APNewsBreak: Church shooting suspect's friend to plead


COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A friend of the white man accused of shooting nine black parishioners to death in Charleston last year is set to plead guilty.

A plea agreement signed by federal prosecutors today shows that 21-year-old Joey Meek has agreed to plead guilty to lying to authorities and failure to report a crime.

Authorities have said Meek failed to tell investigators all he knew about Dylann Roof's plans to shoot nine black parishioners at Emanuel AME Church last June.

Roof is charged with nine counts of murder in state court and with hate crimes and other charges in federal court.

Meek had been set to go on trial later this year. The agreement did not give a date for his plea hearing.