Five Marlboro County gang members plead guilty

Five Marlboro County gang members pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and face between 10 years to life in prison.

Wendell James Covington, 29, of Clio, and James Keith Cheek, 28, Ronnie Christopher Hatcher, 22, and Roger Dewayne Sunderland, 20, all of McColl, each plead guilty Monday to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins.

A fifth co-defendant, Lucas Shaboo Covington, 28, of McColl previously pleaded guilty to the same charge.

United States Judge Terry Wooten accepted the guilty pleas Monday and will sentence the men after presentence reports are prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

All face 10 years to life in prision.

On June 16, police were dispatched to Briar Patch Road in McColl, to invesitgate a drive-by shooting. An investigator in an unmarked car was on scene with the victims when the suspect vehicle returned, and one of its occupants, Hatcher, pointed a shotgun out of the windo, according to the release.

Officials say after Hatcher realized he was pointing a gun at an officer, he returned to the vehicle, and Cheek, the driver, sped off.

Officers followed in what became a high-speed chase. The occupants of the vehicle threw the loaded shotgun and several bags of marijuana from the car before officers were able to stop the car, and arrest the five occupants.

The federal investigation revealed that Cheek and Hatcher were responsible for the first shooting and that each were members of the Crips. 

The case was investigated by the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office and agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S.  Attorney Rose Mary Parham of the Florence office is prosecuting the case as part of Project CeaseFire, an initiative of the U.S. Attorneys Office that seeks to aggressively prosecute gun-related crimes.