Two Rock Hill Men Sentenced to 15 Years for Largest Fentanyl Operation

Two Rock Hill men, Timario Gayton and Quonzy Hope, were each sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute large quantities of fentanyl from a clandestine lab in a Lake Wylie mobile home. The operation, uncovered in October 2022, resulted in the seizure of over 160,000 fentanyl pills—totaling more than 29 kilograms—alongside other drugs, pill press machines, firearms, and cash. Authorities described the bust as the largest fentanyl seizure in South Carolina history, highlighting the significant public safety threat posed by the operation. The investigation began after Hope sold approximately 5,000 pills to a confidential informant, leading agents to the mobile home used as a drug lab. Both defendants were sentenced to terms below federal sentencing guidelines because the judge determined they were not the leaders of the conspiracy, but she emphasized the need for harsh punishment due to the operation's dangerous nature. The case was part of a broader effort by federal, state, and local agencies to dismantle high-level drug trafficking organizations.