Lamar woman pleads guilty to Fentanyl Distribution

Shaun D. Hepburn, age 50 of Lamar, SC, pled guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 in Darlington County General Sessions Court. Judge Brian Gibbons sentenced the defendant to 10 years incarceration suspended to 4 years imprisonment and 2 years probation to follow release. The case was prosecuted by Assistant Solicitor Adam M. Foard.

On December 19, 2023, Hepburn distributed a quantity of fentanyl to a reliable confidential informant working with the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office. The sale was captured on video monitoring equipment. The defendant had a prior drug conviction for possession in 2022.

“Drug dealers endanger everyone in society,” said Assistant Solicitor Foard. “Hepburn sold deadly poison in our community and Solicitor Burch won’t stand for it.”

Solicitor Mike Burch campaigned on a commitment to addressing the Fentanyl crisis in the Fourth Circuit. “Fentanyl has quickly gained dominance as the largest drug problem facing America today,” said Burch. “All illicit drugs warrant attention, but Fentanyl is especially nefarious. I have directed my prosecutors to place greater emphasis in the wake of our growing Fentanyl crisis.”

Hepburn’s sentence will be served in a facility to be determined by the South Carolina Department of Corrections.