Three of twelve defendants indicted in April 2011 for a federal drug case in Marlboro County were sentenced this week.
Calvin Townsend, 39, of Bennettsville, was sentenced to 210 months with four years supervised release to follow.
Nicholas Miller, 32, of Cheraw, was sentenced to 105 months with four years supervised release.
Katarie Sahndal Prince Leake, 36, of Clio, was sentenced to 180 months followed by supervised release.
Demario Covington and David Stuckey are the only two left to be sentenced in the case.
Deputies say they were all part of a federal drug-selling operation that started in 1997 that involved cocaine and crack cocaine.
"I hope that these still sentences send a message to the drug dealers in this county about the consequences of your actions. Your prior record will come back to haunt you in Federal court if you are sentenced. I have given fair warning over the last few years to those of you selling drugs. We have several more cases that are close to indictment from areas of McColl and Clio in the near future," Sheriff Fred Knight said in a press release.
