Kershaw County resident sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for drug possession (DOJ)

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Van Lydell Starling, 48, of Lugoff, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.

On July 20, 2023, investigators with the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at Starling's known residence on Green Hill Road in Lugoff.

During the search, investigators found multiple guns, .52 grams of crack cocaine, 1.5 grams of fentanyl, a box of sandwich bags with a razor blade, several digital scales with white residue on them, a clear container containing crack cocaine residue, a black notebook that appeared to be a drug ledger, and Starling's identification card along with $2,604 in cash. Based upon the amount of drugs, the digital scales, the sandwich bags, and the drug ledger, the police determined that the crack cocaine was intended to be distributed.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Starling to 180 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case.

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