The U.S. District Attorney’s Office for South Carolina announced two separate drug trafficking conspiracy busts in the Upstate this week that ended with two people sentenced to a total of 27 years in federal prison.

In the first case, announced out of Greenville on Aug. 4, Dana Diane Shay, 37, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Shay was first arrested in connection with the charges in December 2020, after she delivered 79 pounds of meth and 45 pounds of marijuana as part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that reached into South Carolina in November and December of that year, according to the District Attorney’s Office. 

However, after being arraigned in Greenville, Shay cut off her ankle monitor and became a fugitive in August 2021, until she was arrested out of state in August 2024. After being transported back to South Carolina, U.S. District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Shay to 204 months imprisonment to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. The court also ordered a money judgment against Shay for $300,000.

In a separate case, announced Aug. 5 out of Spartanburg, Daniel Mac Wentz, 46, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after also pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Spartanburg County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Wentz in April last year where they found 88 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded 9mm pistol, according to the District Attorney’s Office. 

Wentz also had prior drug distribution charges, in addition to convictions for indecent exposure, assault and battery of an aggravated nature, assault with intent to kill, and multiple firearms charges.

The ensuing investigation revealed that Wentz was connected to a large drug trafficking ring in the Upstate that in May led to six South Carolina residents being sentenced to a total of 813 months in federal prison after they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. 

U.S. District Judge Donald C. Coggins sentenced Daniel Wentz to 120 months imprisonment to be followed by a five-year term of court ordered supervision.

“This career criminal was part of a larger drug trafficking ring responsible for bringing substantial quantities of illegal drugs into the Upstate,” U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina said in a release announcing the sentence. “Getting these drugs off of our streets and holding offenders like this accountable makes our communities safer.”

Both cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Border Enforcement Security Task Force; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office; Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office; Greenville County Sheriff’s Office; Greenville Police Department; Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit; the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General; and Anderson County Sheriff’s Office. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Schoen is prosecuting the cases.