Columbia man sentenced to 11 years in prison for drug trafficking, gun charges
Dominic Sinclair Ervin 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.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– A judge has sentenced a Columbia man 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, said the Justice Department.
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 Dominic Sinclair Ervin.
After the purchase Ervin was later stopped by an RCSD deputy.
Deputies searched his car and found around 24 grams of heroin, 15 grams of methamphetamine along with a digital scale that was hidden, and a loaded .45 cal. pistol was found under the driver’s seat, said RCSD.
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 Street in Columbia.
Ervin who matched the description of the suspect fled into an apartment at the complex when deputies approached him.
He was eventually taken into custody and found in possession of two firearms, one of which had an extended ammunition magazine attached, said Columbia police. Ervin was out on bond from a previous arrest at that time.
Officials said Ervin had run-ins with law enforcement even before those incidents dating back to 2008 when he was convicted of assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature and in 2009 when 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.
A judge sentenced Ervin to 132 months in prison which is to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.
