Greenville Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime

Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Anthony M. Valentine age 27, of Greenville, South Carolina, entered a guilty plea yesterday in federal court in Greenville to Possessing of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).  
United States District Judge J. Michelle Childs of Columbia accepted the guilty plea and will impose the sentence after she has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on March 22, 2017, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Valentine’s residence.  Valentine was found in the house along with a loaded Hi-Point 9mm handgun, two large bags of marijuana, digital scales, 49 rounds of ammunition, and $990 in cash.

Ms. Drake stated that the maximum penalty Valentine could receive is Life imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000 dollars.   The case was investigated by agents of ATF and the Greenville Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

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