Columbia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Charges

COLUMBIA, S.C. -Lontre Jason Wise, 52, of Columbia was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute both crack cocaine and marijuana.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the Columbia Police Department Organized Crime and Narcotics Unit received an anonymous complaint about the sale of illegal narcotics at a residence located on House Street. The complainant stated there was constant foot and vehicle traffic at the residence, which people were only observed being at the residence for minutes at a time. Based on the information provided from the complainant, a confidential informant went to the residence on two different occasions to purchase marijuana. During both occasions, the confidential informant purchased the marijuana from Wise. Based on the complaint and controlled purchases, a search warrant was obtained for the residence and executed by CPD.

During the search, the police located Wise and immediately took him into custody on arrest warrants for the distribution of marijuana. Wise was searched and the police found a clear container containing crack cocaine on him.

During the search of the residence, a black book bag was located and contained a large clear plastic bag of marijuana. The book bag also contained a 9mm caliber handgun and a .38 caliber revolver. The police located a safe underneath the couch with a black pouch that contained pieces of crack cocaine, Wise's South Carolina driver's license, social security card, debit card, and money. Wise told the officers that the safe was his. There was multiple hand rolled cigars containing marijuana found throughout the living room of the residence and on a plate on the couch.

United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Wise to 156 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department's Organized Crime and Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

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