MONCKS CORNER, S.C. — A Berkeley County jury has convicted a Moncks Corner man on multiple drug trafficking and weapons charges, resulting in a 25-year prison sentence after authorities uncovered drugs, guns and cash at his home, according to the Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.
Solicitor Scarlett A. Wilson said Eric Sebastian Bickley was found guilty Wednesday following a three-day trial on charges that included trafficking in methamphetamine and cocaine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and marijuana, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime.
The investigation began April 12, 2023, when agents with South Carolina Probation, Pardon and Parole responded to a community complaint at a property on Garfield Street in Moncks Corner. Authorities said Bickley, who was on probation at the time, was suspected of selling illegal narcotics and storing large quantities of drugs, cash and firearms.
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According to prosecutors, agents noticed a motorcycle on the property with an altered vehicle identification number and obtained a search warrant. Inside a camper where Bickley was living, investigators found a safe containing more than 120 grams of methamphetamine, 10.65 grams of cocaine, 1.05 grams of fentanyl and 45 grams of marijuana. Two handguns, $2,104 in cash, and personal identification documents belonging to Bickley were also recovered.
During the trial, Assistant Solicitor Benjamin Dennis and Senior Assistant Solicitor Wilton McNeely presented testimony from multiple witnesses. Prosecutors detailed Bickley’s prior convictions, which included drug distribution, possession of methamphetamine, failure to stop for blue lights, domestic violence and assault.
At sentencing, Judge Jennifer McCoy imposed the mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Dennis credited the work of law enforcement agencies involved in the case, calling the investigation “thorough and professional,” and said their cooperation was critical to securing the conviction.
