Christopher David Jeffcoat, 42, and Kenneth Eddy Frye, 59, both of Lexington, have pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Jeffcoat and Frye—along with a third defendant, Jerry Lynn Cordell—were involved in distributing methamphetamine in Lexington County.  The Lexington County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Enforcement Team along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began an investigation of the men.  Using an undercover agent, they made methamphetamine purchases from the men on seven different occasions, buying amounts ranging from 50 grams up to over 200 grams at a time. 

Both men face a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and 4 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.  United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence both men after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. 

Cordell previously pleaded guilty to his involvement in the conspiracy and is also awaiting sentencing.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department NET team. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.