Friend of Dylann Roof faces federal charges, to appear in court Friday

COLUMBIA, S.C. Federal court documents filed Friday morning show that the man who opened his doors to suspected Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof has been indicted on federal charges.

Joseph “Joey” Meek Jr., 21, of Red Bank, S.C., is facing charges of misprision of a felony and making a false statement, according to the documents. He 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 of 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.

The indictments allege that Meek had knowledge of Roof’s plans to shoot nine black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church 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.”

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