25-year prison term pronounced

A 40-year-old Pickens County man has been directed  to serve 25-years – the result of his recent drug conviction by a jury in his home county.  The sentence was handed down this afternoon by Judge McIntosh to defendant William Oliver, as part of a day of state grand jury proceedings held at the Oconee County Courthouse.  Oliver was described as a repeat offender of the state law against possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, but there was confusion over the number of times that Oliver has committed the offense.  He was represented by attorney Larry Crane; while assistant attorney Samantha Goude represented the state.  For time spent in jail awaiting trial, including time spent under house arrest, Oliver could be credited with 2,344 days served, depending on a further calculation to be made by the court.  Prosecutor Goude called Oliver a nuisance to the community and blamed him for delaying the processing of his case dating back to 2018.  But, at the start of today’s proceeding, Oliver and his lawyer failed to persuade the judge to delay sentencing.  Crane said his client wished to bring in a replacement attorney, but McIntosh was adamant that sentencing would take place today.  A 10-day period in which Oliver may appeal will now commence.  Earlier this week the attorney’s general office linked the Oliver case to the initiative called “Prison Empire”, a drug operation run from inside prison walls to the outside where Oliver was.