Five individuals pleaded guilty during the March 2, 2026 court week as part of the South Carolina State Grand Jury narcotics trafficking investigation known as “Devil in Disguise,” according to an announcement from Attorney General Alan Wilson.
“The Attorney General’s Office and our law enforcement partners have aggressively used the State Grand Jury to get fentanyl dealers and career criminals off the street,” said Attorney General Wilson.
Clyde Leon Holmes admitted guilt to charges including Distribution of Fentanyl (Conspiracy), Money Laundering, and Trafficking Methamphetamine (10 grams or more but less than 28 grams). Judge R. Scott Sprouse sentenced Holmes to 15 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Bryant Bernard Fuller pleaded guilty to Money Laundering; Trafficking Cocaine Base (10 grams or more but less than 28 grams); Trafficking Methamphetamine (in two categories: 10 grams or more but less than 28 grams, and 28 grams or more but less than 100 grams); Possession With Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base; and Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime. He also received a sentence of 15 years. Authorities suspect that both Holmes and Fuller distributed fentanyl linked to overdose deaths in Greenville’s Woodruff Road area. The number of overdose deaths in that area reportedly dropped after their arrests.
Patrick Jermain Clement pleaded guilty to two counts of Distribution of Cocaine, Trafficking Fentanyl (4 grams or more but less than 14 grams), and Trafficking Methamphetamine (10 grams or more but less than 28 grams). He was sentenced to 15 years.
Rodney Lemont Carter, Jr. pleaded guilty to Conspiracy for Trafficking Cocaine (28 grams or more but less than 100 grams), Trafficking Fentanyl (4 grams or more but less than 14 grams), Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime, and Trafficking Methamphetamine (28 grams or more but less than 100 grams). His sentence is 10 years.
Tavis Demond Barnette, also known as “YAB,” was on the trial docket and entered his plea before trial. He admitted guilt to Trafficking Methamphetamine (200 grams or more but less than 400 grams); three counts of Trafficking Fentanyl (4 grams or more but less than 14 grams); Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime; Trafficking Methamphetamine (28 grams or more but less than 100 grams); and Attempting to Furnish a Prisoner with Contraband. Barnette was sentenced to 20 years. His offenses occurred between March 2021 and January 2025 across four counties: Greenville, Jasper, Lexington, and Anderson. Notably, he distributed about one thousand fentanyl pills on two occasions in Lexington County and used a drone to deliver contraband into a Jasper County prison.
Attorney General Wilson expressed gratitude for all partner agencies involved in this case. Assistant Attorney General Savanna Goude handled the pleas. The investigation involved several agencies including the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, multiple county sheriff’s offices, police departments across various cities, coroner’s offices, the United States Department of Homeland Security, the Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, South Carolina National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, among others.
The office especially thanked law enforcement officers who assisted with trial preparation for Tavis Barnette.
Attorney General Wilson reiterated that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The South Carolina Attorney General acts as the state’s main legal advocate and enforcer statewide, collaborating with law enforcement agencies on criminal prosecutions while supporting crime victims through advocacy efforts. The office also handles regulatory matters such as securities and consumer protection.
