On September 28, 2020, the METRICH Enforcement Unit, FBI, US Marshalls, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department conducted an operation that focused on seventeen individuals, within the county. These individuals were found to be apart of a larger drug trafficking organization that was responsible for distributing large amounts of Methamphetamine into the community. This organization's ties reached as far as California.
METRICH Commander Lt. Jason Bammann stated the investigation stemmed from evidence collected by METRICH detectives, the FBI, and the Sheriff’s Department. This evidence resulted in the September 24th Federal indictments of these individuals. During the operation, fifteen of the seventeen subjects were arrested. Detectives also served three search warrants which netted over 155 grams of suspected methamphetamine and other miscellaneous drugs. At this time only Antoine Bentley and Zachary Wallen remain at large.
Lt. Jason Bammann also thanks those in the community who called in the tips and complaints which assisted detectives in this investigation. He encourages future tips and complaints as it is the community's eyes and ears that aid METRICH in having a positive impact on those communities.