Fentanyl and heroin charges in Columbia, South Carolina carry the most severe drug penalties—mandatory minimum 25-year sentences for quantities measured in grams, death by distribution prosecutions when users overdose, and federal charges threatening life imprisonment.
Available 24/7 - Immediate Response for Fentanyl and Heroin Arrests
Whether arrested after police discovered fentanyl during a traffic stop on I-26, charged with heroin possession with intent to distribute following a search of your Columbia residence, accused of trafficking based on quantities exceeding absurdly low statutory thresholds, or facing death by distribution allegations after someone overdosed, South Carolina's response to the opioid epidemic means maximum prosecution for defendants caught with these substances.
Matt McGuire has defended fentanyl and heroin charges in Columbia for over three decades, understanding how microscopic amounts trigger trafficking charges, how prosecutors pursue death by distribution based on tenuous causation, and how federal authorities increasingly prosecute opioid cases seeking harsher penalties than state courts impose.
Fentanyl and heroin cases demand attorneys who understand both the science behind drug identification and the constitutional protections that limit law enforcement. Our expertise spans state and federal prosecutions, challenging evidence at every stage.
Strategic defense focused on avoiding trafficking thresholds and mandatory minimum sentences through weight challenges, mixture arguments, and suppression motions.
Challenging causation in overdose death cases, proving multiple drug sources, attacking medical evidence, and defeating tenuous connections between your actions and fatal outcomes.
Defense in U.S. District Court where federal mandatory minimums often exceed state penalties, navigating sentencing guidelines and cooperation considerations.
Attacking field test reliability, questioning lab procedures, challenging whether substances actually contained fentanyl or heroin as alleged.
Aggressive challenges to illegal searches, traffic stops without reasonable suspicion, and warrant execution defects that produce suppressible evidence.
South Carolina's opioid laws impose life-destroying penalties for quantities that would be simple possession in other contexts. We defend all fentanyl and heroin charges throughout Richland and Lexington Counties, fighting mandatory minimums at every opportunity.
Defense against trafficking charges triggered by just 4 grams, carrying mandatory minimum 25 years without parole, escalating to life imprisonment for 14+ grams.
Defense against heroin trafficking charges beginning at 4 grams with mandatory 25 years, 40 years for 14-28 grams, and life without parole for 28+ grams.
Defense against charges under S.C. Code § 44-53-391 when drug sales allegedly cause fatal overdoses, carrying up to 30 years imprisonment.
Defense against possession with intent to distribute charges for amounts below trafficking thresholds, carrying up to 15 years for fentanyl and heroin.
Defense against simple possession charges carrying up to three years even for trace amounts, pursuing alternatives that avoid felony convictions.
Defense against charges involving carfentanil, acetylfentanyl, or designer fentanyl variations prosecuted identically to pure fentanyl.
South Carolina law includes cutting agents in total weight calculations. Dealers mixing fentanyl with other substances face trafficking charges based on the entire mixture weight—not just the fentanyl content. We challenge these calculations aggressively.
Fentanyl and heroin charges threaten decades or life in prison. You need attorneys who understand the severity, fight with everything available, and explore every path to avoid the mandatory sentences that eliminate any hope of release.
Our primary focus is keeping you out of prison for life. Every strategy, motion, and negotiation aims at avoiding mandatory minimums that destroy any possibility of freedom.
We investigate every aspect of your case—search procedures, lab testing, informant reliability, and causation in death cases—to find weaknesses prosecutors missed.
Many clients facing opioid charges struggle with addiction themselves. We present comprehensive mitigation evidence establishing addiction context when circumstances warrant.
When federal prosecution is possible, we coordinate defense strategy addressing both jurisdictions' exposure and potential cooperation considerations.
Trafficking defendants often face astronomical bonds or no bond at all. We fight for reasonable conditions from day one, working to get you out while your case proceeds.
Fentanyl and heroin cases offer multiple avenues for challenge. From constitutional violations to scientific errors, we attack prosecutions at every vulnerable point to protect you from mandatory sentences.
Attacking illegal traffic stops, warrantless searches, and searches exceeding warrant scope to suppress evidence that forms the foundation of prosecution cases.
Disputing trafficking thresholds by challenging moisture content, packaging weight, and non-drug materials included in calculations triggering mandatory minimums.
In death by distribution cases, challenging whether your drugs caused the overdose, proving multiple sources, and attacking medical examiner conclusions.
Questioning field test reliability, GC/MS confirmation procedures, chain of custody, and laboratory errors that produce inaccurate identifications.
Challenging charges when drugs were found in shared spaces, vehicles, or residences where multiple people had access and control.
Proving you didn't know substances contained fentanyl when you believed you were possessing or selling different drugs entirely.
Fentanyl defense requires attorneys who understand the opioid epidemic's legal landscape, mandatory sentencing schemes, and every available defense strategy. Matt McGuire brings over 30 years fighting the most serious drug charges in both state and federal courts.
Over 30 years defending trafficking, distribution, and death by distribution charges in Richland County courts and U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.
Defense in both state and federal court, understanding when cases may move to federal jurisdiction and preparing strategies addressing both systems' unique challenges.
Experience as Assistant Solicitor provides inside knowledge of how opioid cases are built, where they're vulnerable, and how to attack prosecutor strategies effectively.
Understanding of drug testing procedures, overdose toxicology, and medical evidence essential to challenging lab results and death causation claims.
Three decades of credibility with Fifth Circuit prosecutors, Richland County judges, and federal court personnel essential when everything is at stake.
Opioid convictions carry consequences measured in decades, not years. Understanding the severity of what you face reveals why aggressive defense against these charges is essential to preserving any hope of freedom.
When federal authorities prosecute death by distribution under 21 U.S.C. § 841, mandatory minimums start at 20 years and can reach life imprisonment. We defend in both state and federal court.
Fentanyl and heroin cases involve unique legal challenges and devastating sentencing consequences. Here are answers to questions Columbia defendants commonly ask about opioid defense.
South Carolina's trafficking thresholds are extremely low—just 4 grams for fentanyl or heroin triggers mandatory 25 years. The legislature set these thresholds considering fentanyl's potency, but they ensnare users as well as dealers.
If you sell drugs that cause a fatal overdose, South Carolina can charge you under S.C. Code § 44-53-391, carrying up to 30 years. Federal charges can reach 20 years to life. We attack causation and multiple supplier defenses.
Yes. Cases involving death, interstate commerce, significant quantities, or coordination with federal task forces may be prosecuted in U.S. District Court with potentially harsher penalties. We defend in both systems.
Lack of knowledge that substances contained fentanyl can be a defense. If you believed you were possessing or selling different drugs, this may affect charges, though prosecutors will argue you should have known.
South Carolina counts the entire mixture weight, not just pure fentanyl content. Fentanyl mixed with cutting agents is weighed together, potentially pushing amounts over trafficking thresholds. We challenge these calculations.
No. South Carolina's trafficking sentences are served without parole eligibility. The 85% rule means you must serve at least 85% of the mandatory minimum before any release—21.25 years of a 25-year sentence.
For simple possession, drug court or treatment alternatives may be available. For trafficking or distribution, treatment history becomes mitigation evidence at sentencing. We present comprehensive evidence of addiction and rehabilitation.
Trafficking defendants typically face bonds exceeding $100,000 or are denied bond entirely pending trial. We fight aggressively for reasonable bond conditions from day one.
With over 30 years of experience defending South Carolina, McGuire Law provides elite legal representation with national recognition. McGuire Law has grown from a small practice into one of the most trusted law firms in South Carolina.
McGuire Law is committed to each client's unique situation, and we don't believe in boilerplate solutions. Every case requires careful analysis, strategic planning, and aggressive representation.
McGuire Law serves all 46 South Carolina counties. We know these counties, their courts, their legal communities, and most importantly, the people who live here.
Matt McGuire received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and his J.D. from the University of South Carolina.
Matt has served as a law clerk for a State Circuit Judge, an Assistant Attorney General for the State of South Carolina, and an Assistant Solicitor in the Fifth Circuit Solicitor's Office.
Matt is a proud husband, father of two, and a long-time resident of Richland County, South Carolina.
Don't let another day pass without proper legal protection against opioid charges and their mandatory minimum sentences. Call McGuire Law now and experience the difference that personal, aggressive, and effective legal representation can make in your fentanyl or heroin defense case.
Matt McGuire has defended fentanyl and heroin charges throughout Columbia and South Carolina for over 30 years, fighting mandatory minimums and death by distribution prosecutions that threaten life imprisonment.
