Greenville, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake announced today that Nicolas LaShawn Finley, a/k/a “Shy," a/k/a “Shy Money," a/k/a “Shakim Karim," age 45, of Mauldin, South Carolina, was sentenced in Greenville for two counts of possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony and a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, § 922(g)(1) and (9), and possession with intent to distribute heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section § 841. Senior United States District Judge Henry M. Herlong, Jr., of Greenville, South Carolina, sentenced the defendant to 70 months imprisonment, followed by a term of supervised release.
Evidence presented at the guilty plea demonstrated that on Dec. 20, 2016, Finley was the passenger in a car that was pulled over by a Greenville County Sheriff’s Office deputy. When the deputy requested registration documents, Finley opened the glove compartment, revealing a.40 caliber Taurus handgun. Finley initially reached for the glove box containing the handgun, but eventually was removed from the car without incident. When deputies secured the firearm, they found it was missing its magazine. Deputies found the magazine, loaded with five bullets, and 2.06 grams of heroin on Finley’s person.
On May 10, 2017, deputies executed a search warrant at a motel where Finley was staying. Officers recovered 9mm ammunition among Finley’s belongings and a 9mm SCCY handgun hidden in the bathroom. Finley was searched and officers located a.22 caliber bullet in his sock. Finley is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions and a prior misdemeanor domestic violence conviction.
Finley’s case was expedited for federal prosecution as part of Operation “Real Time" and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jamie Schoen prosecuted the case. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
