Eutawville Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Mandatory Life Imprisonment

Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Joey Lamont Brunson, a/k/a “Solo Flex,” age 42 of Eutawville, Orangeburg County, South Carolina, was sentenced on all twelve of the charges in his federal indictment by United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr.  Brunson was convicted at trial earlier this year by a federal jury sitting in Columbia.  After just four hours of deliberations, the jury returned verdicts convicting Brunson of being a member of a conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, four counts of use of a cell phone to further drug trafficking, money laundering conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and perjury.  Based on his two prior federal felony drug convictions, as well as his instant convictions for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, Brunson was sentenced to a statutory mandatory life sentence (without parole) plus 60 months consecutive for the firearms offenses.

Evidence presented at the trial included numerous wiretap calls between Brunson and his main source of supply Lamario Vincent Wright from June through October of 2013.  In the calls, Brunson brazenly discussed beating another conspirator in an effort to recover cocaine that the conspirator had stolen from Wright.  Repeatedly in the intercepted calls and texts, Brunson ordered drugs using coded language from his suppliers.

After Brunson was indicted in 2015, agents testified he went on the run and eluded capture by the FBI for almost two years.  After receiving a tip from the Navy Federal Credit Union in Summerville, agents learned that Brunson was depositing between $3000.00 and $9000.00 cash regularly at multiple locations in late 2016 and 2017.  On March 3, 2017, Summerville Police Officers responded to a call for service from one of the credit unions and arrested Brunson after a brief struggle.  Agents searched the silver Suzuki he was driving and located cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana and two firearms. Bank records proved that Brunson deposited over $90,000.00 in cash in multiple accounts while on the run from the FBI.

Evidence at trial also included testimony and pictures of a $30,000.00 Escalade truck that Brunson bought at the request of his supplier Lamario Wright.  Records showed that Brunson used over $20,000.00 in drug money to purchase the truck and that he placed it in his name to hide the fact that the truck actually belonged to his partner Wright.

The case was investigated by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Summerville Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the United States Marshal’s Office.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Will Lewis and J.D. Rowell.