Columbia man who was found with gun and drugs is going to prison, prosecutor says
A Columbia man is going to federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple gun and drug charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Kenneth Archie, 44, was sentenced to more than five years behind bars after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, methamphetamineand marijuana, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday in a news release.
Archie drew the attention of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department on June 14, 2021, according to the release.
Deputies responded to an apartment complex on Old Manor Road in Columbia — near the junction of Interstate 20 and Broad River Road — after receiving a call saying that Archie was trying to enter the front gate of the complex without permission, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
When the deputies spoke to Archie they could smell marijuana coming from his vehicle, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. During a search of his car deputies found methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana and a gun, according to the release.
Archie admitted to possession of the drugs and gun, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He’s prohibited from having a firearm because of prior convictions for armed robbery, domestic violence and failure to stop for a blue light, according to the release.
U.S. District Judge Sherri Lydon sentenced Archie to 70 months in prison, followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. There is no parole in the federal system.
In addition to the sheriff’s department, the case was investigated by the Columbia Police Department and ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall led the prosecution, while Richland County court records show Columbia attorney Justin Kata represented Archie.
South Carolina state charges from the 2021 arrest are pending, according to court records.
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This story was originally published June 26, 2024 at 10:29 AM.
