Prosecutors: Friend knew of Dylann Roof’s plans to kill Charleston churchgoers

COLUMBIA, S.C. The man who opened his doors to suspected Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof was arraigned in federal court in Columbia Friday morning on charges misprision of a felony and making a false statement.

Joseph “Joey” Meek Jr., 21, of Red Bank, pleaded not guilty and is being held pending the posting of a $100,000 secured bond.

Indictments unsealed Friday allege that Meek had knowledge of Roof’s plans to shoot African-American parishioners at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston and that he “did not, as soon as possible, make known the same to some judge or other person in civil authority under the United States.”

The indictments also alleged that Meek told a special agent from the FBI “that he did not know specifics of Dylann Roof’s plan,” to shoot individuals at the church. The documents alleged that “Meek’s statements and representations denying such specifics were false, fictitious and fraudulent when made.”

Meek, dressed in an orange Lexington County Detention Center jumpsuit, was manacled hand and foot in metal chains. During most of the hearing he sat at the defense table beside his lawyer, Deborah Butcher of Camden.

Meek was taken into custody by FBI agents while he was at work Thursday afternoon, his girlfriend, Lindsey Fry, told The State newspaper shortly afterward.

Misprision means the concealment of knowledge about a crime from authorities after or as the crime is being committed and carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison upon conviction. Misprision also has to be an active concealment of hiding information a crime from a law enforcement officer, not just keeping silent. Meek is also facing an additional five years in prison if he is convicted of making false statements.

Butcher asked Magistrate Shiva Hodges to consider in setting bond that Meek was not a flight risk since he had extensive family ties to the Columbia area.

Hodges left open the possibility that Meek eventually could be represented by a court-appointed federal public defender at taxpayer expense.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Richardson urged Hodges to keep in mind that Meek had not responded to an official FBI request from the government to get an attorney.

During the 20-minute hearing, Hodges read Meek the full contents of the two-count indictment for misprision and making false statements.

“Mr. Meek, I would advise you that these charges are serious and you need to have competent counsel representing you in federal court,” Hodges told Meek.

Meek is on probation. Lexington County court records show he pleaded guilty this spring to possessing a stolen vehicle.

Meek was informed in an Aug. 6 letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbia that he was a “potential target” of the federal criminal investigation, The State newspaper reported Wednesday.

Roof stayed with the Meek family on and off in the weeks before the June 17 Charleston shootings.

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