COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – A local man has pleaded guilty to federal charges of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. Arma Victor Strong, III, 33, of Columbia, pleaded guilty in federal court to the charges.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on July 8, 2021, a Richland County Sheriff’s Department investigator on surveillance in an unmarked car in a parking lot of a motel on Nates Road saw a person walk over to an occupied car and then saw a drug deal take place. As the person walked away from the car, the deputy saw and took a photo of what appeared to be narcotics in the person’s hand. As the car left the area, the deputy radioed a marked patrol unit, which conducted a traffic stop of the car on Two Notch Road after seeing traffic violations. Due to the strong smell of marijuana coming from the car, the car was searched, and a shoebox containing marijuana and pills containing methamphetamine and cocaine was found in the backseat. Strong, the driver, admitted to possessing the drugs and having distributed some earlier.
Strong faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine of $2,000,000 on the drug charge. After service of the term of imprisonment, Strong will also face a term of supervision of at least 6 years. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Strong after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the United States Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes is prosecuting the case.
Strong’s prior felony state convictions include auto breaking, possession of cocaine, domestic violence 2nd degree, assault & battery 2nd degree, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Federal law prohibits Strong from possessing firearms and ammunition based on his prior felony state convictions.
Arma Victor Strong, III, has pleaded guilty to federal charges of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine of $2,000,000 on the drug charge.
Related Federal Cases
- Arma Victor Strong, III, Possession with Intent to Distribute, South Carolina 2021 · Texas
- Jack Shuttleworth, Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, South Carolina 2020 · Georgia
- Helmut Uwe Borchert, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Washington 2023 · Kentucky
- Curtis Hill III, Methamphetamine Trafficking, South Carolina 2024 · Georgia
- Tyquan Raheem Bellamy, Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Trafficking, South Carolina 2022 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
Drug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug TraffickingDrug Trafficking