WEST COLUMBIA MAN CHARGED WITH ARMED ROBBERY, CARJACKING

  COLUMBIA, South Carolina -- Acting United States Kevin F. McDonald announced that a Federal Grand Jury returned a five-count Indictment against Ryan Craig Brown, age 23, of West Columbia, for bank robbery, armed robbery of a business, carjacking, and two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

The Indictment alleges that Brown used a gun to rob the First Palmetto Savings Bank on North Broad Street in Camden on November 16, 2005, and the Movie Gallery on South Governor Williams Highway in Darlington on December 20, 2005. During the robbery of the Movie Gallery, Brown allegedly took an employee’s car by force and crashed it during a high speed chase with police.

The maximum penalty Brown could receive is life imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Camden Police Department, the Darlington Police Department, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rose Mary Parham of the Florence Office.

Mr. McDonald stated that Project CeaseFire is an initiative of the United States Attorney’s Office targeting gun crimes.

Mr. McDonald stated that the charges in this Indictment are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.