COLUMBIA -- A federal jury Thursday convicted an Orangeburg man in connection with the May 2002 murder of a Denmark businessman.

John Singleton, 32, also known as D.U., Boogie and Divine Understanding, was charged with murder while using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, armed robbery affecting commerce, conspiracy to use and carry firearms during crimes of violence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, said U.S. Attorney Strom Thurmond Jr.

Evidence presented during the trial established that on May 29, 2000, Singleton and his co-defendants, Sherman Coulter, 24; Jonathan Sapp, 23, and Eric Johnson, 27, all of Orangeburg, robbed and murdered Fleming Lee, Thurmond said.

Lee lived in Denmark next to Lee Mart, a convenience store he owned.

Thurmond said the evidence showed Singleton was aware that Lee frequently kept the proceeds from the store in his residence.

On Memorial Day 2000, Singleton, Sapp, Coulter and Johnson gathered at Singleton's mother's house, Thurmond said. Johnson drove Singleton, Sapp and Coulter to Denmark.

Sapp and Singleton were armed with Hi-Point 9 mm pistols. After they arrived in Denmark, Sapp, carrying his gun, and Coulter, carrying a stun gun, knocked on the door to Lee's residence.

When Lee opened the door, Sapp and Coulter assaulted him and then began searching for the money they believed was in the house.

Thurmond said evidence presented during the trial indicated that Lee resisted and was shot once in the stomach by Sapp. Coulter then found a safe in the residence, and they forced Lee to open the safe.

When Coulter retrieved the money from the safe, Lee grabbed Sapp's gun and a struggle ensued. The clip fell out of the gun as Coulter fought to get the gun back from Lee.

According to testimony, Coulter was able to get the gun, and he shot Lee in the face with the bullet which remained in the chamber of the gun.

Coulter then gave the gun back to Sapp, who inserted a spare clip and shot Lee again, killing him, Thurmond said. Sapp and Coulter then fled to the car where Singleton and Johnson were waiting, and they drove back to Orangeburg, stopping on the way to burn Coulter's bloody shirt and a cigar box which had contained between $3,600 and $6,000.

The evidence also established that in May 2000, Sapp, Singleton and others also robbed the Carolina Game Room, a video poker establishment then located in Orangeburg.

Sapp and Coulter previously pleaded guilty to murder while using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and armed robbery affecting commerce. They, along with Singleton, face life in prison. Johnson pleaded guilty to armed robbery affecting commerce and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie of Columbia presided at the trial and will impose sentence at a later date after she has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

The trial began Monday, May 19, and the jury received its charge from Currie Wednesday afternoon. Jurors began deliberations Thursday morning and returned the verdicts about 1 p.m. Thursday.

The case was investigated by agents of the FBI, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Denmark Public Safety Department and the Bamberg County Sheriff's Office.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott N. Schools of the Columbia office and Assistant Solicitor Grant Gibbons of the Second Judicial Circuit, who had been appointed as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuted the case.

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