United States Attorney Beth Drake announced that Johnny Willie Jones, aged 30, from Columbia, has entered a guilty plea in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm, violating 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
Jones’ conviction stems from an incident on January 31, 2016, at a halfway house on Lady Street. Jones was involved in a physical altercation with the manager and her daughter after being confronted about having a female present in his room. In response to the confrontation, Jones retreated to his room, retrieved a sawed-off shotgun, and fired towards the females, although they were unharmed.
Afterward, Jones fled the scene, leaving the shotgun behind. He was later apprehended in Arizona. Jones had previous convictions for kidnapping and armed robbery, making him prohibited from possessing firearms.
The maximum penalty for the crime is a 10-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine. Assistant United States Attorney William K. Witherspoon of the Columbia office is handling the prosecution.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Columbia Police Department as part of Project CeaseFire, an initiative that combats firearm cases on all levels of government.
Contact Person: William K. Witherspoon (803) 929-3000
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Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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