Benjamin Marcel Wright, Possession of a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Crime, South Carolina 2016
A Greenville man has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, federal authorities announced today.
Benjamin Marcel Wright, 23, of Greenville, entered the guilty plea in federal court in Anderson on Wednesday, according to United States Attorney Beth Drake. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain accepted the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Wright faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum of life in federal prison. He was arrested on federal firearms charges on September 15, 2016, and has remained in custody since his federal arrest.
The evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on September 11, 2016, Greenville Police Officers were conducting foot patrol at a closed city park when they encountered Wright and a female engaged in physical activity. When officers conducted a search of Wright, they recovered a loaded .9mm pistol from his pants, and drugs from a nearby vehicle.
The Greenville Police Department along with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen in the Greenville U.S. Attorney's Office is prosecuting the case.
The investigation into Wright's activities was conducted as part of the ATF's Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. This program is designed to reduce violent crime and narcotics trafficking in America's cities and suburbs.
Contact Person: Lance Crick (864) 282-2100
Mandatory minimum sentence: 5 years
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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