Columbia, South Carolina – A Georgia man has been sentenced to 78 months in prison for his involvement in a pair of serious crimes.
Marial Watson, 29, of Columbus, Georgia, was sentenced in federal court in Charleston, South Carolina, for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel, of Charleston, handed down the sentence against Watson.
The evidence in this case established that in 2013, Watson was convicted in Georgia of Aggravated Assault with Intent to Rape.
Due to this sex offense, Watson was required under state and federal law to register as a sex offender, and to keep the registration current, in any state where he lived or worked.
However, in January 2017, Watson moved to South Carolina, but he failed to notify the authorities in Georgia or to register as a sex offender in South Carolina.
Additionally, in April 2017, Watson was arrested on unrelated charges. During this arrest, police found a loaded 9 mm handgun and 101 rounds of ammunition in Watson’s possession.
The case was investigated by agents from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative.
Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Assistant United States Attorney Rhett DeHart of the office prosecuted the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Holton Sentenced for Sex Offender Registration Violation · South Carolina
- Gun Traffickers from South Carolina Sentenced to Federal Prison · North Carolina
- Gun Traffickers Sentenced to Federal Prison in South Carolina · North Carolina
- Hernandez-Velazquez Gets 15+ Years for Brutal Sex Trafficking · Mississippi
- ‘Jay’ and Crew Hit with Gun Trafficking, Narcotics Charges · North Carolina
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Sex Crimes|Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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