GREENWOOD, S.C.; May 27, 2026 — A Greenwood man with a litany of drug convictions is headed to prison for the next 15 years after pleading guilty Tuesday to multiple charges involving the distribution of fentanyl, 8th Circuit Solicitor David M. Stumbo announced Wednesday.
Willie Joe Carter Jr., 46, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to one charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, third offense, and three charges of distribution of fentanyl, third offense. Circuit Judge William McMaster then sentenced Carter to 15 years in prison. Due to the nature of the offenses, South Carolina law requires that Carter serve a minimum of 85 percent of his sentence before he can be considered for any type of early release. Carter has a criminal history littered with drug convictions dating back nearly 25 years.
The four charges stem from two separate incidents. In 2021, Carter was the passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by police and was ultimately discovered to have more than 8 grams of fentanyl. In 2025, Carter on three separate instances sold fentanyl pills to a confidential informant.
Senior Assistant Solicitor Andrew Hodges handled the case for the state, with assistance from 8th Circuit Investigator Charlie Cunningham. Carter was represented by Ryan Holloway of the Greenville County Bar.
Solicitor Stumbo praised the work of his team, along with Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division along with Greenwood Police Department and South Carolina Highway Patrol, in securing the conviction and lengthy prison sentence.
“Fentanyl is poison, and repeat drug dealers who continue flooding our communities with it deserve significant prison time,” Solicitor Stumbo said following the sentencing. “Willie Joe Carter built a decades-long criminal history dealing dangerous narcotics, and today’s sentence sends a clear message that we will aggressively prosecute those who profit from addiction and put lives at risk throughout our community.”