Image: Department of Justice (D.O.J.)   COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)– An Eastover man was sentenced to more than six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, said the DOJ. Evidence presented to the court showed that on Dec. 28, 2021, Richland County Sheriff’s Department deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that Joseph Nayquan Kelly was a passenger in, for a license plate that came back to another type of vehicle. During the traffic stop, deputies smelled the odor of marijuana and the driver of the vehicle admitted there was a small amount of marijuana in the car, said the Department of Justice. Deputies searched the vehicle and found around 1 pound of marijuana in a shoebox alongside a 9mm pistol with an extended magazine that had been reported as stolen. Kelly claimed ownership of the pistol and the marijuana, said the DOJ. He was held responsible for possession of several other pistols as well as for a reckless vehicle pursuit in other incidents. Kelly is a convicted felon and is unable to lawfully possess firearms or ammunition. A U.S. district judge sentenced Smith to 78 months imprisonment which is to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Categories: Local News, Richland Tags: Department of Justice, South Carolina Department of Justice