Two NC 18-Year-Olds Federally Indicted in Simpsonville Gun Store Robbery

Contact Person: Nancy Wicker (803) 929-3000

Columbia, South Carolina –-- Acting United States Attorney, Beth Drake, announced today that two individuals from Charlotte, NC, Sahier Lavon Richardson, age 18, and Juran Maghi Witherspoon, age 18, have been charged federally for their roles in the pre-dawn break-in and theft of firearms from The Gun Shop in Simpsonville in October.

On December 13, 2016, a federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment alleging that on October 13, 2016, the defendants, Richardson and Witherspoon, knowingly and unlawfully did take and carry away from the premises of The Gun Shop, 622 NE Main Street, Simpsonville, South Carolina, a licensed firearms dealer, firearms in the licensee’s business inventory that had been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce, and did aid and abet each other in the commission of the aforesaid offense; in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(u), 924(i)(1) and 2.

Prior to their indictment, Richardson and Witherspoon were arrested on federal arrest warrants in early November for the offense and have remained in custody, detained without bond, since that date. 

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with the assistance and cooperation of the Simpsonville Police Department, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department and the Lincoln County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Department.  The case has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Lance Crick of the Greenville office for prosecution. 

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

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