Williston Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a Firearm (DOJ)

COLUMBIA, S.C. --Demetrius McIlwain, 51, of Williston, has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed deputies with the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office responded to a location looking for a suspect alleged to have committed domestic violence. During their investigation, deputies found McIlwain in the driver's seat of a running vehicle and a female in the passenger seat. The deputy attempted to identify McIlwain to determine if he was involved in the incident, but McIlwain refused to cooperate. When deputies asked McIlwain to step out of the vehicle, he told them that there was a shotgun in the vehicle, then he immediately drove away. After McIlwain tried to evade the deputies, he wrecked his truck and ran.

During a search of the vehicle, deputies found an AR style pistol in the front seat, a shotgun in the back seat, and a third firearm in a toolbox in the vehicle. Deputies also found a small amount of fentanyl in the driver's side cupholder. The passenger later identified McIlwain as the driver, and deputies further connected him to the vehicle from paperwork found inside of the truck. McIlwain was later arrested and admitted he was the driver of the vehicle.

McIlwain is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition based upon prior criminal convictions for grand larceny, burglary 2nd non-violent, criminal sexual conduct 2nd degree, burglary 1st, burglary 2nd degree, malicious injury to personal property, and assault and battery with intent to kill.

McIlwain faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence McIlwain after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

###