A Williston man recently pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm following a pursuit in Kershaw County. 51 year old Demetrius McIlwain admitted to the charge after deputies with the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office responded to a location while searching for a suspect in a reported domestic violence incident. Deputies found McIlwain sitting in the driver’s seat of a running vehicle. When asked to step out, he told deputies there was a weapon inside the vehicle, then drove away.
After attempting to evade law enforcement, McIlwain wrecked the truck and ran. Deputies later recovered an AR-style pistol, a shotgun, and a third firearm from the vehicle, along with a small amount of fentanyl. He later admitted he was the driver. Because of multiple prior felony convictions, McIlwain is prohibited from possessing firearms. He now faces up to 15 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in partnership with Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office.