Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearm Possession

Contact Person: Jamie Lea Schoen (864) 282-2100

Greenville, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Otis Macklin, age 27, of Greenville, SC entered a guilty plea in federal court in Anderson to Possessing a Firearm after Receiving a Felony Conviction, in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).  United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain of Anderson accepted the guilty plea and will impose the sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report, which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on June 26, 2016, a woman called 911 and stated that Otis Macklin had threatened to kill her and her young son, and had assaulted her with a gun.  The woman related that she was only able to escape the house after Macklin fell asleep. When law enforcement arrived at the house, Macklin fled, but was eventually restrained by a K-9.  During the execution of a search warrant at the house, law enforcement located a black 9mm semiautomatic firearm, matching the woman’s description of the gun used to assault her.  Macklin denied harming the woman, threatening her, or even possessing the firearm that day, but admitted at the guilty plea that he had possessed the firearm at some point around that time.  Macklin has a prior felony conviction for which he could have received more than one year in prison and has not received a pardon.

Ms. Drake stated that the maximum penalty Macklin could receive is 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 dollars.   The case was investigated by agents of the ATF and the Greenville City Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Lea Schoen of the Greenville office prosecuted the case.

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