Sheriff nabs 'major player' of drug scene

By ROBERT BAKER
Item Staff Writer
bbaker@theitem.com

SUMMERTON — A standoff with the Clarendon County Sheriff's Office Thursday ended with a "major player" in the local drug scene off the street, Sheriff Randy Garrett said.

Lambert Dorrell Sweat, 32, of 1145 McNair Drive in Summerton, was arrested at his home and charged with trafficking in cocaine, third offense, possession of marijuana, third offense, and the manufacturing of illegal DVD motion picture recordings.

Sweat was originally arrested in January on similar charges, which were turned over to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charleston, Garrett said.

"We turned the case over to them and to the (Drug Enforcement Agency) and they indicted him federally," Garret said. Federal authorities put out warrants for Sweat's arrest about a month ago.

"We had the warrants, and then he was spotted at Wal-Mart yesterday," Garrett said Friday. "When deputies tried to take him into custody, he fled."

Garrett said deputies were aware of Sweat's address and had gone to his home in Summerton to arrest him.

"He wouldn't come to the door and barricaded himself in the house," Garrett said. "He came out on the porch several times and challenged us to come in and get him."

Garrett said during Sweat's previous arrest on Jan. 30, deputies found several pistols and shotguns as well as $10,000 cash.

"With the prior knowledge of him that we had, we felt that he would probably be armed," Garrett said. "We negotiated for several hours and had to shoot tear gas in the home."

Garrett said he received help from Sweat's mother as well.

"(She) came up and she and I both talked to him on a cell phone and she convinced him to surrender," Garrett said.

During the arrest, Garrett said deputies found about 16 grams of cocaine, marijuana and hundreds of counterfeit DVDs.

"So, he is being charged again with those offenses," Garrett said.

According to federal statutes, a suspect brought in on drug offenses can be charged federally if those charges concur with weapon violations, said county deputy Lt. Phil Ardis.

"When we arrested him in January, he was a felon in possession of a firearm, had possession of a firearm during a drug transaction and had possession with intent to distribute narcotics, all of which are federal offenses," Ardis said. "We asked the U.S. Attorney's Office in Charleston to adopt those charges, and they did."

Ardis said Sweat was originally arrested based on undercover buys that deputies made.

"We made a buy from his residence," Ardis said. "We made a buy of cocaine, (a) counterfeit DVD, and then we bought a bottle of (unstamped) liquor. He doesn't have a license to sell liquor, either.

From that buy, we went and got a search warrant on the house."

Ardis said when deputies arrested Sweat in January, they found 18 grams of cocaine, "a large quantity of counterfeit DVDs, and we also charged him with unlawful storage of liquor and possession of marijuana."

Garrett said Sweat is being held at the Clarendon County Detention Center until federal agents pick him up. He did not specify when agents would do so but did say he was glad the arrest was made without any casualties or serious injury and that having Sweat in custody will put a dent in narcotics operations throughout the county.

"Any time that we can avoid officers getting hurt as well as suspects, that's a win-win situation," Garrett said. "Having him in custody and putting him out of business, that's just one less that we have to worry about right now."

If federally convicted of trafficking in cocaine, Lambert faces no less than 20 years in prison.



Contact Staff Writer Robert Baker at bbaker@theitem.com or (803) 435-8511.