Kendolius Cortez Jones, a 32-year-old resident of West Columbia, has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison after admitting guilt to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to evidence presented in court, Jones sold 13 firearms between April and June 2023 to undercover agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The weapons included stolen firearms as well as those capable of accepting large capacity magazines.
Jones was legally barred from owning firearms or ammunition due to previous felony convictions. These convictions include criminal conspiracy, assault and battery, failure to stop for blue light, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, forgery, driving under suspension, and several drug-related offenses such as distribution of crack cocaine.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Jones to 107 months in prison. After his release, he will be subject to three years of supervised court-ordered supervision. There is no possibility for parole within the federal system.
The case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed to bring together law enforcement agencies and communities with the goal of reducing violent crime and gun violence. The Department launched an updated violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021 that focuses on fostering trust within communities, supporting organizations that work on violence prevention at the community level, setting focused enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.
The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Homeland Security Investigations; West Columbia Police Department; Lexington County Sheriff’s Department; and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case.
