COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA
Erick Stewart, a notorious gang member, has been dealt a hefty punishment for his involvement in gun and drug crimes. The 28-year-old was sentenced to 212 months in federal prison, followed by a six-year term of court-ordered supervision.
According to evidence presented in court, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) launched an investigation into Stewart’s activities in January 2021. Their probe revealed that Stewart had been advertising drugs on social media and had even posted images of firearms.
On May 5, 2021, RCSD executed a search warrant at Stewart’s residence, where they seized over 900 grams of marijuana, counterfeit prescription pills containing fluorofentanyl, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and tramadol, and a pistol.
Stewart’s troubles continued on June 20, 2021, when a City of Columbia Police Department officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Stewart. The defendant fled the scene, discarding a gun between nearby houses.
Prior to these incidents, Stewart had a history of convictions, including assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and multiple burglaries. These convictions prohibited him from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie handed down the sentence, which is to be served without the possibility of parole. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, a strategy aimed at reducing violent crime.
The PSN program focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lamar J. Fyall is prosecuting the case.
Related Federal Cases
- Alouis Levorge Taylor, Gun and Drug Offenses, South Carolina 2021 · Connecticut
- Lazarus Floyd, Multiple Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses, South Carolina 2023 · South Carolina
- Thomas Lashort Bullock, Gun and Drug Crimes, South Carolina 2021 · South Carolina
- Jimmy Flores, Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses, Connecticut 2020 · Connecticut
- Anthony Tyrone Whitfield, Firearms and Narcotics Distribution, South Carolina 2022 · Arkansas
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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