LANCASTER COUNTY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL FIREARM CHARGE

          COLUMBIA, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins announced today that Laurkeda Montrell Montgomery, a/k/a “Magoo”, age 26, of Kershaw, South Carolina, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Senior United States District Judge Matthew J. Perry, Jr., accepted the plea and will impose sentence at a later date.

          Last April, Lancaster County deputies were dispatched to an armed robbery. The victim told deputies that Montgomery had robbed him at gunpoint. Deputies located Montgomery’s vehicle in the area and after a brief chase, Montgomery wrecked the vehicle and attempted to run away. Deputies apprehended Montgomery after a foot chase and recovered a loaded, stolen .40 handgun in a holster he was wearing.

          Montgomery is prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition based upon his prior state convictions for grand larceny, strong arm robbery, resisting arrest, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, burglary 2^nd degree, and assault and battery with intent to kill. Montgomery faces 10 years imprisonment, but may be subject to additional time in prison based on his prior record.

          The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, 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 prosecution of the case.

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