A Friend Lied About Dylann Roof’s Massacre Plan. Now He’ll Go to Prison. - Sensationalist Headlines

[quote]CHARLESTON, S.C. — Joseph C. Meek Jr., a friend of Dylann S. Roof’s who spent time with him in the weeks before nine people were killed at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church here, was sentenced Tuesday to 27 months in prison for hampering and misleading the federal authorities in the aftermath of Mr. Roof’s racist massacre. The punishment, handed down by Judge Richard M. Gergel of Federal District Court, was at the low end of the sentencing guidelines, which called for Mr. Meek to spend from 27 to 33 months in prison. The months that he spent in a county jail after his arrest will count toward his federal sentence. Before the sentence was announced, a tearful Mr. Meek said he was not sure whether he would survive prison, and he apologized to family members of Mr. Roof’s victims, some of whom had gathered for the hearing. “I’m really sorry a lot of innocent lives were taken,” said Mr. Meek, who had previously expressed remorse in handwritten letters in which he asked for forgiveness. But Judge Gergel, speaking at a hearing that lasted more than two hours, said Mr. Meek’s crimes warranted prison. “The danger he exposed to the community is extraordinary,” he said. Mr. Meek’s lawyer, Deborah B. Barbier, expressed concern that her client would be forced to spend his sentence in solitary confinement because of security risks. Judge Gergel said the federal Bureau of Prisons could be trusted to protect him. “It’s an odd, inverse logic that I should not incarcerate him because inmates think so lowly of him,” the judge said. Mr. Meek, 22, pleaded guilty last April to two federal counts related to the truthfulness of his responses to the F.B.I. in interviews shortly after the shooting on June 17, 2015 — misprision of a felony and making a false statement to a law enforcement officer. Misprision refers to the failure to report a known crime. The government did not prosecute Mr. Meek for failing to disclose knowledge of Mr. Roof’s plans to attack the church, although it asserted in court filings that his silence “did deprive law enforcement of the opportunity to intervene.” During a night of drinking and drug use about a week before the shootings, Mr. Roof told Mr. Meek that he wanted to kill black people at a historic African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston in order to start a race riot, according to F.B.I. summaries of interviews with him. Mr. Meek was concerned enough to hide Mr. Roof’s handgun after he fell asleep but later returned it and did not report the threat to law enforcement. “Certainly defendant’s failure to make an earlier report is tragic and deeply regrettable, but his failure to report was not a violation of federal criminal law,” Judge Gergel wrote last week in an order that denied prosecutors’ request to give Mr. Meek a longer term than recommended in sentencing guidelines. Ms. Barbier said in a presentencing filing that it was “hypocritical and disingenuous” for prosecutors to suggest that Mr. Meek was somehow to blame for the killings. “Joey’s failure to appreciate the seriousness of Roof’s statements is not unusual in today’s shock value culture,” she wrote. In court on Tuesday, a defense witness said Mr. Meek’s connection to the Charleston massacre would make him a “high-value target” in prison. “He’ll have to be kept separate from other inmates — not because of what he did, but because he has some relationship to a heinous crime,” said the witness, James Aiken, a former warden for the South Carolina prison system.[/quote] Very long article, but full of interesting details including what he said between interviews. [url]https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/us/joey-meek-dylann-roof-charleston-church-shooting.html?_r=0[/url]

"Judge Gergel said the federal Bureau of Prisons could be trusted to protect him." and on this very forum theres a story of one prisoner getting boiled alive Yeah [B]fat chance[/B]

Honestly I'm not sure how to feel about this. It all basically hinges on him previously knowing of the dude's basic plan because of an alcohol and drug fueled binge and lying that he knew him. He clearly fucked up but I don't really consider it the actions of a bad person.

[QUOTE=AutismoPiggo;51993222]"Judge Gergel said the federal Bureau of Prisons could be trusted to protect him." and on this very forum theres a story of one prisoner getting boiled alive Yeah [B]fat chance[/B][/QUOTE] That was a prison run by the state of Florida. This guy will be going to a federal prison which by and large are better staffed and funded than state prisons. I know for a fact in Louisiana the federal prisons here are far better to be in than a state prison, for all parties. And given the nature and length of his sentence, they probably aren't going to put him in a high security facility. This article doesn't say where he is going so I really don't know.

[QUOTE=AutismoPiggo;51993222]"Judge Gergel said the federal Bureau of Prisons could be trusted to protect him." and on this very forum theres a story of one prisoner getting boiled alive Yeah [B]fat chance[/B][/QUOTE] Don't you talk shit about Judge Gergel boy. I'll fight you. More seriously, he's a very solid judge and your witty zinger is dumb for the reasons N-12_Aden described.

[QUOTE=AutismoPiggo;51993222]"Judge Gergel said the federal Bureau of Prisons could be trusted to protect him." and on this very forum theres a story of one prisoner getting boiled alive Yeah [B]fat chance[/B][/QUOTE] "what are you in for?" "obstruction" doesn't exactly make you a high value target.

[QUOTE=butre;51993510]"what are you in for?" "obstruction" doesn't exactly make you a high value target.[/QUOTE] isn't there are other ways for people to find out who you are? people from outside, rumours ect?

I'm not sure what the point of throwing this guy in prison is. Next time someone he knows tells him about a plan to kill people while high and drunk, he's probably going to believe them. It sounds like he just wrote it off as drunk rambling that would be gone in the morning? Sometimes people say stupid shit, it gets quiet, you all laugh it off because that friend is really bad at making it clear he's kidding or whatever. Give him community service or something if you've gotta, but damn.

[QUOTE=Kybalt;51993587]I'm not sure what the point of throwing this guy in prison is. Next time someone he knows tells him about a plan to kill people while high and drunk, he's probably going to believe them. It sounds like he just wrote it off as drunk rambling that would be gone in the morning? Sometimes people say stupid shit, it gets quiet, you all laugh it off because that friend is really bad at making it clear he's kidding or whatever. Give him community service or something if you've gotta, but damn.[/QUOTE] Read the article again. He's been imprisoned for lying to Federal investigators and obstructing the case, not for failing to tell the authorities.

[QUOTE=butre;51993510]"what are you in for?" "obstruction" doesn't exactly make you a high value target.[/QUOTE] Wut? Did you even read the article? [QUOTE]During a night of drinking and drug use about a week before the shootings, [B]Mr. Roof told Mr. Meek that he wanted to kill black people at a historic African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston in order to start a race riot[/B], according to F.B.I. summaries of interviews with him. [B]Mr. Meek was concerned enough to hide Mr. Roof’s handgun after he fell asleep but later returned it and did not report the threat to law enforcement.[/B][/QUOTE] He's going to prison for lying to the FBI that he knew about a racially motivated shooting a WEEK in advance and kept it a secret. He could have technically prevented it by going to the authorities, and could have prevented the death of 9 people. Do you seriously think nobody is going to find out? Like they don't have visitation or phones where he's going. They'll likely have to keep him in solitary for all 810 days of his sentence so nobody tries to kill him.

[QUOTE=Ta16;51993827]Wut? Did you even read the article? He's going to prison for lying to the FBI that he knew about a racially motivated shooting a WEEK in advance and kept it a secret. He could have technically prevented it by going to the authorities, and could have prevented the death of 9 people. Do you seriously think nobody is going to find out? Like they don't have visitation or phones where he's going. They'll likely have to keep him in solitary for all 810 days of his sentence so nobody tries to kill him.[/QUOTE] honestly if someone told me they were going to shoot black people when they were drunk/high, I don't think I'd believe them i know i've said some wild "out there" things while drunk

[QUOTE=space1;51993927]honestly if someone told me they were going to shoot black people when they were drunk/high, I don't think I'd believe them i know i've said some wild "out there" things while drunk[/QUOTE] I dont even want to know what I've said drunk. I'm told my black out drunk speech is perfectly clear words entirely out of order but I don't know.

I dunno, as shitty as it is I'm not sure this warrants sentencing. I know for a fact if a friend of mine turned around and said anything like this after after a few drinks I wouldn't take him seriously. Imprisoning this guy won't benefit society (rather it will cost money) and it won't bring back the dead.