Jimmy Hunter, 48, of Lancaster County, South Carolina, is behind bars for 78 months after being sentenced in federal court on firearms and drug charges. The conviction, handed down by Senior United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie in Columbia, marks the end of a violent trail of illegal weaponry and narcotics tied to Hunter’s home and daily life.
The case erupted on September 1, 2017, when the Lancaster County Drug Task Force arrived at Hunter’s residence during a drug overdose investigation. After repeated knocks, a guest opened the door and stepped onto the porch. Instantly, investigators detected a strong odor of marijuana. While speaking with the guest, officers confirmed the smell and learned Hunter was next door. With probable cause established, they obtained a search warrant.
Inside the home, evidence of a criminal enterprise spilled into view. On the master bedroom bed alone, officers found marijuana, digital scales, and crystal methamphetamine in a clear plastic bag and on a tray. A deeper search uncovered meth, syringes, and spoons scattered throughout the house—under the bar, on a living room desk, in the bathroom, and inside the master bedroom dresser.
But the most alarming discoveries were locked in plain sight. In an open gun safe in the master bedroom, authorities recovered six firearms: an Anderson AM15 .223 rifle, a Mossberg 702 Plinkster .22 rifle, a Romarm/Cugir M-10 7.62 rifle, a Mossberg Maverick 88 shotgun, a Springfield/Stevens 12-gauge shotgun, and a Gerstenberger U. Eberwein .32 revolver. Over 3,300 rounds of ammunition were stashed in the safe and in the bedroom closet, along with a ballistic vest, holsters, and ammo cans.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department led the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case in Columbia, underscoring the federal government’s aggressive stance on armed drug offenders. Hunter, a convicted felon, was prohibited from possessing any firearms under federal law.
This prosecution was part of Project CeaseFire, South Carolina’s aggressive extension of the national Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Spearheaded by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the program prioritizes dismantling violent crime through coordinated federal, state, and local efforts. Hunter’s sentence sends a clear message: armed drug activity won’t be tolerated on South Carolina’s streets.
Related Federal Cases
- Covington Man Gets 15 Years for Stealing 24 Guns · Georgia
- Amancio Joshua Venegas Gets 10 Years for Gun, Meth Run · South Carolina
- Switch Dealer Gets 25 Years · South Carolina
- Jamal Antwan Lewis Gets 262 Months for Firearm Possession · South Carolina
- Neko Andre Tisdale Gets 10 Years for Felon Firearm Possession · South Carolina
Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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