Columbia man gets 7 years in prison on federal gun, drug convictions
A Columbia man is set to spend more than seven years behind bars.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina said in a Friday release that Columbia’s Melvin Roshad Simuel, 36, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana and methamphetamines.
Simuel was arrested on three separate occasions in 2018 on firearms possession and distribution of meth and marijuana charges, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Two of the guns had been reported stolen, and Samuel was on probation at the time of the arrests for a prior gun conviction, officials said.
Federal law prevented Simuel from having a gun and ammunition because of prior firearm and burglary convictions.
U.S. District Judge Sherri Lydon sentenced Simuel to the seven-and-a-half years, to be followed by three years of probation. There is no parole in the federal prison system.
