COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA -Shondel Antwan Crim, 47, of Columbia, has pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Dec. 15, 2021, Richland County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the home of a victim. The victim stated that she and Crim had stopped dating. She saw him at a gas station, they talked, and he tried to rekindle their relationship. She declined and left the gas station. Crim followed her and fired into her car at least 2 times, striking her car. An arrest warrant was issued for Crim.
A week later, the police saw Crim at a gas station and arrested him. They found a loaded Glock pistol in a holster inside his waistband. A search warrant was issued for his house, where they found additional ammunition along with a small amount of crack cocaine.
Crim was taken to police headquarters and given his Miranda warnings. He admitted that the gun found on him was the gun he had during the shooting into the victim’s car.
Federal law prohibits Crim from possessing a firearm based upon prior convictions for possession of crack, possession of a stolen car, possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute in proximity of school, possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine, and burglary.
Crim faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and 6 years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Crim after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
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.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys