On Sept. 8, Marion County Sheriff deputies served multiple grand jury indictments on a Columbia man, which yielded an additional charge of drug trafficking.
Matthew Scott Powell, 45, was found to possess more than 40 grams of methamphetamine when he was arrested at Hollinger Lane in Foxworth on the grand jury indictments, according to Capt. Pete Williams with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Powell was indicted on five separate cases in the Marion County Circuit Court.
The first case stemmed from an incident that happened on or about Sept. 30, 2019. It is alleged that Powell sold 3.31 grams of methamphetamine within 1,500 feet of a church. The indictment said Powell has been arrested at least twice previously and therefore qualified to be charged as a habitual offender. He was previously convicted of felony DUI and burglary of a dwelling. Powell was also charged with conspiracy to sell a controlled substance as a habitual offender.
The second time was on or about Oct. 1, 2019. Again, Powell allegedly sold 14.54 grams of methamphetamine within 1,500 feet of a school. He was also charged then as a habitual offender. He allegedly also conspired to sell a controlled substance as a habitual offender.
Powell was also indicted from an Oct. 16, 2019 incident where he allegedly sold 1.80 grams of cocaine within 1,500 square feet of a school as a habitual offender.
Another indictment stated Powell allegedly possessed 6.15 grams of cocaine with the intent to transfer or sell on or about Feb. 29, 2020 with the intent to transfer or sell and was indicted as a habitual offender. In the same incident, he was charged as a habitual offender for posing 4.92 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to transfer or sell.
On or about March 8, 2020, Powell allegedly possessed 51.07 grams of methamphetamine and was charged with possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute – aggravated trafficking as a habitual offender, according to the indictment.
As of press time Tuesday, Powell was incarcerated in the Marion County Jail with a bond of $170,000.
