Update: 19 Arrested in Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Appear Before Judge

Updated Wed., Sept. 14, 6:30 pm.: A man who is accused of firing at FBI agents on Tuesday could face a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life if convicted of the charge, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. 

Tavares Donnay Pollock of Columbia was arrested on Tuesday for firing shots when FBI agents and other law enforcement officials stormed the house of Donnay Rikard of Irmo.

Rikard was arrested on charges of trafficking cocaine and crack, along with 18 other people. A federal indictment handed down in August charged them with trafficking cocaine and crack. 

They also face a minimum 10-year sentence or a maximum of life. 

Detention hearings are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 20. 

The 19 people arrested were: 

• Cortney Williams and Aaron Mccray of West Columbia
• Antonio Williams,  Eric Williams, Charles Gantt,  James Williams and William Holloway, all of Batesburg
• Colby Foust, Stanley Partman, Latasha Sanders, Linda Sanders  Rondeal Woods and Darrell Washington, all of Columbia
• Walter Williams and Lindsay Leaphart of Leesville
• Jeffrey Jacobs of Lugoff
• Timothy Geiger, Anthony Thompson, Donnay Rikard  and David Quattlebaum, all of Irmo

ORIGINAL STORY

Nineteen men will appear in federal court Wednesday morning on charges of conspiracy to traffic cocaine and crack. 

The FBI arrested the men in Columbia Tuesday because of their participation in a large-scale trafficking conspiracy, according to U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles. A federal grand jury handed down indictments on the men in August. 

During one of the arrests, the suspect fired at FBI agents. Law enforcement officials captured him without firing their weapons. 

Agents also executed search warrants at eight other locations. 

The DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, SLED, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Columbia Police Department, the South Carolina National Guard and the United States Marshal’s Service also helped make the arrests. 

The defendants will appear in front of the U.S. magistrate judge at 10 a.m. onWednesday at the Matthew Perry Federal Courthouse, 901 Richland St.