A man convicted in May of felony drug charges is now facing more trouble, becoming the 40th person to be arrested as part of an ongoing campaign initiated earlier this month by Sampson County drug agents.
Steven Prentice Williams, 24, of 564 Ferrell St., Clinton, has been charged with three counts of possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, three counts of selling cocaine and three counts of delivering cocaine, as well as conspiring to sell cocaine, conspiring to deliver cocaine, maintaining a vehicle for the sale and storage of a controlled substance and misdemeanor child abuse.
There was 1.4 grams of “crack” cocaine was seized in the case, according to reports. The drug warrants were issued on Monday and served at the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office the same day.
Williams was placed in the Sampson County Detention Center under $230,000 secured.
“(Williams) was taken into custody on warrants obtained during the ongoing drug campaign,” Sheriff’s Lt. Marcus Smith confirmed Tuesday.
The charges stem from an ongoing campaign by Sheriff’s Special Investigations Division agents, which has now seen 40 people arrested in the past two weeks. Little information has been released other than the charges against suspects, some of whom are facing a laundry list of felony offenses, including Williams.
SID agents made the first wave of arrests on July 11, the culmination of what authorities said was a yearlong undercover operation in Sampson. Additional arrests have been announced on a regular basis since then. Offenses leveled have included possession, sale and delivery of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and prescription pills, conspiracy to commit drug offenses and maintaining residences and vehicles for the sale and storage of those controlled substances.
Up until Williams’ arrest, bonds ranged between $10,000 and $200,000. His is the highest yet.
Additionally, he was served orders for arrest on charges of failing to stop at a stop sign/flashing red light and driving while license revoked. Bond was set at $1,000 secured for those failure to appear offenses.
According to the N.C. Department of Public Safety, Williams was just convicted in Sampson County on May 8 of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and selling a Schedule II controlled substance. He received a suspended sentence and three years probation, court records show. His probationary status is active.