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Richland County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearm Charges

Nathan Johnson, Jr., 45, faces up to life in prison following a guilty plea stemming from an April 2024 incident.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 20, 2026, 9:27 a.m. ET
According to official records from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina, 45-year-old Nathan Johnson, Jr., of Richland County, guilty on August 12, 2026, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime. The case remains open as sentencing is pending. The charges stem from an incident on April 20, 2024, when a Richland County Sheriff's deputy responded to a service call at a Richland County residence. Official records state the deputy found a vehicle sitting in the middle of the road with its brake lights on and Johnson asleep inside while the car was in drive with his foot on the brake. When awakened and told to put the vehicle in park, Johnson placed the car in reverse and struck the deputy's marked unit. A search following his removal from the vehicle uncovered more than 100 grams of cocaine in Johnson's pocket and a .45 caliber pistol in the glove compartment. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Johnson after reviewing a report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Johnson faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and five years of supervision to follow imprisonment. The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the Richland County Sheriff's Department, and Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting.

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  1. Version 120 Aug 2026, 13:27current

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