Columbia man accused of using social media to sell marijuana sentenced, feds say

A Columbia man accused of using social media to sell marijuana and who crashed his car after running from law enforcement is headed to prison..

A jury in federal court found Booker Henley, 30, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison , according to a Nov. 13 news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the district of South Carolina.

The case dates back to March 2023, when a Richland County sheriff's deputy attempted to pull Henley over in northeast Columbia. Henley evaded the deputy, crashing his vehicle a few moments later. He then fled from the scene.

Following the crash, deputies said Henley's car reeked of marijuana, according to the news release. Upon searching the vehicle, they found a loaded firearm with an extended magazine, a bag containing 252 grams of marijuana.

Prior to the crash, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began reviewing Henley's social media accounts, where they found him posting pictures of himself and marijuana that he advertised for sale, the news release states. A search warrant for those same accounts reveled that he was using social media to advertise and sell drugs in the days before and after the crash.

Through social media messages, investigators determined that Henley had completed a drug sale in Columbia about 45 minutes before the chase, and that he messaged someone four days after the crash admitting to wrecking his "skat" — referencing his Dodge Charger Skat Pack, the release said.

U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Henley to 144 months in federal prison, which includes concurrent sentences of 84 months and 60 months for the felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Following that, Henley will serve 60 months in prison for the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, the release said.

Upon his release, Henley will have a three years of court-ordered supervision.