Lexington County Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms

COLUMBIA, S.C. —Jamar Tywone Kimpson, 52, of Swansea, has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in 2021, workers at a local FedEx hub found three suspicious packages with a strong odor of marijuana. All three were addressed to the same person at an address in Swansea, South Carolina with return addresses of the recipient’s same name and address. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the parcels, and they were found to contain marijuana and THC edibles. Another search warrant was obtained for the residence, and a controlled delivery was made at the address. Kimpson took possession of the parcels and took them into the residence. 

During the search of the residence, three packages that were delivered were found unopened in the living room. Between the three packages, investigators found 28 packages of THC edibles, 65 bags of marijuana (approximately 1 pound each), 28 glass jars of marijuana, and quantities of marijuana in other forms. Investigators also located the receipt for the packages that listed tracking numbers for each. Another receipt indicated that an additional package was sent. It was seized by SLED and turned over to Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and was also found to contain marijuana and THC products. 

Multiple guns were found throughout the house and in cars in the yard, including a rifle hidden in the kitchen table’s bench seat.  A 9mm pistol was found in Kimpson’s bedroom on a dresser on top of paperwork with Kimpson’s name on it. Two pistols were located on the driver’s side floorboard of a sedan that had paperwork with Kimpson’s name on it. A shotgun and a 9mm pistol were in another vehicle belonging to Kimpson.   

Kimpson is prohibited from possessing firearms based upon prior convictions for a weapons violation, an armed robbery, resisting arrest, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a stolen pistol, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of crack cocaine, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

Kimpson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Kimpson after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Columbia Police Department, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.

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