Beaufort Co. drug kingpin and rapper ‘Million Dolla Meat’ gets 22 years in federal prison
The 31-year-old leader of a drug trafficking ring that brought a large amount of cocaine into Beaufort and Jasper counties was sentenced Tuesday to federal prison, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon.
Demetrius Dwayne Swinton, also known as “Million Dolla Meat,” was sentenced in federal court this week after pleading guilty to “conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine,” the release said. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison with no parole, followed by five years of supervised release.
He also had to forfeit $500,000, along with two vehicles and six pieces of jewelry, including two 14K yellow and white gold and diamond custom grill teeth covers and a 10K white gold and diamond fashion pendant, according to court documents.
Three of Swinton’s “associates” were also sentenced, the release said.
Travis Wiggins, also known as “Trap,” 28, of Ridgeland, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Ernest Fields, also known as “Fly,” 39, of Hilton Head, was sentenced to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine.
Boston Brown, 32, of Bluffton, was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine.
“Swinton was responsible for moving at least 74 kilograms of cocaine” into South Carolina, mostly Beaufort and Jasper counties, from Atlanta, the release said. He “used violence and intimidation to maintain his status as a main drug supplier to that area.”
Agents investigating the drug trafficking ring seized over 47 kilograms of cocaine, 782 grams of crack cocaine, six kilograms of marijuana, 97 grams of heroin, 10 firearms, five vehicles, over $50,000 worth of jewelry, and over $68,000 in cash, the release said.
“It is our hope and belief that the significant sentences handed down to Swinton and his associates send a message to those hoping to fill their void and allow these communities, which have been ravaged by drug trafficking and violence, an opportunity to heal,” Lydon said in a release.
According to court documents, Swinton was born in Beaufort and raised in a single-parent Ridgeland home “where domestic violence and poverty was prevalent.”
“Swinton’s neighborhood was sadly infested with violence, drugs and teenage pregnancies were routine as there was no emphasis on education, whatsoever,” the sentencing document said.
Swinton played football in high school and was offered a scholarship to play college football in Texas, but the scholarship was revoked when he was injured, court documents said.
After attending a semester of college in Charlotte, Swinton “fell into the illegal drug industry, becoming a ‘runner’ for a drug dealer and learning the drug trade in order to earn money,” court documents said.
Shortly after he started selling drugs, Swinton’s rapping career began taking off and he recorded several songs under the name Million Dolla Meat. His most popular song on YouTube has over 37,000 views.
“After establishing himself as a rising rapper and generating a modest amount of legitimate income, Swinton was making efforts to extricate himself from the drug trade,” court documents said. “Tragically, this was around the time of Swinton’s arrest in late 2017. “
The case was investigated by the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Hampton County Sheriff’s Office, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Charleston Police Department, the Summerville Police Department, the North Charleston Police Department, the Mount Pleasant Police Department, the Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the S.C. Highway Patrol, and the S.C. National Guard.
This story was originally published July 2, 2019 at 5:54 PM.
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