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A 29-year-old detainee has been arrested and charged with smuggling fentanyl into the Lancaster County, South Carolina detention center – and distributing the narcotics to other inmates, including one who died as a result of taking the drugs. Last week, agents of the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) charged Jonathan Levi Beam of Lancaster with three counts of distribution of fentanyl.
One inmate who received fentanyl from Beam overdosed and had to be revived with naloxone before being transferred to an emergency room for medical care. Another inmate suffered an “un-reversible medical emergency” predicated by fentanyl use – and died.
At the time of the incident, Beam was awaiting an initial court appearance on five criminal charges for drug possession and receiving stolen property. Since then, the tally has more than doubled – with six drug charges added in August.
Special agent Paul Knight led the SLED investigation into the fentanyl distribution. According to probable cause affidavits accompanying warrants for his arrest, Bean smuggled the controlled substance into the facility beginning on August 13, 2023. A search of his cell the following day found him to be in possession of 0.8 grams (or 12.3 grains) of a powdery substance that tested positive for fentanyl.
(Click to view)
Surveillance footage and witness statements confirmed the fentanyl that prompted the medical emergencies of two inmates came from Beam.
In October, following the alleged fentanyl smuggling, Beam was charged with assault and battery.
In April 2022 and July 2022, Beam was charged with a total of seven drug possession and weapons crimes. Five of those charges were dismissed and not prosecuted. Beam plead guilty to two drug charges and received a sentence of two years in the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) with credit for time served.
In 2012, as a minor, Beam plead guilty to six counts of larceny. As a result, he was sentenced under the youthful offender act.
Beam remains at the Lancaster County Detention Center where he has been since August 11, 2023.
As with anyone accused of committing any crime, Beam is considered innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until such time as he may wish to enter some form of allocution in connection with a plea agreement with prosecutors related to any of the charges filed against him.
His case will be prosecuted by the S.C. sixth circuit solicitor’s office.
This media outlet has provided extensive coverage of America’s fentanyl epidemic. We’ve also covered the deepening border crisis fueling it – and many of the personal tragedies it has foisted upon our communities.
Stay tuned for additional reports as we continue to track its pernicious impact …
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RELEASE/ ARREST WARRANTS …
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Callie Lyons is a relentless investigative journalist, researcher, and author known for exposing hard truths with heart and precision. As a journalist for FITSNews, she dives into high-profile and murky cases—like that of Mica Francis Miller— with fearless resolve and a sharp eye for detail, whether it’s tracking white-collar crime, uncovering religious abuse, or examining the often-bizarre behavior of those who believe they’re above the law.
Callie made waves with her groundbreaking 2007 book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal, the first to reveal the dangers of forever chemicals, a story that helped inspire the film Dark Waters and influenced global scientific dialogue. Her work has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Toxic Soup, National Geographic’s Parched: Toxic Waters, and more recently Citizen Sleuth, which examines the complexities of true crime podcasting.
Whether she’s navigating environmental disasters or the darker corners of society, Lyons operates with one guiding belief: “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”
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