Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri A. Lydon announced today that Shamari Delresse Jones, a/k/a “Amari," age 34, and Jokari T. Jones, age 36, both of Columbia, were each sentenced to federal prison. Shamari Jones was sentenced to 7 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Jokari Jones was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and to misprison of a felony.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on the evening of July 29, 2017, officers with the Columbia Police Department were on routine patrol on West Beltline Boulevard and observed Shamari Jones driving. They knew that his driver’s license was under suspension. After confirming that his license was suspended and noticing that the license plate on the vehicle came back to a completely different vehicle, officers initiated a traffic stop. Shamari Jones, the driver, and the passenger both exited the vehicle and Shamari Jones was observed with a baggie in his hands. Shamari Jones fled on foot as the officers approached, but he was apprehended and the baggie was found to contain rounds of.44 caliber ammunition. While the officers were pursuing Shamari Jones, the passenger left in the vehicle. Shamari Jones was arrested on state charges.
The following day, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office responded to Shamari Jones’ mother’s home in Heath Springs in reference to a shooting. No one was injured, but while at the home, a number of firearms and rounds of ammunition were recovered by law enforcement, including a Bushmaster.223 caliber rifle with an extended magazine and two 12 gauge shotguns.
The investigation revealed that immediately after Shamari Jones’ arrest for being in possession of the ammunition, his brother-Jokari Jones-and another individual moved the firearms from Shamari Jones’ Columbia home to his mother’s home in an effort to keep law enforcement from finding the firearms. At the time of federal offense, Jokari Jones was on state bond from an unrelated state offense two weeks earlier and was on GPS monitoring.
The investigation also showed that in October 2015, Shamari Jones, a known gang member, had attended the CeaseFire Columbia Offender Notification meeting in which he, and others, were advised by law enforcement officials that should they be found in possession of firearms and ammunition, their case would be considered for federal prosecution in light of their extensive prior records.
Federal law prohibits Shamari Jones from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior South Carolina state convictions, including: assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature, where he shot an individual (2004); possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and possession of cocaine (2009); assault with intent to kill, where he shot at a group of individuals and a female was shot in the crossfire (2 counts) (2009); possession of cocaine (2010); and possession with intent to distribute marijuana (2015).
Federal law also prohibits Jokari Jones from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon his prior South Carolina state convictions, including: unlawful carrying of a pistol (2003); assault with intent to kill, wherein he shot at an individual (February 2005); assault with intent to kill (2 counts) and unlawful carrying of a weapon, wherein he shot at an individual and was later apprehended in possession of a handgun with an obliterated serial number (March 2005); criminal domestic violence (2006); unlawful carrying of a weapon (2006); unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a crime of violence (2012); carrying weapons on school property, wherein he was observed on video surveillance shooting a firearm at an individual on the premises of Arden Elementary School (2012); and unlawful carrying of a weapon, wherein he was found in possession of a firearm with a loaded high capacity extended magazine (2016).
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis of Columbia sentenced Shamari Jones to 84 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. Judge Lewis sentenced Jokari Jones to 120 months in federal prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by ATF, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Columbia Police Department. It was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Assistant United States Attorney Stacey D. Haynes of the Columbia office prosecuted the case. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
