Five people are facing serious drug and gun charges after investigators hit a Kershaw home with a search warrant last Thursday, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office. The raid turned up suspected methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, along with firearms and several thousand dollars in cash. All five suspects were taken to the Lancaster County Detention Center, and some remain jailed as their cases move forward.
How the raid unfolded
In a media release posted to Facebook, the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office said agents with the Lancaster County Multijurisdictional Narcotics Task Force served a search warrant at a Three Cs Road address in Kershaw last Thursday. Investigators said they had been building the case over time before moving in on the house, and they reported finding a range of drugs and weapons inside. Photos shared with the announcement show packaging and other items the agency described as evidence of distribution.
The release identified the five people arrested as 40-year-old Joshua Arron Ray of Ruby, 37-year-old Christopher Dean Welch of Kershaw, 36-year-old Cedric Mandrell Wright of Kershaw, 33-year-old Staci Elizabeth Mangum of Kershaw and 47-year-old Derrick Seegars of Kershaw. According to the sheriff's office, the group faces charges that include trafficking cocaine (10–28 grams), trafficking methamphetamine, distribution of fentanyl and multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute in proximity to a school or park, along with firearm-related offenses. "This spot down on Three Cs Road has been a problem for quite a while," Sheriff Barry Faile said in the release. The post also lists bond and custody details: Mangum had bonds set at $50,000 and had not posted bond, Ray and Seegars had bonds totaling $40,000, and Wright was denied bond and remained jailed.
What investigators say they seized
According to investigators, the search turned up about 51.04 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 25.28 grams of suspected cocaine, 10.75 grams of suspected fentanyl and 3.40 grams of suspected marijuana. Agents also logged digital scales, two semiautomatic pistols and $3,905 in cash. The sheriff's office described the items as consistent with distribution-level activity and said everything was booked into evidence. Detectives are continuing to test drug samples and will widen the investigation as needed.
Task force activity in the area
The Multijurisdictional Narcotics Task Force has made similar busts in the Kershaw area this year that turned up fentanyl, meth and multiple guns. Local reporting on earlier operations shows the task force teaming up with SLED and other partners on more complex cases, with coverage from WSOC‑TV and a prior Kershaw duo arrested article on Hoodline.
How to report tips
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone with information related to this case or other suspected drug activity to call its tip line at 803‑283‑3388 or submit an anonymous report online at www.p3tips.com/983, according to the county's official site. The Lancaster County site also lists the Kershaw substation and the Lancaster detention center for additional local contact information. Officials encouraged neighbors to report suspicious activity as investigators continue piecing the case together.
Legal notes
Under South Carolina law, distributing or possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance within one‑half mile of a school, playground or park is a separate felony that can carry up to 10 years in prison and fines, with enhanced penalties for certain drugs, according to the South Carolina Code. Prosecutors in the appropriate solicitor's office will review the task force investigation before formal charges are finalized, the sheriff's office release said.
