{"id":4588,"date":"2026-08-13T04:37:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T04:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4588"},"modified":"2026-08-13T04:37:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T04:37:01","slug":"sc-man-found-asleep-in-running-car-faces-life-sentence-official-says-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4588","title":{"rendered":"SC man found asleep in running car faces life sentence, official says. Here\u2019s why"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>A man who was discovered by law enforcement officers sleeping while behind the wheel of a running vehicle faces a life sentence in federal prison for what was in his possession, not a traffic violation, according to the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4587\">Timber Fire grows to 3,700 acres in Big Sur, threatening 500 structures, condors<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Nathan Johnson Jr., a 45-year-old Richland County resident, was found with more than 100 grams of cocaine in his pocket and a .45 caliber pistol in the vehicle\u2019s glove compartment, the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office said Wednesday in a news release.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Johnson recently pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime, according to the release.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The charges stem from an April 20, 2024, incident when a deputy with the Richland County Sheriff\u2019s Department responded to a service call at a residence, the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office said. Upon arrival, the deputy saw a vehicle sitting in the middle of the road with the brake lights on, according to the release.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The deputy approached and found Johnson asleep in the car with the vehicle in drive and Johnson\u2019s foot on the brake, the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office said.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>After waking Johnson, the deputy told him to put the car in park, but Johnson put the car in reverse and struck the patrol vehicle, according to the release. After getting Johnson out of the vehicle, the deputy searched him and found the drugs and gun, the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office said.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4586\">Student killed in shooting at school bus stop in South Carolina, coroner says<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Johnson faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the release. Should he be released from prison, Johnson also faces 5 years of supervision, the U.S. Attorney\u2019s office said. There is no parole in the federal system.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>U.S. District Judge Joseph Anderson Jr., accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Johnson after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office, according to the release.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>In addition to the sheriff\u2019s department, this case also was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Assistant U.S. Attorney William Witherspoon is prosecuting the case. Columbia attorney Seth Rose, a Democrat serving in the South Carolina Legislature, was listed as Johnson\u2019s attorney on state charges from the arrest that are pending, Richland County court records show.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<div>\n<h3>         BEHIND THE STORY     <\/h3>\n<p>             MORE          <\/p>\n<div>\n<h3>This is a breaking news story<\/h3>\n<div>\n<p>In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=4585\">Silfab and York County face lawsuits, including this one that\u2019s now fast tracked<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office said an SC man faces life in prison after being found asleep behind the wheel of a running car and in possession of cocaine &amp; a gun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":692,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>SC man found asleep in running car faces life sentence, official says. 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