Timmonsville man pleads guilty in series of robberies

FLORENCE — A Timmonsville man has pleaded guilty in connection with two armed robberies and an attempted armed robbery in the Pee Dee, U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins said in a press release issued Tuesday afternoon.

Tracey Scott Rich, 38, pleaded guilty to armed robbery and using a firearm in the commission of the robbery and faces life in prison.

His co-defendant, 21-year-old Richard Eugene Powell, also of Timmonsville, pleaded guilty to the same charges last month. As part of his guilty plea, Powell agreed to be sentenced to 25 years in prison. He, too, faced life in prison.

Rich and Powell were indicted in January. The indictment alleges that early the morning of Nov. 14, they robbed the Markette at 6515 E. Palmetto St. in Florence, then tried to rob Breakers at 2819 W. Palmetto St., Florence, by trying to enter the locked doors of the store while armed with a gun. Later that day, it’s alleged they robbed Passions Video at 4713 U.S. 76 West, Marion. During all of the robberies, the men threatened and pointed guns at the victims.

That night, Rich and Powell stopped at the South Florence Exxon, located at 3099B S. Irby St., Florence. Unbeknownst to them, a Florence County sheriff’s deputy who had just watched a video of one of the earlier robberies was inside the station. The deputy recognized the two immediately, called for backup, and placed the men under arrest.

In their car, deputies found 2.7 grams of crack cocaine, a loaded Winchester .22-caliber rifle, a Taurus .38-caliber pistol, and the ski masks and clothes worn in the robberies.

Before to confessing to the crimes, Powell told investigators, “Come on in here… take my confession… I’m ready to do my four or five years in the state system and get it over with.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rose Mary Parham of the Florence office is prosecuting the case, which also was investigated by the FBI, as part of Project CeaseFire, an initiative of the United States Attorneys Office that seeks to aggressively prosecute gun-related crimes.