Bennettsville man faces life in prison for firearm charge

A Bennettsville man has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins said in a press release.

Andrew Jermaine Bethea, 31, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum possible sentence of life.

On May 8, Bennettsville police executed a search warrant at a house on North Jordan Street in Bennettsville. Bethea was found inside with a .38-caliber revolver in his back pocket. His prior felony convictions include assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, escape and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

The case, which also was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rose Mary Parham as part of Project CeaseFire, an initiative of the U.S. Attorney’s Office that seeks to aggressively prosecute gun and violent crime.