Charleston Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Weapon Violation

CHARLESTON, S.C. — Jacob Murrell Wilson, 24, of Charleston, was sentenced to nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Evidence presented to the court established that on Nov.10, 2023, Charleston Police Department officers encountered Wilson while patrolling a high-crime apartment complex. The officers recognized Wilson and were aware that he had an active arrest warrant. When they attempted to approach him, Wilson immediately ran from the officers. 

During the chase, officers observed Wilson reaching for a loaded pistol equipped with a 24-round extended magazine and an illegal machine gun conversion device – commonly known as a switch. Wilson stopped, pulled out the gun, and pointed it in the direction of the pursuing officers, then threw the firearm over a fence and continued to run.

When officers apprehended Wilson, they found 6.8 grams of crack cocaine, 8.98 grams of cocaine, 36.35 grams of marijuana, and 187 grams of promethazine in Wilson’s possession. Officers recovered the firearm nearby.

Wilson has a prior felony conviction for attempted armed robbery and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Wilson to 106 months imprisonment to be followed by give years of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Charleston Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case.

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