Convicted Felon Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Bobby Joe Drakeford, Jr., age 27, of Wallace, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.  United States District Judge Bryan Harwell, of Florence, sentenced Drakeford to 84 months in federal prison with 3 years of supervised release to follow.

The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that on January 5, 2017, deputies with the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office observed a vehicle that matched the description of a vehicle involved in an attempted sale of suspected stolen firearms.  After deputies attempted to make a stop on the vehicle, Drakeford, who was driving the vehicle, failed to stop, and a vehicle chase ensued.  During the vehicle chase, Drakeford ran a stop sign, slammed the driver side of his car into the passenger side of a deputy’s patrol vehicle, struck a metal light pole, and caused his vehicle to roll into a parked car after exiting the vehicle and fleeing on foot.  During the foot chase, a deputy observed Drakeford throw a small pistol over a fence and then climb over the fence.  Eventually, Drakeford succumbed to verbal commands to stop, and deputies were able to detain Drakeford and recover the pistol he had thrown over the fence.  The evidence presented also established that Drakeford had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.  

The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cheraw Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

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