‘I’ll eat you up,’ SC man told US Marshal before biting him. He’s now headed to prison

A man will spend more than two years in prison for biting a U.S. marshal.

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Johnny Mercer Vanover, 49, of Columbia, to 30 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to assault on a federal employee, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Carolina.

During an arraignment in federal court last year, Vanover resisted a deputy U.S. marshal who was attempting to remove Vanover’s restraints. As the marshal placed his hand on Vanover’s shoulder, Vanover clinched his fists and began yelling and cursing, telling the deputy, “I’ll eat you up,” the release said.

In response, federal deputies took Vanover to the ground, where Vanover bit one deputy on the bicep, causing bleeding. The bitten deputy U.S. marshal was admitted to the hospital and released with minor injuries, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Vanover’s 30 month prison sentence will be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision.