Former Lee County Sheriff E.J. Melvin
/ FILE
COLUMBIA (WACH) -- The former Lee County sheriff convicted of drug charges will be sentenced today according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
E.J. Melvin will appear before a federal judge in Columbia at 2 p.m.
Melvin resigned last May after he and 11 others were charged with conspiring to deal drugs.
The former sheriff was convicted on 30 counts of drug conspiracy and racketeering by a jury in November.
Melvin faces sentencing guidelines of decades in prison or even a potential life sentence after he was convicted of taking what prosecutors said were years of kickbacks from drug dealers to keep them out of trouble.
Defense attorney Jack Swerling is asking for a sentence of three to four years because Melvin is already being punished because he can no longer work as a law officer because of his conviction.
Melvin was a state trooper for 15 years before being elected sheriff in 2000. He resigned after his arrest last May.
WACH Fox News will bring you the latest out of the sentencing trial. Check back for more details.
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