Darlington Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Federal Prison on Robbery and Gun Charges

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon stated today that Kenneth Eric Coe, Jr. a/k/a “Junior,” age 24, of Darlington, SC, was sentenced in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, for aiding and abetting Robbery of United States Government Property and aiding and abetting the Use of and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.  United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell, of Florence, sentenced Coe to 121 months in federal prison with 5 years of supervised release to follow along with $400.00 in restitution to be paid to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). 

The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that on March 29, 2017, Coe along with another individual robbed a person having lawful charge, custody, and control of $400.00 belonging to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives by use of a firearm.  At the hearing, the agent presented evidence that during the robbery, a firearm was pointed at the victim in order to force the victim to give up the cash. 

The case was investigated by agents of ATF, the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hartsville Police Department and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire, which aggressively prosecutes firearm cases.  Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Hummel of the Florence office and J.D. Rowell and William Lewis of the Columbia office handled the case. 

Project CeaseFire is 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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