Camden Man Pleads to Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition Charge

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Richard Herman Roach, III, age 28, of Camden, plead guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, of Columbia, accepted the guilty plea and will impose sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence presented in court during the guilty plea hearing established that at approximately 2:35 am on July 2, 2016, a deputy with the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Department tried to stop a speeding vehicle on Highway 34. The vehicle failed to stop and a chase ensued during which the vehicle reached speeds up to 100 mph. After the driver lost control trying to make a turn and the vehicle ended up in a ditch, the deputy approached and noticed Roach, the driver and sole occupant, reaching underneath the seat. After removing Roach from the vehicle, the deputy found a loaded Ruger .45 caliber pistol in the front area of the vehicle and a small bag of marijuana in Roach’s front pants pocket. Roach was placed under arrest for state charges. While in transport to the detention center, Roach escaped from deputies, but was apprehended shortly thereafter using a K-9 tracking team.

Roach is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior federal conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 5 grams or more of crack cocaine and his prior state conviction for forgery.  At the time of the incident, Roach was on supervised release for the federal drug conspiracy conviction after previously serving time. 

Roach faces a maximum of ten years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge. Roach also faces a revocation of his federal supervised release sentence.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Kershaw County Detention Center and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.

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