Oconee County Sheriff’s Office Arrests Walhalla Man on Multiple Drug Trafficking Arrest Warrants

Brent Eric Money

Erin Nicole Pierce

(Walhalla, SC)-------------------------------------An ongoing drug distribution and trafficking investigation by Narcotics Agents with the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office led to the arrest of a Walhalla man yesterday during the execution of a search warrant.

35 year old Brent Eric Money, of Whitman Hollow Road, was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center at around 2:19pm Thursday.

In all, Money was served with 16 arrest warrants (two counts of Trafficking in Methamphetamine, one count of Trafficking in Fentanyl, one count of Trafficking in Cocaine, three counts each of Distribution of Fentanyl and Possession of a Controlled Substance, one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine and five counts of Possession of a Weapon during Commission of a Violent Crime).   

Yesterday morning, Narcotics Agents, along with Deputies from the P.A.C.E. (Pro-Active Criminal Enforcement) Team, executed the search warrant at the Whitman Hollow Road address.  During the execution of the search warrant, Deputies seized trafficking weight quantities of Fentanyl, Cocaine and Methamphetamine and multiple firearms.

Deputies also seized quantities of Oxycodone Hydrochloride, Buprenorphine Hydrochloride and Clonazepam, along with five handguns, during the execution of the search warrant Thursday. 

Narcotics agents received numerous complaints of Money distributing Fentanyl and “Tranq” in the community. Agents obtained the search warrant as part of the ongoing investigation during which controlled purchases of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl were sold from Money.

Also arrested during the execution of the search warrant was 42 year old Erin Nicole Pierce, of Flat Rock Road in Walhalla, on an outstanding General Sessions Bench Warrant from 2022. 

During the investigation, Narcotics Agents discovered that some of the Fentanyl seized was mixed with a drug called Xylazine, otherwise known as ‘Tranq.” As mentioned in a previous news release issued by the Sheriff’s Office, Xylazine is a sedative used for animals and is not intended to be consumed by humans.   Xylazine is not an opioid like Fentanyl so Narcan is ineffective, therefore, it increases the risk of overdose and death among those who use Xylazine and Xylazine in combination with other opioids, like Fentanyl.

“Tranq” is here now. It has unfortunately made its way into our community and we are doing everything we can, as a Narcotics Unit, to decrease the presence of this extremely dangerous drug,” according to Lt. Anna Orr, Narcotics and Vice Unit of the Special Operations Bureau. 

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation.  Both Money and Pierce remain in jail, at this time.