SCDC Inmate and 4 Florence Co-Conspirators Indicted for Drug Trafficking

FLORENCE, S.C. - A federal grand jury in Florence returned a four-count indictment against Samual Earl Ramu, 33; Kathy Denise Roberts-Poston, 57; Michael Allen Dorsey, 56; Justin Allen Cox, 40; and Ryan Marie Lovell, 37, all of Florence, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The indictment alleges that the five named defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in South Carolina since at least May 2021. Ramu faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and is currently incarcerated and serving a 15-year sentence with the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Dorsey faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and is currently detained on related state charges. Roberts-Poston, Cox, and Lovell each face maximum penalties of 20 years imprisonment and are currently detained awaiting their initial appearances before the Honorable Kaymani D. West, United States Magistrate Judge.

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.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Florence County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Ellis is prosecuting the case.

U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

###