Columbia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Meth

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Michael Wright, 46, of Columbia, was sentenced to 1o years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.

Evidence presented to the court showed that Wright contacted an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) over social media about the sale of methamphetamine. The agent and Wright agreed to meet. Wright sold the agent 28 grams of pure methamphetamine.  Following this sale, ATF used the same agent and bought methamphetamine from Wright four additional times purchasing more than 700 grams of methamphetamine.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Wright to 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision.  There is no parole in the federal system. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

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