Kalena Jenkins, of Townville, pled guilty on the eve of trial and was sentenced to fifteen (15) years in state prison following a drug investigation in Oconee County, which resulted in the seizure of 99.83 grams of methamphetamine and 2.20 grams of fentanyl.
Jenkins was first charged with Distribution of Fentanyl after selling fentanyl from her residence in the Townville community of Oconee County on August 7, 2024. Later, on August 19, 2024, narcotics agents with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office obtained and executed a search warrant at the same residence, where they discovered an additional 99.83 grams of methamphetamine. Jenkins entered her guilty plea last week, just before her trial was scheduled to begin Monday morning.
Under South Carolina law, these convictions—Trafficking Methamphetamine and Distribution of Fentanyl—are classified as “serious” offenses and count as strikes under the “three strikes and you are out” law. The Trafficking Methamphetamine conviction is also designated as a “violent” offense while in the South Carolina Department of Corrections, and Jenkins will not be parole eligible before the conclusion of her sentence.
Deputy Solicitor Christopher Beeco prosecuted the case for the State, with assistance from Solicitor’s Office Investigator Mark Gregory. Lieutenant Anna Orr of the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office led the narcotics investigation.
“Lt. Orr and the officers with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office are to be commended for their thorough investigation into Kalena Jenkins,” stated Solicitor Black. “These officers put in the work every day to ensure that our community is safe, and we will continue to stand with our law enforcement partners to ensure that individuals like Ms. Jenkins, who peddle illegal drugs in our community, spend many years in the Department of Corrections.