Horry County Man Indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — A federal grand jury in Florence returned a one-count indictment against Richard Terrell Smith, 32 of Conway, for felon in possession of a firearm.

The indictment alleges that in June 2021, Smith possessed a 9mm pistol as well as a 20 gauge shotgun after having been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.

Smith faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years imprisonment followed by up to 3 years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. He is currently detained pending trial.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, 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.

The case was investigated by the Horry County Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. Waller is prosecuting the case. 

U.S. Attorney Corey F. Ellis stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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