Cederick Dion Dixon, a 38-year-old resident of Fort Mill, has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison for illegal firearm possession. The sentence follows an investigation initiated on January 15, 2023, when a South Carolina Highway Patrol trooper stopped Dixon's vehicle due to a defective equipment violation.
During the traffic stop, Dixon admitted that his driver's license was suspended. A subsequent records check confirmed this status as a habitual traffic offender. Following his arrest, authorities searched the vehicle and discovered marijuana in the driver’s side door handle and an open bottle of liquor in the backseat. A backpack located in the front seat contained a firearm, 9mm ammunition, and various narcotics.
Dixon is legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to previous convictions for attempted armed robbery, unlawful carrying of a weapon, distribution of crack cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Dixon to 87 months in prison with an additional three-year term of court-ordered supervision upon release. It is noted that there is no parole available within the federal system.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which aims to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy for PSN on May 26, 2021. This strategy emphasizes community trust and legitimacy, supports community-based violence prevention organizations, sets strategic enforcement priorities, and measures outcomes.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives alongside the South Carolina Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is leading the prosecution.
