Drug charge guilty plea for man tied to S.C. sheriff

COLUMBIA -- A man who said he owed his success as a drug dealer to a former South Carolina sheriff has signed an agreement to plead guilty, according to documents filed Wednesday in federal court.

Larry Williams, 51, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of powder cocaine and 50 grams or more of crack cocaine.

In May, Williams was rounded up with 11 other people, including then-Lee County Sheriff E.J. Melvin, and charged with conspiring to deal drugs in Lee County.

In court several days later, an FBI agent detailed 17 phone calls between Melvin, Williams and other defendants, as well as unnamed people who dealt drugs or helped with the investigation.

Some of the people referred to Melvin and Williams by the nicknames "Big Dog" and "Hawk."

According to a sworn statement, a witness told the agent about a conversation he had with Williams, allegedly a longtime drug dealer in Lee County, who told him, "If it wasn't for E.J., I wouldn't be doing the things that I do."

The same witness told investigators he saw Melvin deal cocaine from his sheriff's office SUV in November 2006.

The FBI agent also detailed a meeting between Melvin and a State Law Enforcement Division agent in April after the investigation against the sheriff had started. The agent shared a list of possible drug dealers and after he left, Melvin began tipping off his friends on the list and making plans to get money from others in exchange for steering agents away, according to court papers.

One of Melvin's deputies told the FBI he planned to serve a warrant on one of the drug dealers Melvin protected last summer, but the sheriff steered him toward investigating a nightclub.

Williams has been held in the Lexington County jail since his arrest, and a court date for him to formally enter his guilty plea has not been set. He could face up to 10 years in prison, although that amount could be reduced if he cooperates with the government.

As a part of his plea, Williams agrees to testify before grand juries and at any trials if he's asked to do so by prosecutors.

Three other people have pleaded guilty for conspiracy. Prosecutors have said they expect to reach plea agreements with all defendants except Melvin, who is expected in court next month for a hearing over whether prosecutors will also charge him with racketeering.