Richard Stewart, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, South Carolina 2017

Richard Stewart, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, South Carolina 2017

Columbia, SC - Richard Stewart, a 42-year-old man from Lancaster, South Carolina, has pleaded guilty to Felon in Possession of a Firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g), in federal court in Columbia.

According to United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon, Stewart was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law due to his prior felony convictions for possession of crack cocaine and manufacturing crack cocaine.

On June 6, 2017, Lancaster Sheriff's Office deputies executed a search warrant at Stewart's mother's residence in Lancaster, SC, and found multiple firearms, including a Taurus Judge handgun. Stewart was arrested shortly after the search and admitted to owning the Taurus firearm.

Stewart faces a maximum possible penalty of ten years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office and was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project CeaseFire initiative.

Assistant United States Attorney Will Lewis handled the case. Project CeaseFire is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney's Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

Stewart is scheduled to be sentenced after the U.S. Probation Office has prepared a presentence report. United States Senior District Judge Cameron Currie will impose the sentence.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/repeat-drug-offender-pleads-guilty-gun-charges-federal-court