COLUMBIA — Demetrius McIlwain, 52, of Williston, has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms according to a release from the United States Department of Justice.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that deputies with the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office responded to a location looking for a suspect alleged to have committed domestic violence.

During their investigation, deputies found McIlwain in the driver’s seat of a running vehicle and a woman in the passenger seat. The deputy attempted to identify McIlwain to determine if he was involved in the incident, but McIlwain refused to cooperate. When deputies asked McIlwain to step out of the vehicle, he told them that there was a shotgun in the vehicle, then he immediately drove away.

After McIlwain tried to evade the deputies, he wrecked his truck and ran.

During a search of the vehicle, deputies found an AR style pistol in the front seat, a shotgun in the back seat and a third firearm in a toolbox in the vehicle.

Deputies also found a small amount of fentanyl in the driver’s side cup holder.

The passenger later identified McIlwain as the driver, and deputies further connected him to the vehicle from paperwork found inside the truck. 

McIlwain was later arrested and admitted he was the driver of the vehicle.

McIlwain was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon prior criminal convictions for grand larceny, burglary, criminal sexual conduct, malicious injury to personal property and assault and battery with intent to kill.

United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced McIlwain to 135 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. 

There is no parole in the federal system. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case.