Union Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal Possession of Firearm
Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Dennis Earl Byrd, age 35, of Union, South Carolina, was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g). United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks, of Greenville, sentenced Byrd on August 16, 2017.
At an earlier guilty plea hearing, Assistant U. S. Attorney Jeanne Howard, established that on August 25, 2015, Byrd was arrested after an altercation with Union Police Officers while they were responding to a disturbance call. Byrd was found in possession of a loaded .32 caliber revolver. Because of his prior criminal history including three prior convictions for distribution of crack cocaine and a conviction for lynching, 2nd degree, Byrd is considered an armed career criminal and subject to a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years.
The case was investigated by agents of the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Union Police Department, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office handled the case.
#####
Lance Crick (864) 282-2105