United States of America v. Jonathan Andrew Felkel

Columbia, South Carolina, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with use of force or threatened force to injure, intimidate, or interfere with someone’s housing rights based on race.

Jonathan Andrew Felkel, age 34, of Columbia, South Carolina, drove into the gated community where both he and J.M. lived when he saw J.M. standing at the gate of the community. Felkel fired a gun and shouted, “You better keep running, boy!” at J.M.

The FBI Columbia Field Office and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle Klein and Lamar Fyall of the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Sarah Armstrong of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

The Defendant pleaded guilty. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release to follow any term of imprisonment. Felkel will enter his change of plea in federal court before United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis on a future date.