coroner’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Nick Bianchi of the Charleston Office prosecuted the case.
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.justhinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov. Also follow DEA Atlanta via Twitter at @DEAATLANTADiv.
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