North Charleston Man Sentenced to Over 16 Years for Drug Trafficking

A gavel and a block i
A gavel and a block is pictured on the judge's bench in this illustration picture taken in the Sussex County Court of Chancery in Georgetown, Delaware

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Maurice “Black” Adams, a 29-year-old North Charleston resident, was sentenced to 198 months in federal prison following his involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking operation. Adams faced charges for distributing methamphetamines, cocaine, fentanyl, and ice.

The court was informed that Adams was among 15 defendants implicated in a scheme to distribute drugs imported from Mexico. The operation involved using various mail services to transport controlled substances into the United States, primarily from Arizona and other western states to South Carolina. During his involvement, Adams received significant quantities of drugs, including 1.8 kilograms of methamphetamines, one kilogram of cocaine, nearly one kilogram of fentanyl, and over two kilograms of ice.

United States District Judge David C. Norton imposed the prison term, which will be followed by three years of supervised release. It is important to note that the federal system does not offer the option of parole.

The case against Adams was part of a broader Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. The OCDETF program aims to dismantle high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that pose a threat to the United States. This is achieved through a coordinated, multi-agency approach involving federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.