Columbia Man Facing Federal Charges After Resisting Arrest By Franklin Police

Roy Gene Nicholson
Roy Gene Nicholson

NASHVILLE – A federal indictment unsealed yesterday, charges a Columbia, Tennessee, man with drug distribution and firearms charges, announced U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin.

Roy Gene Nicholson, III, 26, was indicted by a federal grand jury last month and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Nicholson was arrested yesterday by the United States Marshals Service and is currently in federal custody.

The charges are the result of an incident on April 24, 2022, where Nicholson was stopped on I-65 in Williamson County, Tenn., by an officer with the Franklin Police Department. According to the indictment, when the officer approached the car, he observed a pistol on the front passenger seat and smelled an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The officer attempted to detain Nicholson and a physical struggle ensued. Nicholson was able to re-enter his vehicle and as two officers attempted to remove him from the car, Nicholson accelerated, dragging both officers for a distance and knocking them to the ground. The legs of one officer were run over by the vehicle as it sped away.

Nicholson was later arrested approximately one mile away and was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm, marijuana, and more than $3,600 in cash. A pink backpack found on a sidewalk nearby, contained approximately 200 grams of marijuana and plastic baggies. Officers had observed the pink backpack in Nicholson’s car during the earlier attempt to arrest him.

If convicted, Nicholson faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Franklin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Herbert L. Bunton, III is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.