A long-time drug dealer in both Oconee and Anderson County changed his plea to Guilty after a jury was selected and a trial was scheduled to begin on Monday afternoon, April 13, 2026, in Oconee County, announced 10th Circuit Solicitor Micah E. Black.
Fredrico Craig, 45, pleaded guilty to Trafficking Methamphetamine 28-100 grams and received a 15-year sentence from the Honorable Vernon F. Dunbar who was scheduled to preside over the case scheduled for trial. This offense is considered violent and serious under South Carolina Law, and Craig must serve 85 percent of the sentence before he is eligible to be released. Craig was represented by Don Smith Esquire, of the Anderson Bar.
On March 29, 2022, Seneca City Officers responded to 511 Bypass 123, the Best Western Hotel, regarding suspicious activity. After arriving at the hotel officers approached the suspicious vehicle that employees identified as the subject of the report. While speaking with the occupants and the driver of the vehicle, officers observed drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle. Officers then searched the vehicle and located a black backpack containing digital scales and several baggies of methamphetamine weighing close to 40 grams. Craig’s photo identification and other personal effects were located inside the bag along with the drugs.
Assistant Solicitor Cory Jones prosecuted the case for the State, with the assistance of Assistant Solicitor Holden Freel and Solicitor’s Office Investigator Jessica Sanders. Seneca City Officer Jerry Wirtz responded to the scene and investigated the case. Solicitor Black praised the work of his team along with the work from the Seneca City Police Department in securing the lengthy prison sentence. “Fredrico Craig has a long history of peddling poison in both Anderson and Oconee Counties, having already spent several stints at the South Carolina Department of Corrections for similar crimes,” stated Black. “We will continue to work with law enforcement across the circuit to identify and prosecute repeat drug traffickers to put a dent in this poison that is so prevalent in our community.”