Three Lexington County residents indicted by the state grand jury with distribution of Fentanyl lace

(COLUMBIA, SC) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced Wednesday that the South Carolina State Grand Jury has issued additional indictments of three people for their alleged participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy primarily involving heroin and fentanyl.

Previously, Benjamin Jamal Johnson, a/k/a Slim, 31, of Batesburg; Shiv Balvant Tailor, 21, of Lexington; and Savannah Lynn Stroud, 20, of Lexington, were all charged in May of 2019 with Trafficking Heroin 14-28 grams (Conspiracy). Specifically, the indictment alleged the “defendants conspired to deal counterfeit ‘Roxies’ consisting of a mixture containing heroin and other substances, including in some instances fentanyl”.

“It is common knowledge that the opioid crisis has devastated South Carolina and the entire nation. This Office intends to take aggressive action to fight this problem,” Attorney General Wilson said. “I want to thank all the law enforcement agencies involved for their hard work on this case. It’s another excellent example of different agencies working together with the State Grand Jury.”

Wednesday, one superseding indictment and four new indictments that, when combined with the original charge from May of 2019, total the following charges against the named individuals:

Shiv Balvant Tailor was further indicted with Trafficking Heroin, 14-28 grams, Distribution of Heroin, Distribution of Controlled Substance within Proximity of School, and Murder. He was also indicted for Distribution of Heroin, Distribution of Fentanyl, Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Schedule IV Controlled Substance, Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I Controlled Substance, Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Distribution of Heroin.

Benjamin Jamal Johnson “Slim” was indicted for Trafficking Heroin, 14-28 grams, Distribution of Heroin, Trafficking Heroin, 4-14 grams (4 counts), Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission or Attempt to Commit a Violent Crime, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana (2 counts).

Savannah Lynn Stroud Trafficking Heroin, 14-28 grams, Distribution of Heroin (3 counts), Distribution of Cocaine, Distribution of Heroin, Distribution of Fentanyl, Possession of Schedule IV Controlled Substance, Possession of Cocaine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule IV Controlled Substance (2 counts), Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule II Controlled Substance, Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule I Controlled Substance, Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine.

All these indictments supersede other indictments in three Midlands counties and Laurens County.

Shiv Tailor was indicted by the State Grand Jury for murder in the death of Bradley Brunson. Brunson died from an overdose of fentanyl on November 23, 2018.

The case was investigated by the South Carolina State Grand Jury with a partnership of the Attorney General’s State Grand Jury Section, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the Saluda County Sheriff’s Department, the Laurens County Sheriff’s Department, and the City of Columbia Police Department.

Attorney General Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.