Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins stated today that Noah Devon “Lil Ho” Sumter, age 26, of Columbia, was sentenced to a total of 32 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams of crack cocaine and 500 grams of powder cocaine.  Sumter was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment on the drug conspiracy charge and to an additional two years  for violating his previous term of federal supervised release.  United States District Court Judge Cameron McGowan Currie imposed the sentence in federal court in Columbia.

In June of 2007, FBI agents and Richland County deputies made an undercover purchase of crack cocaine from Sumter outside a Columbia restaurant on Beltline Boulevard. When agents attempted to arrest him, Sumter fled in his car but was apprehended after a short chase.   Inside the car, agents recovered additional crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, and cash.  At the time, Sumter was on federal supervised release after serving time for a 2002 federal firearms conviction.

The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, as part of Project CeaseFire.  Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the prosecution of the case.