Six men have been indicted in a federal drug conspiracy across South Carolina’s Lowcountry, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.[1] Keith Washington, 26, of North Charleston, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana and with possessing marijuana with intent to distribute.[1] Zongteng Wang, 46, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana.[1] Antoine White, 36, of Summerville, and Julian Freeman, 31, of North Charleston, were each charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and with possessing marijuana with intent to distribute in White’s case.[1] Pierre Jackson, 28, and Sahib Rose, 47, both of North Charleston, face conspiracy and marijuana possession counts, alongside firearm counts; Rose is also charged with possessing cocaine base and marijuana with intent to distribute.[1]

Washington, Wang, Jackson and Rose face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, while White and Freeman face a maximum of 40 years.[1] The case was investigated by the FBI’s Columbia field office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and seven local police and sheriff’s departments in the Charleston area, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Bianchi is prosecuting it.[1]

A federal grand jury returned the indictment, according to the Department of Justice.[2]

The department said all charges in the indictment are accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.[2]