From the United States Attorney District of South Carolina Office:
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Dominic Sinclair, 38, of Columbia, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on July 16, 2019, Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) narcotics investigators conducted a controlled purchase of heroin from Ervin. Ervin was stopped a short time later by an RCSD deputy. Ervin’s car was searched, and deputies found approximately 24 grams of heroin and 15 grams of methamphetamine along with a digital scale hidden in Ervin’s car. A loaded .45 cal. pistol was found under the driver’s seat.
On May 10, 2022, City of Columbia Police Department (CPD) officers responded to a call of a man threatening people with a gun at an apartment complex near Bailey St., in Columbia. Ervin matched the description of the suspect given to police. When CPD officers encountered Ervin, he fled into an apartment at the complex. Ervin was eventually taken into custody and found in possession of two firearms, one of which had an extended ammunition magazine attached. Ervin was out on bond from a previous arrest at this time.
Ervin was prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition based on previous state and federal convictions. In 2008, Ervin was convicted of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. In 2009, he was convicted federally of knowingly using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a drug trafficking crime.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Ervin to 132 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the City of Columbia Police Department (CPD) and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
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