PRESS NOTICE

W. WALTER WILKINS

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

DISTRICT OF SOUTH CAROLINA

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1441 Main Street * Suite 500 * Columbia, SC 29201 * (803) 929-3000 *

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October 7, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT PERSON: KEVIN F. MCDONALD      (803) 929-3000

 

JURY CONVICTS ROCK HILL DRUG DEALER

Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney W. Walter Wilkins stated that a federal jury convicted Zhivago Anwar Robinson, a 27 year old convicted felon from Rock Hill, on charges of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute crack, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Cameron Currie presided over the trial and will impose sentence at a later date.

Evidence presented at the trial established that since 2006, Robinson and others distributed powder cocaine and crack cocaine in the Rock Hill area. Robinson's brother Demego had earlier pled guilty to his role in the drug conspiracy.

Mr. Wilkins stated that Robinson, who has already been convicted twice before of state felony drug distribution charges, is facing a sentence of 30 years to life in prison. "This is another victory for Rock Hill's Weed and Seed crime prevention program. We will continue to support Rock Hill in its efforts to clean up its center city neighborhoods and put drug dealers like the Robinson brothers behind bars." The Robinson brothers had been dealing drugs in areas targeted by Rock Hill's Weed and Seed program.

Weed and Seed is part of the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs and aims to prevent, control, and reduce violent crime, drug abuse, and gang activity in targeted high-crime neighborhoods across the country.

The strategy involves a two-pronged approach. First, law enforcement agencies and prosecutors cooperate and work to "weed out" criminals who participate in violent crime and drug abuse, attempting to prevent their return to the targeted area. Next, "seeding" brings human services to the area, encompassing prevention, intervention, treatment, and neighborhood revitalization. The strategy is to focus on one area of a city at a time until significant progress has been made, then move to another area. This then becomes a cycle which can be repeated and moved throughout the entire city as needed.

There are more than 300 officially recognized Weed and Seed Sites throughout the country. South Carolina is home to five Weed and Seed Sites: Rock Hill, Spartanburg, Charleston, North Charleston, and Florence.

The case was investigated by Officers with the York County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit and the Rock Hill Police Department, as well as the F.B.I. Assistant United States Attorneys James Leventis, Jr. and Mark Moore of the Columbia office prosecuted the case.