Florence Man Sentenced to Over 5 Years in Federal Prison on Gun Charge

Florence, South Carolina --- Dominic Rakim Ellison, 34, of Florence, has been sentenced to over 5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.

Evidence presented to the court showed that on May 1, 2020, a deputy with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a car driven by Ellison.  Upon approaching the car, the deputy noticed an odor of marijuana coming from the car and saw a plastic bag protruding from Ellison’s left pocket.  The deputy searched the car and located a firearm loaded with 6 rounds of ammunition under the driver’s seat.  Ellison is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to his prior convictions for Burglary Second Degree and Armed Robbery.   

United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Ellison to 63 months in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel prosecuted the case.

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