Orangeburg Man Accused of Shooting at Orangeburg Police Indicted on Federal Firearm Charge

Columbia, South Carolina ---- Acting United States Attorney A. Lance Crick announced today that Phillip Michael King, 33, of Orangeburg, was charged in federal court this week in a one-count indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  King also faces South Carolina state charges of attempted murder, possession of a weapon during a violent crime, possession of a stolen handgun, and possession of a stolen handgun with a damaged or removed serial number, in relation to an incident in which officers of the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety were shot at on September 22, 2018.

The federal indictment alleges that on September 22, 2018, King was in possession of a Smith & Wesson, Model SW9VE, 9mm pistol and various rounds of 9mm ammunition.  The indictment also alleges that at the time of the possession, federal law prohibited King from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of at least one prior felony conviction.

King faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of supervised release on the federal indictment returned this week.  If the court determines enhanced penalties apply based on the King’s prior criminal record, King may face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life, a fine of $250,000, and 5 years of supervised release.

The charge against King was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and Orangeburg Department of Public Safety.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elliott B. Daniels of the Columbia office.

This case is prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The Acting U.S. Attorney stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

#####