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Press Release

Rock Hill Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Ammunition Charge

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of South Carolina

Contact Person: Stacey Haynes (803) 929-3000

Columbia, South Carolina ---- Acting United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Robert Da’Quan Johnson, a/k/a “Thunda,” age 20, of Rock Hill, South Carolina plead guilty today in federal court. Johnson plead guilty 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). United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis of Columbia accepted the 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 established that on the evening of September 7, 2015, an officer with the Rock Hill Police Department was on routine patrol when he observed two vehicles traveling down Mount Holly Road at a high rate of speed. The officer’s radar clocked the vehicles traveling 70 mph in a 50 mph zone. Upon activating his blue light and siren and stopping both vehicles, the officer found Johnson to be the driver and sole occupant of one vehicle and a female friend of Johnson’s was found to be the driver and sole occupant of the other vehicle. After asking Johnson to exit his vehicle, a Rohm .22 caliber firearm was found in Johnson’s pants pocket and a baggy of .22 caliber ammunition found in Johnson’s vehicle. Johnson was placed under arrest for state charges for carrying an unlawful weapon and speeding. The case was referred to federal authorities for prosecution as Johnson, who was on state parole at the time, is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and/or ammunition based upon his 2014 state felony conviction for criminal conspiracy.

Johnson faces a statutory maximum of ten (10) years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000 on the firearm/ammunition charge.

The case was investigated by the Rock Hill Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), 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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Updated August 2, 2016