Camden man could face life in jail if deemed career criminal
Pleads guilty to firearm, drug charges
A Camden man pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal court to charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Senior U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie accepted the guilty plea from Swan Nicoyis Jackson, 22, and will impose a sentence after she had reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Beth Drake.
Evidence presented in court established that Kershaw County Sheriff's Office deputies encountered Jackson and another male walking down railroad tracks near a neighborhood that had recent thefts. When deputies asked Jackson and the other male to stop, they both ran.
Deputies could smell marijuana emanating from their direction, according to the court evidence presented. During the chase, Jackson fell, allowing deputies to catch him. They found a 9mm handgun and marijuana in his pants pocket.
Further investigation revealed the firearm had been reported stolen from a residence.
Jackson is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms based on his prior, separate state convictions for possession of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, distribution of crack cocaine (two counts), distribution of crack cocaine near a school, possession with intent to distribute marijuana-second offense, and possession of crack cocaine-third offense or more.
On the firearm charge, Jackson faces a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000 and three years or supervised released on the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge.
However, if he is deemed an armed career criminal in light of his extensive prior convictions for serious drug offenses, he would face a statutory mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years with a maximum of life, a fine of $250,000 and five years of supervised release on the firearm charge. He faces a maximum of 10 years, a fine of $4 million and four years of supervised release on the marijuana charge.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project CeaseFire initiative, which "aggressively prosecutes firearm cases."
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office handled the case.