Marcus Pyatt sentenced to 10 years; prosecutors say prior conviction enhanced penalty under state law
CONWAY, SC — A Conway man pleaded guilty Monday, May 18 to second‑offense distribution of crack cocaine just before jury selection was set to begin in his trial, according to Fifteenth Circuit Solicitor Jimmy Richardson.
Marcus Antonio Pyatt, 46, entered the plea on May 18, said Senior Assistant Solicitor Joshua Holford, who prosecuted the case alongside Assistant Solicitors Taylor Langston and Blaine Massey.
Circuit Court Judge Donald B. Hocker sentenced Pyatt to 10 years in prison. The offense carries a sentencing range of five to 30 years. Prosecutors said Pyatt’s prior 2020 narcotics conviction enhanced both the charge and the penalty. Second‑offense distribution of crack cocaine is classified as a serious crime under South Carolina’s three‑strikes law.
South Carolina’s three‑strikes law is a sentencing rule that requires life imprisonment without parole for anyone convicted of a third “serious” or “most serious” felony. It is designed to permanently remove repeat violent or high‑level offenders from the community.
The case began in September 2024, when Pyatt sold less than a gram of crack cocaine to a confidential informant working with the Horry County Police Department.
Holford said the Narcotics and Vice Section relies on a range of investigative tactics to identify and arrest drug dealers in the community. “It often takes long hours and months of investigation, but the results in this case and many other cases like it prove that their efforts pay dividends,” he said, offering special thanks to Detective Reisinger for his work.
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