2 charged in Rock Hill after York County SWAT, drug unit seize fentanyl, cocaine, guns
Two men face felony drug charges after York County agents and two SWAT teams seized fentanyl, cocaine, and guns from homes in Rock Hill Wednesday, officials said.
Cordney Wilson, 33, and William Thompson, 65, were arrested after police served search warrants at two houses on Bynum Avenue in the Boyd Hill neighborhood, said B.J. Kennedy, commander of the York County Mulitjurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit. The area is west of downtown Rock Hill, near the Winthrop University campus.
Officers found 188 grams of fentanyl, 221 grams of crack cocaine, 25 grams of cocaine, and three handguns in the search, Kennedy said. One of the guns had previously been reported stolen, Kennedy said.
The drug unit, Rock Hill Police Department SWAT, and the multi-agency York County SWAT team handled Wednesday’s search and seizure.
Suspects have prior drug convictions
Both suspects who were arrested have previous felony drug convictions, according to police and court records. Wilson has previous convictions for drugs, assault, and weapons, court records show.
Wilson was charged Wednesday with trafficking cocaine, trafficking crack cocaine over 200 grams, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of a weapon by a person convicted of a violent crime, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, and possession of a stolen gun, according to Kennedy and police and court records. Wilson also was charged with three charges of dealing drugs in close proximity to a school because the house is near Winthrop.
A conviction for trafficking cocaine or crack cocaine over 200 grams in South Carolina carries a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison if convicted, state law shows.
Thompson is charged with two counts of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute, and two counts of drug distribution in close proximity to a school, according to Kennedy and court records.
Thompson was free on bond from an August 2020 arrest on four felony drug charges, South Carolina court records show. Thompson has convictions dating back to the 1990s for drugs and other offenses, according to court records.
Wilson and Thompson remain in the York County jail on the current charges.
Drugs included dangerous fentanyl
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid pain reliever that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug that is illegal in both powder and crack forms, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
